Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-08-27
CHAPTER LII
ROCKY BAR

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The following extract from Lewis
History of Idaho throws some strong
light on the early history OF Rocky
Bar, the old and rich mining camp
of Gilmore county:
prospecting early indicated that
the future mineral wealth OF Idaho
would depend upon quartz mining,
and accordingly efforts were early
made to develop that feature OF Ida
hos principal industry.
"In the autumn of 1853 1T was
found that thirty-three claims OF
gold and silver quartz mines had
been located on the South Boise
river alone, all of which promised
well.
"The Ida Gilmore, near the head
of Bear creek, the first and most ia
nous of the South Boise quartz mines
in that year, was discovered in June.
'In an arastra, 1t yielded S270,-
900 to the ton of rock, but at length
1t fell into the hands of spectators
"The next several mines Of this
class were the Barker, East Barker,
Ophir. Idaho, Independence, South
ern Confederacy, Esmeralda, General
Lane, Western Star, Golden Eagle,
Mendocino, Abe Lincoln, Emmett and
Hibernia.
1.-THE Idaho, 80 feet below the
surface, $1744 in gold and $40 in
silver from the groupings. The
Golden Eagle assayed $2240 in gold
and $27 in silver.
sat the Ida Elmore a town was
laid out and called Fredericksburg.
Other towns were laid out else
where, many of which remained
towns In the imagination.
Rocky Bar, however, laid out in
1864, beautifully materiallzed.
South Boise mining district was
organized in the latter part of 1864,
and had four towns Esmeralda,
Clifton, Rocky Bar and Happy Camp,
and a wagon road was completed
from this district to Boise in Au-
gust Of the same year by Julius
Newberg.
AT this time Alturas county was
organized with Esmeralda as the
county seat. Esmeralda passed
away and Rocky Bar became the seat
of county government, and so re-
manned until 1882, when the county
seat was stolen from the old camp
by the work of the HALEY ring-an
organization then as notorious for
it's grating schemes as is now the
Mountain Home ring OF swipers or
vipers.
In addition to the Ida Elmore and
the Ophir, are a large number of
good mines in close vicinity to
Rocky Bar. conspicuous among
which may be mentioned the Pitts
burg, Vishnu, Tip Top, Alturas,
Confederate Star, Wide West, Rich
mend, Idaho, Con-, Red Warrior
Chief, Henry Clay, Champion, Fred
Bassler Group, Mountain Goat, the
Jim Tregonning and the John Martin
mines.
Hon, irwin Mahon, secretary Of
the international Mining Congress
which convened in Boise, July, 1901,
in his official statement of the min
ing industry of Idaho, says:
Rocky Bar, on Bear creek seven
miles from the South Boise river, has
800 claims that have a record of
$30,000,000 in ten years, and sutIi-
cient base ore with transportation,
for as much more
About the earliest justice OF the
peace of that rushing camp was Sol
Newcomer, now at Pine Grove, who
dealt out law and Justice from the
early cos until 1886.
In 1889 Rocky Bar became the
county seat of the newly organized
county of Gilmore, and the old coun-
ty buildings assumed a lively ap-
pearance as in days of yore.
In the organization of the new
county, Geo. D. Golden and N. B.
Rathbone became justices and ]. D.
Gray constable. Judge Golden re-
signed on becoming county treasurer
and Geo. l.. Wall was appointed his
successor. Judge Wall receiving
the appointment of special land
agent under the United States gov
eminent, Bart Clinton became his
successor.