The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-12-24
FORMER RESIDENT
HEARD FROM
Il. I. Temple, Of Brooklyn, Writes
Back - Lived Here
Long Ago

4 A letter from H. L. Temple, dated
December 18th, at number 407 Easi
I11th Street, Flatbush, Brooklyn, New
York City, asks for information about
Blackfoot, and is anxious to know
what improvements have been made
since he lived here in the later eight
/ les.
1t is a pleasure to have such in
quiries come back to us and especial
! ly at the Yuletide when old friends
4 and bygone days are likely to be re-
i viewed in memory. 1t is a pleasure
| too, to respond to them and to pass
the information along to all readers
Of the Republican and to send mark
1 ed copies to the old friends scattered
| in all directions from here.
Mr.. and Mrs. Tempel will be re-
membered by early residents of
Blackfoot. They lived for some time
on Bridge street in the Tenant house
that burned some years later. The
site is occupied now by the Idaho
Lumber Company with their big
yards and buildings. Mr.. Temple was
a special land agent, slight built
gentleman past middle life and gray.
At that time Blackfoot's business
houses were all on Main street except
the livery stable just west of the
Curtis corner and blacksmith shop,
and that locality around the corner
was the tramping ground of freight
ers and Indians. The fences that were
put up were generally in dilapidated
condition because the Indian ponies
We're tied to them and the ponies
spent their time working the boards
off while their owners went about
town purchasing beads, blankets and
Watermelons. Mr.. Temple Wadedr
through couple of blocks OF dust
or mud to get to his residence and IT.
will interest him to know that a good
pavement reaches that locality now,
and the Armory and opera house
where most Of the amusements are
put on stands block farther west.
n Main street is still Main street, but
most of the buildings that once stood
near the railroad tracks have been
removed, and nothing but the depot
and freight house remain. The streets
have been graded and drained, and
are now designated as Main and East
Main the two streets and the railroad
tracks occupying belt Of 800 feet
wide. The old freight houses used by
the forwarding company have long
since been removed. The land Office |
still stands on it's old site, and where
G. w. Berryman's residence WASH
there now stands the Cottage hotel,
a large frame structure with a new
brick annex just completed. Several |
good residences have been built along |
East Main and Shilling avenue, one
block east of Main, has become the
most pretentious residence street, |
reaching nearly to the Blackfoot river
on the south, and as far north, being
paved for nearly mile. Many fine
residences already built or in course
Of construction may be seen in every
part of town.
The business district remains en-
tirely on the west side. of the tracks,
Main street having extended to about
double its length as 1t appeared twen-
ty years ago, and Is built up mainly
with brick or stone. At some distance
on the north are the fair grounds and
at the southern end Of the street is
the electric light plant and large
grain elevator and potato storage ware
house. In the block south of the
Curtis Corner are the Telephone Ex-