Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-10
RESIDENCE OF THE
GOVERNOR STANDS
Old Buildings in Northern
City Where Laws Were
Made - He avy Snow
Caused Collapse Of Capitol
Building Before It Could
Be Removed.

Now that the Fourteenth Idaho leg
lslature is in session in this city. II Is
Interesting to refer to the remarks
made by H. l.. Talkington. head OF the
department of history in the Lewiston
State Normal school, which appear In
the Lewiston Tribune of recent date re-
Garding the first state capitol building
and territory and legislative assembly
hall at Lewiston and its subsequent
rental for other purposes. Professor
Talkington says:
"A people that does not take just
pride In their ancestors will never
leave anything behind which will ex-
cite the just pride Of it's descendants"
AS q firm believer in these senti-
ments i some years ago began to To-
cate historic buildings and places OF
this state. We then had many pto-
neers with us. In Lewiston. they glad
ly volunteered their services, and went
with me pointing out the buildings and
sites, and while there was not perfect
agreement in every detail, yet in the
essentials they all agreed.
The residence of the governor and
the place where he transacted the exc
cutive business was a building on
Third street, facing east and just north
Of c street. The house of representa-
tives met in the old log school house
facing north, and standing on the cor
ncr Of Third and c streets. Their COM
mittees met upstairs in an adjoining
building, used as the lodge room Of the
Masons. while the senate met In
two-story frame building on the same
street, standing over near the Snake
liver.
TO PRESERVE BUILDING.
Some questions arose last winter
when the ladies' Twentieth Century
club was making all arrangements to
move the capitol building to a perma-
nent site, as to which building really
was the capitol. Fortunately / have
not only tic testimony of the c. p.
Goburn and c. c. Bannell. who we're
living here at that time, but also
letter from the secretary of the grand
lodge of Masons of the state of Wash
lnston, in whose jurisdiction Lewiston
was then located but also of the sec
rotary OF the treasury Of the United
States, giving items of expense and the
PURPOSES for which the money was
paid Mr.. Bunnell had stated that he
was a member of the Masonic lodge
and that they had rented their building
to the house of representatives for the
committees of the house and that they
received the amounts stated in the re-
port of the secretary of the treasury
Is here given.
These facts settle beyond the shadow
of doubt the respective places where
the various departments of government
were located during the time that Lew
tston was the capital. Unfortunately,
heavy snow caused the collapse of
the capitol building before it could be
removed.
COPIES OF LETTERS.
I append copies of letters referred to
relative to rental OF the capitol build
ings:
Dear Mr.. Talkington Pardon delay
In answering your favor of the 21st ult.
was away from home last week and
have been very busy this week.
The records of Lewiston lodge, No.
10, in our office are very meager 1t
appears that number of Masons met
on Dec. 6, 1862, at the Pioneer
House for the purpose of making APP
plication for dispensation to organ
lie lodge. The lodge was organized
on April s. 1863, but no entry made of
meeting place. subsequently the min
utes are headed Masonic hall, and on
April "a, 1853, a committee reported,
and a motion was made to make ar
rangements with Mr.. A. II. Robbie for
a hall at a rental OF $45 per month.
At meeting between Oct LIST and Oct.
2sth, 1854 which was given no date,
tile records show special meeting
for the purpose of making arrange
ments for the renting of the hall to the
United States" and the master was
authorized to make such arrangements
as he should deem best. The minutes
indicate that the lodge met in Mr.
Robie's hall until the charter was sur
rendered.
Brother C. C. Bunnell was not mas
ter until 1866. being installed as such
on Dec. 27, 1864. William Kaufman
was the first master of the lodge, serv-
ing as such until March 16, 1864, when
Brother Newell was installed as mas
ter; Brother Bunneli being installed as
senior deacon at that time.
am sorry the records do not answer
your inquiry more fully, and trust this
information will be Of some assistance
20 you.
With kind regards, I am,
Fraternally yours.
H. w. TYLER,