Pauline gets a polling place: the valley votes in 1916

In April 1916 the Power County commissioners gave the north end of Arbon Valley a polling place of its own at the Pauline schoolhouse. That fall both candidates for the valley's seat on the county board were valley men, and the winner became the first valley resident found on the board. The American Falls Press recorded both.

Arbon had been part of Oneida County, governed from Malad, until 1913, when the new Power County was created with its seat at American Falls. Three commissioners ran the county, one for each district, but, as the Press explained in 1918, they were "elected at large, the people voting for a member from each of the three districts."

A precinct for Pauline

On April 11, 1916, the board, with W. S. Sparks of American Falls in the chair, took up a petition from the valley. Its minutes read:

Petition having been made by residents of Arbon Valley, it is hereby ordered that a voting precinct be created with a voting place at the Pauline Schoolhouse, to contain school district No. 13 ...

The valley now had three precincts: Arbon, Crystal and Pauline. The schoolhouse was probably the two-room building that District 13 had bonded for in 1913 on John Noble's land, which, enlarged, is still Arbon Elementary (see the first schools at West Fork and Pauline).

In July the board named the polling places: Arbon at the Central school house in District No. 12, Crystal at its own Central school house in District No. 14, and Pauline at the Pauline school house in District No. 13. At its session of July 31, printed on August 10, it named the judges of election for the next two years: T. B. Evans, Joe Arbon and James Payne at Arbon; E. C. England, H. M. Saulsberry and John Bollenbroke, probably John Bolingbroke, at Pauline; and John Johnson, J. W. Staley and I. N. Davis at Crystal.

The race for the valley's seat

The valley lay in the Third District, and every man who sought that seat in 1916 gave Arbon as his address. The first to be reported was John Payne, the Arbon justice of the peace, who was said in December 1915 to be running for commissioner on the Republican ticket. His advertisement appeared in July 1916, and by the next week's paper G. A. "Gus" Brahmstadt of Arbon had announced for the same nomination. On August 10 the Press's list of nominations gave the Third District only two names, Brahmstadt for the Republicans and John Noble for the Democrats, and said they had "no opposition." Noble was probably the John Noble who kept the first store at Pauline.

Payne's advertisement was still running on August 17, and on August 31 the paper still wrote that Payne, "a pioneer," "will make the race for commissioner this year." But his name is not on the county's official list of primary candidates printed on August 24, nor in the returns of the September 5 primary, nor among the nominees in the county's notice of the November election, printed in October. The papers do not say why.

William Allard's name dropped away in the same way. Allard, who had gone to the Legislature in 1915 as the first legislator from the valley, advertised in August for the Republican nomination for representative. The Press called him "a farmer and a leading spirit in the Arbon valley" who had "served with credit." That spring he had publicly backed D. W. Davis, the American Falls banker, for governor, as "the ablest candidate for the office." Yet the official list and the primary returns show Andrew May of Rockland alone on the Republican line for representative, and again no reason is given.

The campaign in the valley

In July the Press printed a mock farm note:

Owing to unfavorable November crop predictions, L. L. Evans, S. H. Laird and Ben Davis, crop specialists, have recently visited Arbon and Rockland, offering suggestions as to methods of inoculation and cross breeding which they believe will impart vigor to the waning Wilson plant. For some time this plant has been showing signs of blight, and they hope to restore it or to introduce other plants to take its place.

The "Wilson plant" was evidently President Wilson's campaign for a second term, and the item added that "Hope for the Alexander plant has all but been abandoned"; Alexander was the Democrats' candidate for governor. L. L. Evans belonged to the American Falls Evans family of the Evans State Bank, not to the Arbon Evanses.

In the last week of the campaign the Republicans came to the valley. At Crystal on Monday evening, October 30, the American Falls quartette gave four selections, and Mrs. Breeze and the Misses Snyder and Whiting gave musical numbers. On Tuesday Hon. Will H. Gibson, a state speaker, held "a splendid meeting at the Central school in Arbon," with about 160 people. On Wednesday the county candidates held a meeting at Pauline; the paper does not say of which party. Election day was Tuesday, November 7.

The valley's commissioner

The November returns have not been found, but the outcome is clear. At the board's April 1917 session G. A. Brahmstadt sat with W. S. Sparks and R. W. Peterson, and that July the Arbon news called him "our commissioner here." In her history of Bannock Valley, printed in the Press that spring, Mrs. E. A. Logan wrote:

We have one of the present board of county commissioners, Mr. G. A. Brahmstadt, an enterprising and public spirited farmer who is doing his full share toward the development of the valley. He is a very capable man and will render good service.

He is the first valley resident found on the Power County board (see the first county commissioners from the valley), and valley men held the Third District seat for years afterward. One was E. C. England, a Pauline judge of election in 1916, who was serving on the board in July 1920 when he sought another term. The Press wrote then that "the people of Arbon and the voting populace of the county in general seem to favor Mr. England," and called him in every way a "square shooter."

Allard went back to the House for 1919–20, that time as a Democrat. Davis had lost to Alexander in 1916, though the Press held that he had been "counted out." By 1920 he was governor, and on February 10 that year "Hon. Wm. Allard" left for Boise, called by Governor Davis to "a special meeting of the state representatives."

The article as printed

American Falls Press, April 20, 1916, page 8. Transcribed from the Library of Congress text of the page scan; the clipping above, which shows the Pauline order, was checked against the scan. Where the scanned text separates the claim amounts from the names they belong to, or loses words at the edges of the column, the gap is marked [illegible].

COMMISSIONERS PROCEEDINGS.
American Falls, Idaho, April 10, 1916.
The Board of County Commissioners of Power County, met this day in regular quarterly session, Chairman W. S. Sparks, and Members M. E. Walker and C. F. Eggers being present, and the following proceedings were had to-wit:
The following claims were allowed and ordered paid out of the Current Expense Fund:
Burroughs Adding Machine Co., 6 months care of machine 5.00
Evans State Bank, Juror's Certificate of Pete Nelson. [illegible]
Frank Ertel, Juror's certificate [illegible]
E. E. [illegible], Juror's certificate 34.80
[illegible] M. Miller, Juror's certificate 34.80
Frank Peacock, Juror's certificate [illegible]
S. H. McCullough, Juror's certificate [illegible]
A. M. [illegible], Juror's certificate 18.30
[illegible], Jurors certificate [illegible] 33.30
First National Bank, Juror's certificate of J. J. Sorenson 34.60
First National Bank, Juror's certificate of Frank Kluck 36.10
First National Bank, Juror's certificate of Wm. McKnight 36.10
First National Bank, salary of C. M. Canfield, January [illegible]
Idaho Lumber Co., [illegible] court house [illegible]
Ralph W. Adair, list of certificates for 1 year [illegible]
Geo. D. Barnard Co., typewriter ribbons [illegible]
James Hearn, railroad fare for Indigent [illegible]
Arrow Press, supplies auditor's office [illegible]
First National Bank, stamped envelopes assessor's office [illegible]
First National Bank, stamped envelopes, treasurer's office [illegible]
First National Bank, stamped envelopes, auditor's office [illegible]
Davis Grain & Fuel Co. [illegible] drayage, etc. [illegible]
Oneida Milling & Elevator Co., oats and drayage on same [illegible]
Mary C. Neeley, [illegible] double assessment [illegible]
Evans State Bank, Juror's certificate of Lee Walton [illegible]
[illegible] W. Dowell, witness certificate [illegible]
D. D. Pratt, witness certificate [illegible]
J. H. White, witness certificate [illegible]
Geo D. Barnard Co., office supplies prosecuting attorney [illegible]
H. R. Hager, 3 months' salary [illegible]
G. S. Irwin, 14 days' work for county agent [illegible]
Ella Kohlhopp, caring for Indigent, Lovejoy children [illegible]
Southern Idaho Water Power Co., lighting county building 32.62
Remington Hotel, meals for Jurymen [illegible]
Blanche Warren, witness certificate [illegible]
Fall Creek Merc. Co., witness certificate of W. L. Weeks [illegible]
J. G. Vaughn, witness certificate [illegible]
Philbrick Greenwood, water for county building [illegible]
W. R. Griswold, salary of A. C. Haag [illegible]
A. C. Haag, office rent [illegible]
Brown & Moench, rebate tax on [illegible]
Roscoe Torrence, work done [illegible] Miss Rice [illegible]
W. D. Barnhart, coal and provisions for Indigent [illegible]
W. D. Barnhart, salary [illegible]
First National Bank, salary [illegible] stenographer of Geo. [illegible] 150.00
First National Bank, salary of Jessie Torrence as stenographer and deputy [illegible]
First National Bank, salary of Paul Bulfinch as recorder and auditor [illegible]
[illegible] F. Crowley, salary as assessor [illegible]
[illegible] C. M. Euler for 2 months 170.00
First National Bank, salary of C. M. Euler for month of March 85.00
May [illegible], work done for Miss Rice 14.70
F. Nettie Rice, salary for three months 300.00
Mrs. T. E. St. John, work done for treasurer 10.00
Grace McKinley, work done for [illegible]
First National Bank, salary of treasurer [illegible]
Davis Grain & Fuel Co., coal, drayage, etc. [illegible]
H. C. Beatty, meals to prisoners [illegible]
Rudolf Horsch, witness certificate [illegible]
American Falls Auto Co., auto hire [illegible]
The Caxton Printers, Ltd., office supplies, assessor and treasurer [illegible]
Walter S. Sparks, salary as commissioner [illegible]
M. E. Walker, salary as commissioner [illegible]
C. F. Eggers, salary as commissioner [illegible]
M. E. Walker, salary as health officer [illegible]
W. S. Sparks, salary as health officer [illegible]
C. F. Eggers, salary as health officer [illegible]
A. W. B. Kjosness, salary for three months [illegible]
C. H. Torrence, salary, railroad fare, miscellaneous expense 122.60
Spencer L. Baird, salary [illegible] prosecuting attorney [illegible]
Spencer L. Baird, 3 months' salary for stenographer 150.00
Spencer L. Baird, miscellaneous expenses [illegible]
Spencer L. Baird, telephone bill [illegible]
[illegible] & Sons, book, record of claims, auditor [illegible]
F. Nettie Rice, rebate [illegible] of [illegible]
Syms York Company, tax forms and certificates, [illegible] collector [illegible]
Irwin Allred, [illegible] months [illegible]
Nora Jones Lowe, [illegible] taxes [illegible]
Irwin Hudson Company, tax collector's cash book [illegible]
First National Bank, miscellaneous court house expense 167.80
A. S. Zabel, load of kindling for court house [illegible]
First National Bank, [illegible] county agent for poison [illegible]
Bethany Deaconess Hosp., [illegible] Mrs. Martin [illegible]
Bethany Deaconess Hosp. [illegible] Wilson [illegible]
[illegible] Hosp., [illegible] Sullivan [illegible]
Bethany Deaconess Hosp. [illegible] nameless man [illegible]
Bethany Deaconess Hosp., [illegible]
Bethany Deaconess Hosp., nursing Mrs. [illegible] Lucas [illegible]
Bethany Deaconess Hosp., nursing Amy Hines, solutions and medicine [illegible]
Riverside Merc. Co., supplies for Indigents [illegible]
Johnson [illegible], labor and material sheriff's office [illegible]
G. S. Irwin, [illegible] work for Mr. Kjosness [illegible]
Richard F. Noth, salary as physician [illegible]
Fall Creek Merc. Co., [illegible] supplies for [illegible]
Rockland [illegible], printing [illegible]
D. B. Jeffries, salary for 3 months [illegible]
D. B. Jeffries, expenses of sheriff's office for quarter [illegible]
[illegible] Torrence, salary for 24 days [illegible]
Madge E. Whistler, expenses for teachers' meetings [illegible]
Madge E. Whistler, salary for 3 months [illegible]
Madge E. Whistler, office expense, auto livery and miscellaneous [illegible]
Riverside Merc. Co., supplies for indigents [illegible]
A. W. B. Kjosness, bags and material [illegible]
[illegible] Mountain Milling Co., oats for squirrel poison [illegible]
M. E. Walker, expenses as commissioner [illegible]
W. S. Sparks, expenses as commissioner [illegible]
C. F. Eggers, expenses as commissioner 17.40
The following bills were allowed and ordered paid out of the Road and Bridge fund:
Chas. Dowell, rebate poll tax error [illegible]
Frank Myler, work with man and team [illegible]
Highway Dist. No. 1, putting in culvert, road work [illegible]
First National Bank, road work by J. B. Hatch [illegible]
The quarterly reports of F. Nettie Rice, treasurer: A. C. Haag, probate judge; D. B. Jeffries, sheriff and Paul Bulfinch, auditor and recorder, for the past quarter were hereby approved. Whereupon a recess was taken until Tuesday, April 11th, 1916.
American Falls, Idaho, April 11th, 1916.
The Board of Commissioners of Power County met this day pursuant to a recess taken April 10th, all members of the Board being present and the following proceedings were had to-wit:
Notice of hearing, as to creation by Board of County Commissioners, of proposed herd district.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:
Notice is hereby given that on the 1st day of April, 1915, a petition was filed with the Board of County Commissioners of Power County, State of Idaho, petitioning the Board of County Commissioners of Power County, State of Idaho, to create a herd district, pursuant to Chap. 14, Title 3, Revised Codes of the state of Idaho of the following described boundaries to-wit:
Commencing at the northeast corner of Township 7 South, Range 29 E. B. M., thence west six miles to the northwest corner of said township and [illegible] range, thence east along the township line dividing Townships 7 and 8 South, to where said line intersects the thread of the Snake River; thence up the thread of the Snake River to where the said thread of the Snake River intersects the line dividing Bingham and Power Counties, and a point known as approximately the northeast corner of Section 34, Township 6 South, Range 31 E. B. M.; thence west along the line dividing Bingham and Power counties to the southwest corner of Section 30, Township 6 South, Range 30 E. B. M.; thence south one mile to the point of beginning, or in other words, To a point where said line dividing Sections 31 and 36 Township 6 South Ranges 29 and 30 respectively, intersects the Township line dividing Townships 6 and 7 South, thence east to the place of beginning, same being a corection line.
The same to include all the territory within the above described boundaries. Said petition designates the following described animals, to-wit Horses, mules, cattle, swine and [illegible] that such animals as above described be prohibited from running at large in such district during the entire year.
Notice is further given that said petition was duly presented to the said Board of County Commissioners on the 11th day of April, 1916, the last day herein mentioned being one of the days included within the regular April, 1916 session and that the 6th day of May, 1916 at 10:00 o'clock a. m. thereof was set by the Board of County Commissioners of Power County, State of Idaho as the day for hearing said petition.
NOW THEREFORE take notice that the Board of County Commissioners will on the 6th day of May, 1916 at the hour of 10:00 o'clock thereof, pass upon said petition above mentioned and all parties desiring to be heard on behalf of said petition or in opposition thereto should then and there be present to present evidence for or against the creation of said proposed district.
At American Falls, Idaho, this 11th day of April in open session.
Board of County Commissioners, Power County, Idaho.
By W. S. Sparks, Chairman.
Attest: Paul Bulfinch, clerk.
Notice of hearing, as to creation by Board of County Commissioners, of proposed herd district:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:
Notice is hereby given that on the 28th day of March, 1916, a petition was filed with the Board of County Commissioners, Power County, State of Idaho, to create a herd district, pursuant to Chap. 14, Title 3, Revised Codes of the State of Idaho, of the following described boundaries, to-wit:
Beginning at a point 2 miles due east of the NW corner of Twp. 11 S., R. 32, E. B. M., thence due south to the southern boundary line of Power County, Idaho, thence due west along the southern boundary of Power County, Idaho, to a point one mile west of the SE corner of Twp. 12 S., R. 30, E. B. M., thence due north to the south boundary line of Twp. 11 S. R. 30, E. B. M., at a point one mile west of SE corner of Twp. 11 S., R. 30, E. B. M., thence due west one mile, thence due north three miles, thence to a point one mile due west, thence to a point three miles due north to the north boundary line of Twp. 11 S., R. [illegible], E. B. M., thence due east to the point of beginning, said district comprising a part of the Landing Voting Precinct.
The same to include all the territory within the above described boundaries. Said petition designates the following described animals, to-wit Horses, mules, cattle swine and sheep and that such animals as above described be prohibited from running at large in such district during the entire year.
Notice is further given that said petition was duly presented to said Board of County Commissioners on the 11th day of April, 1916, the last day herein mentioned being one of the days included within the regular April, 1916 session and that the 6th day of May, 1916 at 2:00 o'clock p. m. thereof was sent by the Board of [illegible] Commissioners of Power County, State of Idaho, as the day for hearing said petition.
NOW THEREFORE take notice that the Board of County Commissioners will, on the 6th day of May, 1916 at the hour of 2:00 o'clock p. m., thereof, pass upon said petition above mentioned and all parties desiring to be heard on behalf of said petition or in opposition thereto should then and there be present to present evidence for or against the creation of said proposed district.
At American Falls, Idaho, this 11th day of April in open session.
Board of County Commissioners, Power County, Idaho.
By W. S. Sparks, Chairman.
Attest: Paul Bulfinch, Clerk.
In the matter of the delinquency certificates issued against the land of Mrs. D. B. Evans, it appearing that Mrs. D. B. Evans had a misunderstanding with a former county commissioner of this county and that the taxes were to be remitted in return for a county road, it is hereby ordered that said certificates 352 and 354 be cancelled.
It appearing to the Board that Wilson Welch is indigent and helpless and is a county charge and is being taken care of by Theodore Peters, it is hereby ordered that said Theodore Peters be paid $20.00 per month for the care of said Wilson Welch, beginning the first of February, 1916 and that the auditor be authorized to draw a warrant for $20.00 for the month of March and $20.00 each month thereafter.
It appearing that Eva Matthews is no longer a widow, it is ordered that she be taken from the widow's pension list.
It is hereby ordered that the name of Mrs. Bert Sherman be taken from the indigent list.
The official bond of Irwin Allred and the bond of the First National Bank are hereby approved.
In the matter of the appropriations for the Power County fair heretofore allowed and for the Children's Home Finding and Aid Society, it is hereby ordered that said appropriations be held up pending the settlement by the Supreme Court of a suit concerning appropriations of this order and until further order is made by the said Board.
Petition having been made by residents of Arbon Valley, it is hereby ordered that a voting precinct be created with a voting place at the Pauline Schoolhouse, to contain school district No. 13 and to be bounded as follows:
Commencing at the northwest corner of Township ten, Range thirty-three, running thence south along the range line to the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of Section nineteen, Township ten, Range thirty-three, running thence west along the quarter section line to the intersection of said quarter section line with the eastern boundary line of Power County; running thence in a northeasterly direction along said boundary line to the intersection of said boundary line with the township line between Townships nine and ten, Range thirty-five; running thence westerly along said township line to the place of beginning.
Said voting precinct to be known as the Pauline voting precinct, Power County.
A petition having been presented by qualified voters of Power County and it appearing that a voting precinct was needed, it is hereby ordered that a voting precinct to be known as the Lake Precinct, Power County be created with the following boundaries to-wit:
Beginning at the point of intersection of the western boundary line [illegible] Power County, Idaho, with the right-of-way of the Oregon Short Line railroad company; thence south, west and south following the western boundary line of the Pleasant Valley voting precinct, Power County, Idaho to the Snake River; thence east and north following the Snake River and the southeastern boundary of Pleasant Valley voting precinct, Power County, Idaho, to the eastern [illegible] north along the eastern boundary [illegible] said voting precinct to its intersection with the right-of-way of the Oregon Short Line Railroad Co., thence to the point of beginning.
It appearing to the Board that there is some necessary road work to be done in Arbon and Crystal Valleys and that the funds for said work are at this time very uncertain, it is hereby ordered that the clerk instruct the various road overseers that each one [illegible] overseers will be allowed [illegible] for such necessary work and that any bills exceeding this amount will be disallowed.
It is ordered that the road petition of Wm. H. Denning, et al in Crystal precinct be laid over until the next meeting.
It appearing to the Board that the salaries for the ensuing two years shall be set by the Board at this time, the following salaries are hereby ordered:
Clerk, Auditor and Recorder, $1500.00; Treasurer, $1200.00; Sheriff, $1200.00; Assessor, $1200.00; School Superintendent, 1000.00; Probate Judge, $600.00; County Surveyor, $300.00; County Coroner, $150.00; Physician, $120.00, each year.
WHEREUPON a recess of this meeting [illegible] taken until the 22nd of April [illegible]
W. S. SPARKS, Chairman.
Paul Bulfinch, Clerk.

On this site: the histories of Arbon, Crystal and Pauline and West Fork, and the Evans, Arbon and Bolingbroke family histories.