Chapter 2

As said before, the people of Ada County were perfectly willing to let this territory go and it was agreed that the southern boundary should be located six miles south of where at now is, beginning at a point on Snake river, in Washoe bottom, south of the present town of Payette and running thence east until it intersected the Boise county line, and the original bill was drawn accordingly. The authors of the bill being from the upper country fell to thinking, or at least they thought they were thinking and realizing that the line further south would include within the bounds of the new county some 20 or 25 voters, all of whom wished to be included and would vote for the location of the county seat at Lower Weiser, as it would be more convenient for them, and the bill was introduced as drawn including this additional territory. When it came for second reading, an amendment was proposed, fixing the southern boundary as now located. The amendment was made by drawing a pen across the description of the boundary as described in the bill and interlining the words describing a boundary six miles further north. In the original draft, Cal Johnson, a resident of the stricken section was named as one of the commissioners, so his name was replaced by that of S.M. Jeffreys. Thus mutilated, the bill passed and became a law.

Of course the surrender of this valuable territory, now containing thousands of people and millions of taxable property, in order to secure the county capital in the upper country incensed the lowlanders and they set out to defeat their scheme, which they accomplished in the manners before related. To say that the people of the upper valley were not disappointed and sore over the result of that election would be to state a deliberate falsehood, and they kept on nursing their wrath to keep it warm as long as they lived.

At the first election in Washington county the following officers were chosen: Sheriff, James P. Gray; auditor and recorder, I.M. Hart; assessor and tax collector, R.S. Denney; probate judge, T.C. Underwood; treasurer, John Wade; county commissiongr, F.M. Mickey, John Cuddy and I.E. McKenney, all democrats except Cuddy and McKenney. Wade was unable to give bond and T.M. Jeffreys was appointed treasurer in his stead. No salary was provided for any of these officers, but they were allowed fees for their services. The auditor and recorder was the only one whose income would support him, and the sheriff was able to earn in fees as much as one hundred dollars in a year.

The auditor and recorder kept office at his home on Monroe creek, a half mile north of where East Main Street is now located. The treasurer kept his office in the Jeffrey store and the sheriff had no office. The Probate Judge lived in Indian Valley, but appointed a clerk, who kept the office at his home near the place where Bud Dickerson lives now. The assessor and tax-collector lived near where Cambridge is now and left the assessment roll, when completed, with the county treasurer, whom he deputized to collect the taxes. The voting population of the county amounted to about one hundred and fifty and there were about that many thousand dollars of taxable property, so it will be seen that the strictest economy was necessary.

When it was decided that this end of the county was to have the seat of government it was generally agreed that the immediate location should be on the stage road near Jeffreys store, and S.M. Jeffreys, who was the owner of the adjacent land, donated five acres to the county on which to begin building a town. John Smith bought two lots and built a small hotel, and thus began what is now Weiser. The place was given the name of Weiser City, the 'City' part being afterward dropped.

The Idaho Democrat, at that time published in Boise, in an article complimentary of the new county and its people, said among other things, that "Throughout all its wide borders there was neither Negro, Indian, Chinaman, doctor, lawyer, preacher or prostitute." This statement was literally true at that time but all these accessories came later.

While everyone values the supply of irrigation water serving all of this area, few realize the struggle of those who first instigated and began the net work of canals that bring a plentiful supply from the Weiser river. In this chapter, Judge Harris presents an accurate account of how the Weiser Irrigation district was formed.

Many Settle Here

During the summer of 1880 nearly all the land in the fertile valley west of Weiser was settled by immigrants from other states. There was no water for irrigation and nothing but sagebrush greeted the eye. These settlers were all poor and unable to conduct the needed element to their lands, but believed they could do so in time. In the fall and winter following their coming numerous meetings were held, at which the water question was discussed rrom every angle. It was decided to form a corporation for the purpose of constructing the necessary works for diverting water from the Weiser river to these arid lands.

The writer of these reminiscences drew up the articles of incorporation and bylaws. The capital stock was fixed at $10,000, divided into 50 shares of value of $200 each, all of which was subscribed by the land owners desiring the water. An assessment was levied. payable in cash to raise sufficient money to employ a surveyor to locate and survey out the route of the proposed canal, and the following spring the survey was made following the route now occupied by the canal of the Weiser Irrigation District, generally known as the Galloway ditch.

The survey being completed the next move was to begin work, so another assessment was levied, sufficient in cash to buy some scrapers and a plow, the remainder to be paid either in cash or labor. The scrapers and plow were bought in Portland and were freighted by teams to Weiser, and on their arrival the work of constructing the canal was commenced. The workers began near the diversion point about six miles up the river at a point where the land was practically level and the greatest length of ditch could be constructed in a given time. After working out the amount of the assessment levied, they had constructed about a half mile of ditch or one fortieth of its length as surveyed and had used up twenty five percent of the companys capital.

Had the other 75 per cent been applied and the work done at points of least resistance, there would have been about two miles of ditch partially completed, with all the difficult work along the steep bluffs and side hills and the flumes across the creeks untouched.

When they realized how little they had acconiplished and how much must yet be done to bring the needed water to their lands the incorporators threw up their hands and said the task was one far beyond their ability to accomplish. Another corporation was formed by William Allison, of Salubria. Herman Haas, C.T. Williams and l.M. Hart of Weiser, under the name of  The Weiser Water Co. This new corporation took over the work done by the old company, its water right and small equipment, in consideration of delivering water to those who had paid assessments to an amount in value to what they had expended.

Sold Ditch to Galloway

The capacity of the ditch thus far constructed was not sufficient to carry water enough to irrigate one-eighth of the land under it. Seeing that the project was one beyond their means to finish, the Weiser Water Co. sold out to T.C. Galloway and a number of Boise people who had made investments in the lands on which the principal portion of Weiser stands. These new owners enlarged the ditch to some extent and carried water through its entire length in 1886, but not in sufficient quantity to satisfy the needs of the settlers, who were increasing their cultivated areas of land each year. Mr. Galloway had the general supervision of the delivery of water and was given much grief because of his inability to satisfy the demands of the water users, and several law suits resulted, but ended in favor of the ditch people.

Galloway's company, tiring of the constant annoyances attending the business, proposed to the people of the valley, that if they would form an irrigation district and issue bonds, they would sell the canal and water right to the district for S20,000, although they had expended considerable more than that amount.

The district was formed and bonds to the amount of $40,000 were voted, the additional amount was for the purpose of enlarging the canal sufficiently to carry enough water to irrigate all the lands under it. It was found that the river did not furnish sufficient water during the latter part of the season to supply the needs of the people of the district so an interest was purchased in the Crane creek reservoir, which additional supply is insufficient to supply the needs of the district late in the season and water must be purchased each year to supply the deficiency.

Many Move Away

Most of those who first located land in this tract starved out and left for greener pastures before the water came, but there were others to take their places. It is difficult now, since that fertile spot has been brought under cultivation, for one who saw it in the primitive ugliness to envision the difficulties and hardships confronting those first settlers when they decided to cast their lot there.

Having constructed the canal and reclaimed a wilderness the writer will return to the coming of the Oregon Short Line Railroad.