Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-12-23

AS the writer of this article did not |
come to Mountain Home until the
fall of 1890, that portion of the
article pertaining to matters prior
to that time will be hearsay evil
dence.
The original town of Mountain
Home was a stage station. on the
overland stage line from Kelton to
Boise. on Rattle Snake Creek at the
foot of the hills, just above Max
Leonardts ranch. formerly part of
the Commodore Jackson ranch,
post Office had been established at
this stage station for the benefit of
the stockmen who were running
their stock in this vicinity. In those
days there was but very little, if any,
farming other than a little irrigat-
ing of wild hay by diverting the
streams out over the low lands, caus-
ing Che wild grass to grow more a.
bundatly and the principle stock then
were horses and cattle, there being
very few. if any. sheep in the coun-
try at that time When the railroad
came through, which was in the
year 1888, the postmaster in true
western style, without asking any
odds of Uncle Sam, figuratively, if
not actually, put the post Office into
his hat and moved down on the rail-
road and opened up business, thus
giving a post Office at the new town
and as compensation fixing the
name, Mountain Home
When the railroad came through
here, a townsite corporation was
organized, known as the Idaho and
Oregon Land Improvement company,
and they purchased several tracts of
land along the railroad, which they
being the land where Mountain Home
is now situated, others being Cald-
WELL HALEY and some others. Be
fore the post Office was moved here
an attempt had been made to start
the town just above where ]. B..
Stanfield's residence now is and was
named Tutville, but when the town
site company plated their town they
plated it so as to move the business
section down to where it now is.
Tutville is now merely a memory of
the old inhabitants. At that time
Gilmore County was a part of AL
turas County, which then comprised
the counties of Gilmore, Blain, Lin
coin and a part of what is now Bing-
ham Counties. After several at
tempts to divide this large county
they finally succeeded in 1888 in
dividing the county up. giving a part
of the old county to what was then
bingham. and then comprising the
counties of Fremont. Bingham and
Bannock. and the balance of the
territory was divided into three
counties. named Alturas, Logan anC
Elmore-the original dividing line
between Alturas and Logan was af
forwards re-adiusted, and the names
changed to Blain and Lincoln, the
act creating the new counties haC
established the County Seat Of Ell
more at Rocky Bar, but provided tina
the general election to be held il
the fall of 1890 the people of Ell
more should select their permanen
County Seat. This brought on
very hot taught County Seat cleo
ton. but the entire lower section o
the county united on Mountain Hom
and as a result of the election. tn
County Seat was moved to Mountain
Home. Rocky Bar. still endeavore'
to hold on to the County Seat. nee
essitating a fight in the courts. Tn
case was decided in favor of Noun
tain Home, and in the early sprin
of 1891 the County Seat was moves
to Mountain Home, where it has bee
ever since. At that time som
agencies gave the population o
Mountain Home the population O
400. but the writer thinks they mus
have counted the chickens and dog
TO have made that number. | thin
that about 200 would be nearer tn
proper figure.
The people of Mountain Home ha
for a long time been endeavoring
induce capital to construct reservoir
on Rattle Snake and Long roi
creeks to store the water to irrigat