American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-12-31
(RecolIections of w. L. OIiyer.)

(RecOllections OF w. L. Oliyer.)
THE first settler in the Rockland
valley was Guadaloupe Valdez, who
still lives there. He is entitled to
rate, in my judgment, as the first set
tier in what is now Power county,
because those ahead of him were
merely transients, who had no inten-
ton of making homes, Mr. Valdez
came in the spring of 1877 and ! ar
rived the following September Pla-
Ger excitement at Bonanza Bar had
brought a few miners into that To-
cality, but they were not permanent
Mr.. Valdez brought a few cattle with
him and started in the cattle bust
ness in small way. l believe he
came from Mexico. He located on
the cast fork of Rock creek, about
two miles above the present site of
the town of Rockland, and lived in
a dugout. He had the valley all to
himself for about a year and was
monarch of all he surveyed.
First Neighbor.
My first neighbor was James
Watts, father of Joe Watts, who loca-
ted on the other side of the river from
me-, at what is now known as Watts
Island. He came in from Montana,
and was there for some time before
i knew ii. One day | was down to
the river and saw Joe, then a lad of
ten or twelve. and his brother, play
ing on the bank on the other side of
hn I
them who they were, and they told
me their father was living little
further up The next Sunday Mrs.
Oliver and got in boat and visited
them. This was the first social event
III the history OF this locality the first
time one neighbor had called upon
another. We were very glad to have
them so near us. Mr.. Watts was en-
gagged in the stock business, having
brought cattle in with him. A few
years later he met tragic death at
the hands of employees of another
stockman in quarrel over cattle. The
man who shot him was one of three.
and went to Blackfoot and surren
dered and was cleared when his trial
came up. Joe Watts was i'm Montana
AT the time. Joe's brother, a mere lad
was with his father at the time he met
his death.
John Calder, Third Settler.
John Calder came in 1878, and en-
gagged in mining at Bonanza Bar. As
l remember he was the first man to
come following me. He was identified
with the early history of American
Falls, and more will be said of him
later He died about four years ago.
j. A. Suisted came in 1879, locating
at the junction of Warm and Cold
creeks, the site of his house being COW
cred by the water impounded in the
Warm creek reservoir. He was burned
TO death by the explosion of a lamp
the victim of the first tragedy in the
valley since settlement began.
My second neighbor was J. NJ Dagget
who settled on the place now owned by
c. b. Wade, in 1879. He was my near
est neighbor In 1881 he sold to Rich
ard Driscol.
In 1880 Richard Driscol, William
Dover. Wilson Hatch and George
Mower, the latter the father of the
George Mower now residing here, set
tied on land in the bottoms near
Horse Island.
John l.. Ross, now a large property
owner of Pocatello, about that time
located on Horse Island, and was the
first settler there. He brought in a
good bunch OF cattle He was one of
The best men who ever located in this
Coming of Frank Campbell.
1t was in May, 1873, / believe, when
Frank Campbell and his wife came.
They we're at Bonanza Bar and Marsh
creek for a year or more before com
ing to American Falls. J. p. Steb-
bins, who had been a partner of Mr..
Campbell in Nevada.
"Mr Campbell, who was destined
TO become the leading spirit in Amer
lean Falls for many years, which he
was until the time of his death-a man
with a future, was also a man with ;
an honorable and successful past, hav- ;
ing made a small fortune in Nevada (;
and California When he and Mrs. 4
Campbell were married he had $780,
BOO in San Francisco bank. He went
on the stock market, speculating in
mining stocks. and one morning awoke
10 the fact that he had but $1,000 left.
What will We do with 1t" he asked
Mrs. Campbell. blow it or leave and
make stake somewhere else?" We've .
gone so far" she replied. 'let us go ]