Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1922-02-02
PAYETTE'S OLDEST
PIONEER CALLED

one OF tne early pioneers ana nlSAll
respected citizens of this communit.
had passed away at $50. While
his death had been almost hourly
expected for several days when the
final message came that he had gone
many hearts were saddened. MI
Pence was man whose advice in
business and social affairs will be
keenly missed. He was one of the
sturdy pioneers who came to this
state in the early COS. He was born
in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania,
October 2, 1897. At the age of
twenty he went to Kansas where he
engaged in freighting making three
trips to Denver in 1861, and the fol-
lowing year crossed the plains with
an OK team to the State of Oregon.
Learning of the gold discovery in the
Boise Basin he soon set out for that
Splace where he formed a partnership
with Samuel Kenny whipsawing
lumber for use in the mining camps
which brought as high as $500 per
thousand.
During the year 1863 Mr.. Pence
devoted his time in hauling logs with
an OK team for the building of the
rapid growing town OF, Idaho City,
and the following year packed and
freighted provisions from Umatilla I,
to Idaho City. In the early summer !
of 1866 he went to Portland where |
he purchased threshing machine !
and after threshing for the early set
tiers in the Boise Valley, sold his
outfit taking gold dust in exchange .
and on January 8, 1867, went to
Walla Walla, Washington, where he
purchased herd of cattle and drove
them back into the Territory of
Idaho, landing at the mouth of Big
Willow Creek, 10 miles southeast OF
Payette, where he purchased from a
squatter, his right to what has since
been known as the Pence ranch.
These were the first beef cattle
brought into the Territory of Idahoi
and the beginning of Mr. Pence's sol
years career in the stock business. |
In the 1872 he was married to Miss
Anna Bixby who was also a pioneer
of Southern Idaho, having crossed
the plains in 1852 and who has ,,
passed to her reward 19 years ago.
In the year of 1877 when the Indians
made their second outbreak Mr.. !
Pence was with General Howard in
Captain of band of Home Scouts.
In 1882 he moved with his family
to Payette where he was elected the
first Mayor of the town, and where
he has been closely identified with
Payette and vicinity in every way,
and socially, taking a ;,
deep interest in every enterprise for =
the betterment of the community .
He was for many years and at the o
time of his death President of the .
First National Bank of Payette. He >
was a Charter member of the Ma .
sonic lodge of Payette and for many
years a member and worker in the
Church.
He is survived by four sons and n
.wo daughters they are: E. C. Pence L
)f RSise, A. L. Pence, H. 3. Pence s
Walter Pence, Mrs. F. NJ. Satoris and h
Mrs. R. d. Bradshaw of Payette. He i,
S also survived by one brother, Tom n
Pence of Weiser, one brother and f
sister in Pennsylvania, and one sis Il
er in Colorado, and also Is grand
of which he was extremely
proud.
The funeral Sunday afternoon at +
he Methodist Church conducted by G.
Rev. Clyde L. Walker, pastor, was IL
)ne of the largest in the history of a
oayette. The Masonic lodge attend IL
ng in body, many coming from a 1t
distance to pay their last sad rights o
o a brother Mason and beloved pio- O.
leer. At the grave in Riverside
cemetery many people gathered to
witness the solemn Masonic cere-
nony conducted by DR.. l. R. Wood 81
ward. The pall-bearers were: A. B.
Moss, Jr., /. l.. Thurston, e. H. !
Murphy. Frank Fuller, Paul Walker
lanes L. Edwards, Albert Hansel b
md Ross P. Mason, all being men, c'
,ers OF the Masonic order. There .,
we're also nine honorary pall-bearers il
who were E. T. Jewell of Los
Angeles Algert Jackson of Long
Beach, Douglass Knox and John v
Davis of Emmett, John Bivens OF G
Ontario, Jacob Stroup, Thomas Ran
lhan A. J. Mcfarland and c. w.
Johnson of Payette. a