Memories of Early Aberdeen - BY E. L. Davis
Chapter 8

In the spring of 1911, the muskrats were so bad that it was thought best to patrol the canal before irrigation water was turned in; so, three men were hired for the job-choosing Glen Partner, Walter Neff and myself, and taking my team, we started at Aberdeen and drove as closely to the canal as possible; sometimes the team would be tied quite a ways from our work, but we walked the banks all the way from here to Pingree.

The muskrats are cunning little animals, and very hard to detect. They would have their runways just inches below the bottom of the ditch, or just inches inside the banks, running parallel, and stopping just inches before the outside, but nearly always well hidden. However, Glenn and Walt, especially, would see some sign, and we would start digging. We caught many muskrats, and gophers. That was a job where we could do the work assigned, and also have fun, and be pretty sure of earning our money.

One incident stands out that we have never forgotten. We were rooming in a shack back of a certain house where the surveying crew of the Canal Company was boarding, and John E. Toevs was with that crew. Early one morning, John came running out of the house, laughing so hard that he couldn't talk for a while but eventually we got the story. The man of the house had been trying to quiet the children so he could ask blessing at the table but the noise continued, until, finally, he lost his temper and with a few prefixes and suffixes, which are not germane at all, he said, "now, if you kids will be still we'll proceed to ask blessing." John seemed to think, and we agreed, that one particular little prayer never got above the ceiling. For 40 years we've used that incident as an example, many times.

In the fall of 1911, both Mr. Albert Pletz and myself needed jobs, or, perhaps, more to the point, we needed money. One of us suggested that we buy grain together, but neither of us knew any grain buyers, so it was agreed that each would write to a few buyers he to write to Utah buyers and I to write to buyers in Idaho.

I remember very well that I wrote to the Western Milling and Elevator Co., Idaho Falls, (which later proved to be the forerunner of the present "Midland Elevators", or the company that I was with so long), and told them that we would like to buy grain for them. I explained that I didn't know a thing about wheat, but that I did know a grain of wheat from a kernel of corn. A few days later Mr. T.I. Hubbell, the Dist. Mgr. of all the houses extending from Ashton to Blackfoot, at that time, came down and handed me a checkbook, with the order to -buy wheat. Our commission-5¢ per cwt.

So we had a business, all of a sudden-"we were grain buyers". I never could figure out why Mr. Hubbell chose us, unless he figured that if we were so dumb, we, at least, didn't have much to unlearn. At any rate, we bought quite a few cars of wheat that fall. Our office,as explained previously, was in the office of the T.J. Wedel lumber yard, with the Aberdeen Times office, and printing presses in the same building. There was located the only wagon scale in town-also we could use the empty lumber bins to store wheat-all sacked of course. 

The farmers soon learned to fill their bags too. We were paying Rper cwt. of grain, for the bags; for example-if a sack of grain weighed 130 lbs., we'd pay 6'/a¢ per bag extra, but if it weighed 1601bs., the customer would get 8¢ each for his bags. Soon wheat bags were coming in weighing 160 to 180 lbs.-big tamped down and sewed, practically no ears. That averaged up pretty well though, as Albert weighed about 200 lbs., and poor me, about 155 lbs., or an average of 177.51bs.-but the whole trouble there was that each handled his own sack.

We, naturally had to have the wheat hauled over to the railroad, and the fun really began. In order to get the required capacity in the car, sometimes the bags had to be loaded almost to the ceiling-but I had my laugh every day. Just about 11 a.m. Mr. Pletz would give out and have to sit down and rest. Then he would say, "You little dickens, how can you keep going," and I would answer, "You're just too big." I suppose now we'd say "you're too fat for me". But, I can say truthfully-we never had an argument. Maybe that was because he was a preacher, and wouldn't or couldn't quarrel. I don't know.

I might state that during these early years, the northeast corner of Aberdeen was still in sage brush, extending nearly up to the elevator site, some as much as four to six feet high.
Early the next spring, Mr. Hubbell came down again, carrying a roll of blueprints in his hand. He asked if I didn't say I was a building contractor in Chicago, and I agreed. He handed me the roll and said, "Here are the plans for the warehouse," and started to walk away. (He had already bought the lots where the warehouse and elevator now stand). I said, "Wait a minute. What material are we going to use?" Mr. Hubbell said "Use lava rock and I'll send the lumber." I said "OK" and I never saw him again until the building was completed-just as is at present.

After he left the plans there was the little job of getting enough lava rock first. So we advertised in the paper, offering, as I remember, seventy-five cents per ton for any size rock. We received loads from every direction, and soon had rock scattered from the warehouse site to the railroad at the present Simplot plant on the west. The farmers, like myself, nearly all needed money, and three or four dollars per load, was at that time, very welcome. Also, in many cases, a double purpose was served. They got rid of the rocks, and, at the same time, received pay for them.

When we thought we had about enough rock, and the lumber having arrived, Mr. Pletz was hired as foreman, and things began to move. I never saw nor worked with a man more versatile. The-old saying was, "Jack of all trades and master of none" but this fellow seemed to be master of all. He was a good rock mason, brick mason, carpenter and plasterer-besides being a good preacher.

The basement timbers are 12" by 12", on the rough, or full size. The posts resting on solid concrete foundation, and the girders supporting 3" by 12" joists-about 10" centers. Basement floor- concrete..Walls laid up in cement mortar, and two feet thick. Mr. Pletz handled this job in his stride, without flinching, and it stands without flaws or cracks, apparently as good today as when finished. Albert also plastered my house in 1912 and it is in excellent condition today, so far as plastering goes. I am very glad to pay a tribute to my old time partner and friend.

The basement is 11 ft. deep, because we were also spud buyers; in fact, -I think we were the only spud buyers between Blackfoot and American Falls at that time, and I knew every bit as much about spuds as I did about wheat.

We even shipped a couple of cars of rurals, bulk, to Kansas and Nebraska. The funny part of that was, E.R. Davis, the barber was State Spud Inspector. I called hini over to make the inspection, and he came to the warehouse-looked in the cars-and his verdict was as follows: "If every car was loaded with spuds like that, there would be no need for inspectors," and proceeded to make out the certificates. Inspector Davis knew every bit as much about potatoes as E.L. Davis, buyer. Those two cars would pass any time, however, and we received our check without trouble.

The little elevator was built soon after the warehouse, and with good luck, we could load a car of wheat in a day, if the day was long enough. The big elevator was built in 1913, and several cars could be loaded in a day, of course.

From 1911 to about 1916, probably seventy-five percent of wheat received was dry farm wheat, nearly all Turkey Red. The grain came from almost as far away as the Big Butte on the north, around the rim of the lavas in sort of a semi-circle direction toward the south-straight west to the lavas, and far to the south.

The trip from the Big Butte territory to Aberdeen was a three day trip-one day to come in-one to rest-and the third to make the trip home. The fellows brought big loads, however, for that day, having good sized trailers hitched to their wagons.

Lack of moisture in the ground gradually forced the dry farmers of the early days to leave. Until about 1916-1917, there was only one single dry farmer, that I know of, who remained in Bingham County and on to the north, and that man, Peter J. Becker, drove a school wagon starting from his own home into Aberdeen. The dry farmers from Power County kept on farming, however, and that has always puzzled me. There would be no farmers on the east side of a road, say, in Bingham County, and on the Power County side, all stayed. Was it more moisture, closer to the hills, or better farming, or more help? Be that as it may, now, with better implements, such as tractors, trucks, plows and etc., the farming can be done so much more quickly, and better, that the wheat crop handled so much more easily, that many acres of Bingham county land are now being taken up again.

The early farmers also had to really travel to get their respective county seats. Those living beyond the Bingham County line, straight west of Aberdeen, had to go all the way to Hailey to transact their county business, and those living farther south would go to their county seat at Malad, but, when Power County was formed, taking in part of Blaine and part of Oneida counties-all that was changed. So, now, none have to travel far to the county seat at American Falls.

Not much dry farm wheat is delivered to Aberdeen any more - almost all being of the soft wheat varieties-and much barley is now being grown and delivered here; but the supply can hardly meet the demand.

For the first few months after building the warehouse and before we had built the small elevator, all wheat was, necessarily, handled sacked. So, we would take it in on small trucks and pile to the ceiling.

The first man to work with me was Mr. Henry Heuther, who was as strong as any man with whom I had ever worked. When piling the sacked grain we had no piler-so had to start at the bottom, using the bags as steps to get to the top. Then, when cars were to be unloaded we would go to the top and work down. Many times I've seen two bags come down at once, but that wouldn't bother Henry. He'd just take both as though it was the usual thing, and never bat an eye. I would admire his ability but would not try to emulate him.

After Henry, among other helpers, were D.D. Wiens, Rudolph Horsch Sr., and my brother Bill, who stayed many years, and retired last year.

One day, about 1914 or 1915, I suppose, Mr. Hubbell, our Dist. Mgr. was over to our house, and we were sitting on the front porch, when he suddenly said, "You know what? They're talking of letting automobiles go through Yellowstone Park." I asked what was the matter with that. He solemnly said, "It will utterly ruin the Park." He was a great fellow, but; I suspect, not many would agree with that conclusion.

One of the first men I met in 1909 was Mr. D.H. Blossom, who had so much to do with the development of the Aberdeen territory. Mr. Blossom is an experienced engineer, and, at one time, served as City Engineer at Salt Lake City. He is known by all the early settlers, and has helped many of them get started. Everyone here admires and respects him. He is now down in Florida where he has spent the past two winters. We all wish him health and happiness.
Another man whom Aberdeen should, and does appreciate, especially the spud growers is F.L. Westfall. Frank has spent more than ten years as a member of the State Advertising Board. The Board is supposed to meet once a month, usually at Boise, but some meetings are held at other places-such as Idaho Falls and Twin Falls, etc.-to get to different sections of the State. Then the Annual Meetings are at Sun Valley. He has been faithful, and has attended many meetings when he thought he should remain at home, for his own interest. All feel that Aberdeen has been well represented, Mr. F.L. Westfall.