Chapter 18

Whether the old Governor's story of how he settled Council valley is true or not, a part of his description was absolutely correct. The good land, the timber, water, grass and deer were there, but there was an entire failure of the coon, possum and wild honey crops. The first settlers of this valley were the Winkler, White, Kessler, Moser, Lovelace, Draper and Groseclose Families. Groseclose took his claim on Cottonwood Creek about two and a half miles from the valley proper.

There were two of the Winkler Families, George A. and George M., Father and son, and there were four unmarried sons, Mark, now deceased, Jim, Lewis and Bill, who are still living in the valley. Bill was sheriff of Washington County in 1907 and 08, first sheriff of Adams county under appointment when the county was created and several times elected to that office but now retired from official life.

There were four of the White children, three boys and one girl, all born in the valley, unless it was Bud, the oldest. There were quite a family of the Kesslers, some of them being about of age when they came there and some were born in the valley. The oldest, Mrs. Betty Pickens, I believe is now deceased, and Rebecca, the next, was living in Denver, Colorado at last accounts. The boys were John, Lewis and Jim. The latter was for many years engaged in the jewelry business in the town of Council, and may be there yet. Mrs. Bob Young, one of the younger set is still in the valley. The Moser family was small when they arrived, I believe only three of the children were then born, Anderson, Emily, Mrs. Bramblee and Sarah, all of whom I believe are now dead. Matilda, one of the younger ones has been connected with the county clerk's office ever since the creation of  the county, the first six years as deputy and since then chief. Her efficiency as an officer and accommodating ways rendered her so popular with the electorate that no one attempted to dislodge her from the place. Edgar. now past sixty years of age, was born in the valley and still lives there.

I believe there were five of the Groseclose children when the family arrived, three girls and two boys. The oldest became Mrs. Bob Weddle and later Mrs. John Clifton and may now be dead. Lottie, married Bill Linder and may now live somewhere in north Idaho, and Rose first married Arthur Robertson, who died and she is now Mrs. Ed Linder of Midvale. I could not say where Oscar and Newt, the boys are. When I last saw Oscar, he was in Council and may still be there.

Zadoc Lovelace was the oldest in years of any of the pioneers and died not long after going there. He had a son, Bill, and a daughter, Mrs. John Draper, both near middle-age when they arrived. They are probably both dead by this time. There was also Andrew Kessler, a brother of Alexander, head of the large Kessler family already mentioned, who was one of the first settlers. He was a bachelor and died many years ago.

Bob White, if the Governor Stewart's story is true no doubt the "Tall yaller whiskered feller" who was marching ahead of the immigrant train when at arrived at Falks store, as the description the Governor gave fits him exactly. Bob and work had a falling out and separation before any of his neighbors knew him.

He became the first of the teachers to instruct the youth of the valley and held his job until his pupils knew as much as he did, which was not more than a couple of terms, when another, more advanced in an educational way was employed. I do not know who was Prof. White's immediate successor, but I do remember that Prof. David J. Richardsons services were procured, and that he taught there for a time in the early educational history of the valley. He was generally known as "Davy" and "Uncle Davy", and never addressed as professor as his high calling demanded.

Uncle Davy, after his employment in Council taught in other country districts. In 1892, when the populist party became the major political entity of the country, he ran for county treasurer and was elected. He was unable to furnish a bond in this county and went to Payette for relief, where by promising to place the county funds in the bank of that place, he secured a number of well to do stockholders of the institution to sign his bond and was installed in the office. He served but one term in the office and when he returned to Council, and was soon afterwards elected justice of the peace, succeeding Prof. White, who had held the office several terms. After serving two terms in office, Davy was defeated, when he left the valley and became a wanderer from house to house, wherever he could find a lodging until the authorities took pity on the old feller and sent him to the poor house, where he died. Deep thought as an educator and jurist had so addled his mind in his last days that he was unable to recognize but a few of his old acquaintances.

Old Bob White, by reason of his dislike for work, lived around from place to place and moved down to Weiser. For a time he did some work with his little team of mules, such as plowing gardens in the spring and hauling wood from the hills later. He finally went back to Council. His three boys had consideration enough for him and their mother not to eat up all they had, struck out for themselves, and their whereabouts are unknown. After he and old Nell, his wife had got too old to do any work they were put on the county and furnished a home. The good people of the valley who had known them from the earliest settlement contributed farm products toward their support so the county's burden was light and their fare was better than they had ever before known. Bob died first and Old Nell did not survive long after, but she was well cared for by the county and good neighbors to the end of her days. Had he been industrious and thrifty and bereft of those worthless boys in their infancy he might have kept his little ranch and lived independently as did his neighbors.

While these early comers found rich and productive soil clothed a luxuriant growth of grass, plenty of water and timber, there was much to do before they could produce crops. There were houses, barns and fences to be built, ditches to be constructed to convert water to the lands and the ryegrass sold must be broken and the brush grubbed from the bottom lands.

Built Log Houses

There was a growth of cottonwood timber along the river and trees on the mountain sides suitable for building log houses, and these people knew how to build them. There were plenty of pine and fir trees on the mountain from which they split shakes to cover their buildings, but if they wanted lumber for floors and doors, they had to go to Cuddys mill on Rush Creek, 30 miles away.

There was no semblance of a road between the valley and the mill except the tracks they had made when coming in. They had to pick their way wherever the least resistance appeared. Three hundred feet was as much as a team of good horses could pull and it took two days of hard driving to make the trip over a route where today a truck could make two trips a day and bring in 3,000 feet at a load.

These logs houses were "chinked" between the logs with split pieces of timber and then plastered with mud, both inside and out and with a big fireplace at one end were very comfortable. Those who had no cooking stoves did their cooking by the fire place. The boys among the settlers were generally good hunters and had no difficulty in getting all the deer meat that was needed for the winter and not seldom, a bear. The deer did not remain through the winter as there was too much snow and they went over the mountain to Snake River, their winter range.

Where the town of Council is now located were the forks of the road, one leading up Hornet Creek and on to the Seven Devils and the other to Meadows and beyond. At the forks of the road the Mosers kept a place for the travelers accomodation. and their house was the first business place in what became Council. John Peters was the first merchant of the town. Milt Wilkerson built a hotel there and soon after John 0. Peters came and soon sold an interest to John Hancock when a bar was added to the hotel accommodation.

With the coming of the P.&I.N. railroad and the beginntng of mining in the Seven Devils, Council took on a boom, when many new people came in and stores, saloons and restaurants were opened up and dwelling houses built.

About the time of the coming of the railroad, the mines of the Devils were giving out great quantities of ore which was shipped to smelters, and the roads were lined with teams hauling the ore to the depot for shipment.

It was not long until the mines ceased to yield and the shipments of ore necessarily had to end, and for many years not a load of ore has been brought in.

During the time these ores were being hauled in and shipped and a great many people were going into and out of the Devils country, Council was almost as wild and wool y as any early day mining camp. There were plenty of saloons , in all which gambling games were run, and there were also bawdy houses, all of which ran day and night.

Council has the credit of pulling off two homicides during these stirring times. The first, I believe was the killing of Sam Harpham, generally known as "Hardpan", who was shot and killed by a man by the name of  Moore. The other killing was of a tough stranger by George Basset, a proprietor of one of the Bawdy houses, with saloon and restaurant connected.

George was a peaceable and quiet a person as to be found in the town until stirred up and then he was bad, as the tough stranger found out, if he lived long enough to realize anything. Inquests were held in these cases with verdicts of justifiable homicide. The cases were somewhat like that of a nigger who died at some place down south. A white man meeting another nigger who was acquainted with the deceased, said: "I hear that that nigger Sam is dead." "Yase, he's dade," says the nigger. "What was the complaint," asked the white man. "Oh, none at all, everybody puffectly satisfied," he replied.

Council has a neat court house suitable to the needs of the county, has a grade school, owns its water system and has a number of comfortable dwelling houses and substantial business buildings. On the higher lands skirting the mountain, as fine fruit is produced as can be found in the state, principally apples, although there are peaches and apricots, too.