In the winter of 1915–16, families from the north end of Arbon Valley met on Tuesday nights at the Central school for their literary society. Children and grown-ups recited, adults read and played music, and neighbors debated questions from the farm, the schoolroom and the war in Europe. The Arbon columns of the American Falls Press followed the society from December to April.
The Central school was the school of District 12, later known as Green Top. Arbon had been in Oneida County until 1913 and was now in Power County. The Press's county school notes named the two teachers of what they called the Bannock school, Alfred L. Ray, the principal, and Miss Claudia Cox, the primary teacher. The same two sat on the literary society's program committee, so the Bannock school was almost certainly the Central school.
A society for the neighborhood
On December 9, 1915, the Arbon and Crystal teachers met at the Pauline meeting house. There, the Press reported, Mr. Ray urged a neighborhood literary society as a way to interest parents as well as boys and girls, and Bannock already had one. Another speaker took up the rural high school, which the report called the big topic of the moment in the Arbon valley.
The society had been formed on December 7. Its president was printed as M. V. Talon, probably Marsden V. Tallon. John Fuller was vice president and Miss Nina Keeler secretary and treasurer. On January 13, 1916, the paper reported:
The Central School Literary society met at the Central Arbon school Tuesday evening, January 4th, 1916. The society was formed December 7, this being the third meeting held. The interest has been increasing rapidly, there being about 95 present at the last meeting.
The question debated at "the last meeting," the report said, was "Resolved that the horse is of more benefit than the gasoline engine." Ren Evans and two neighbors spoke for the horse, and Emerson Fuller, May Ripley and Nina Keeler for the engine. The decision went to the horse. The next week's question was whether the United States should place "an immediate embargo on military supplies," with Mrs. Albert Poppy and Ren Evans among the speakers for it. The columns read give no result. Programs that January also included two dialogues, which the paper titled in the racial language of the day.
Tuesday nights at Central hall
On January 27 the North Central Arbon column gave this invitation:
The literary society at the Central school is progressing rapidly, a large crowd attending every meeting night, which is Tuesday. Remember the place—Central hall the time—Tuesday evening, 8 o'clock. Come and bring your friends if you want to enjoy yourself.
On January 18 Willis, Grace and Fern Bullock, Walter and David Evans, Margaret Allard and Mrs. Albert Poppy gave recitations, Venna Bullock sang a solo, and Renn B. Evans gave a reading.
In the middle of that program came "Tableau: Women's Suffrage." Nina Keeler sat reading a book while a man (Dave Davis, as the garbled print probably reads) worked at the washboard and now and then rocked a baby in a cradle close by. "Finally the baby would not keep still so he had to take it up under his arm and complete the washing. This was quite laughable." Idaho women had voted since 1896; the Nineteenth Amendment did not carry the vote to women nationwide until August 1920.
A forum followed on the question "That a Mule Is better for general purposes on a Farm than a horse." Mrs. Albert Poppy, Ellis Logan and Clifford Gerking argued for the mule, against Joe Smith, Conrad Weideman and Marsden Tallon, and the judges gave it to the mule.
A high school for District 12
The same column reported the worst storm the valley had had in many years. Some roads were impassable, and the Saturday basket dance was called off. On February 8 the society met at Central hall again, and a fine crowd came out "considering the long lapse between meetings on account of the storms."
That night's debate was "That a High School Should be Established In District 12, Arbon, Power County, Idaho." Joe Smith, Mrs. Keeler and Miss Claudia Cox argued for it, and Mr. Keeler and Mrs. Smith against. The judges decided for a high school. The columns do not say what came of the question that winter.
The society also had a paper of its own. "The literary paper was quite enjoyable. The editor, Mrs. Logan is doing some fine work along that line," the column reported. She was probably Mrs. E. A. (Jennie) Logan, who played an instrumental piece that evening and the next year wrote the valley's first history. About then L. B. "Ren" Evans, on a visit to American Falls, told the Press that Arbon had "a literary society that would be a credit to any community."
Spring, and a kangaroo court
The south end had its own society at the Highland school, "twelve miles south of Central Arbon." Its meeting on March 4 was well attended, many young people from Central among them. "After the meeting adjourned a pie social was given, some of the pies selling quite high," and a dance followed.
In late March, after missing three meeting nights, the Central society met again for a forum, with the chairman choosing debaters as they were needed. The Press reported on April 6:
A good deal of merriment was caused by one debate, which was; Resolved, "That a Toothless Man at a Full Dinner Table Is in More Misery than a Tailess Horse in Fly Time." Another debate was: Resolved. "That a Cow Is More Useful on a Farm than a Horse."
The society closed on Tuesday, April 4, "for the summer months only," with a kangaroo court. Brigg Bower, as the column printed the name (probably Brig Bowen), was charged with stealing 23 thoroughbred chickens from Conrad Weideman on the 29th or 30th of February. The joke, the column explained, was that Weideman had never owned a chicken there, and the two were still "as good friends as ever."
The papers read for this post do not say whether the society met again the next winter. A 1941 obituary of Henri H. Mills, a stockman who had once lived at Arbon, credited him with starting a literary society there; the 1915–16 reports do not name him.
On this site: the Arbon area history, the Summit area and its Highland school, Lorenzo Bowen "Ren" Evans and the schools of Arbon Valley.
Sources
- American Falls Press, December 23, 1915, page 6
- American Falls Press, January 6, 1916, page 2
- American Falls Press, January 13, 1916, page 4
- American Falls Press, January 20, 1916, page 5
- American Falls Press, January 27, 1916, page 4
- American Falls Press, February 10, 1916, page 4
- American Falls Press, February 24, 1916, page 8
- American Falls Press, March 16, 1916, page 7
- American Falls Press, April 6, 1916, page 3
- American Falls Press, April 13, 1916, page 7
- Davis County Clipper, November 28, 1941, page 1
- Washington County News, February 17, 1983, page 21
- Women's suffrage in the United States, Wikipedia