American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-05-13

Tne population OF American Falls is
1902. In a house to house canvas
made by Kirby Torrance, employed for
this purpose by the Village Trustees,
this number of people have been found.
The names have been alphabetically
arranged, checked and rechecked and
verified. The work OF enumerating
was finished about April 90 The first
count brought 1879 names. In arrang-
ing the names alphabetically it was
found that the family of j. w. Lee and
Mr., Longiey had been overlooked. This
added 10. The election on the 27th
produced five more. These were in
Vestigated, three were accepted and
two rejected, This brought the list to
1892. Then nine section men, with
unpronouncable and unspelable names
were added bringin the list to 1901. 1t
was then found that Mrs. Bertha Win
ters was listed but Sam was missing.
this number of people have ben found
tai to 1902. There may be a few more
but very few, if any. Every family hav-
ing children in school, every resident
taxpayer has been accounted for. Gv-
cry precaution has been taken to have
the census accurate and complete, ev-
en- to the Christian names and the age
of all under 81. Considerable detail
has been secured including the former
homes of residents and the years in
which they came. This discloses that
1914 was the banner year in the
growth of American Falls and that al
most half as may people have come
during the first four months of 1915
as came during all of 1914.
The federal census gave American
Falls population of 953 Like most
other towns American Falls was a lit
tie Inundated by the announcement of
the number Our people had been
claiming 1900 and some of them 1900.
So just to show that Uncle Sam was
wrong the Comercial club decided to
take a new census Of its own, Nicely
printed blanks were secured and a
competent, painstaking man employed
to do the work. The town was can
vassed block by block, from house to
house. When the names were collect
ed, arranged alphabetically. and turned
over to the secretary of the CONNER
cial club great silence fell. The re-
suit was never announced and it was
decided TO let Uncle Sans count stand
as official. This is what had happen
ed: Enough people whom the census
enumerator had found had since taken
hnnanCtnndc In A,
Arbon, Pleasant Valley and other
points to reduce the number of actual
residents to less than 900. The feder-
al census was taken in April. and the
commercial club census in the early
summer
The increase during the past five
years, as shown by the census, is very
satisfactory. The increase is $40, or
almost 5S per cent. The county has
grown along with the town, probably
more rapidly. 1t is unfortunate that
the data secured by the commercial
preserved. 1t would have been inter-
esting for the sake of making compari-
sons. Such records as are available.
however, confirm the census just TAX
en-. The best index is found In the
number of our school children. Five
years ago last September there were
$50 in the grades and is in the high
school The 1913 report showed an
enrolment of 37s. The enrolment
for 19l4-15 is about 43O, with 6S in
the high school This includes a few
childred from other districts and sever
al from this district who live outside the
village limits.
Living within the village limits at
the present time are 371 of school age.
Some of these have graduated from the
eighth grade and a few from the high
school, but fifty will probably include
all such. There are 24O children an
der school age in the village limits
which is 72 more than all the children
attending school in the entire district
at the beginning of the term five years
ago. Growth is also shown by the