About ten miles southeast from Lewiston one finds the fine estate of the subject of this sketch. It contains six hundred acres of good land, a portion of which was taken by homestead and preemption rights by Mr. Fountain in 1878, and since that time it has been his home. He has a fine dairy of Jersey cows and sells many hundred pounds of butter annually. He raises alfalfa and also wheat and hay, and is one of the skillful agriculturists and dairymen of the County, being industrious, thrifty, wise in management and thorough in execution.
Reverting to the early history of Mr. Fountain, we note that he is a native of the Occident, having been born in Linn County, Oregon, on April 26, 1857, being the son of Matthew and Sarah (Hicks) Fountain, natives of Missouri. The father came to Oregon with his family in 1857, being one of the first settlers in Linn County. He was a representative from Jackson County in the state legislature at the time of his death. The mother was born in 1825 and is still living near Athena, Oregon.
Henry K. worked on the farm and attended school until he was twenty-one and then set out in life for himself. He came to Idaho and went to farming and raising stock and in 1878, as mentioned above, he settled on his present place. This he has made a comfortable, valuable and attractive estate.
On January 1, 1884, Mr. Fountain married Miss Sarah E., daughter of John and Catherine Denny, natives of County Cork, Ireland, and Indiana, respectively, and born in 1822 and 1838. Mrs. Fountain was born in La Grande, Oregon, on October 28, 1868, and was educated in the common school. To Mr. and Mrs. Fountain there have been born six children: William M., Volny L., Mabel M., Helen M., Hattie E. and Minnie M. Mr. Fountain has seven brothers and five sisters. Mrs. Fountain has the following of her father’s family living in Lewiston: William, Mary V., and Mrs. John Ponting.
Mr. Fountain is a member of the I. O. O. F. and also of the W. of W., while his wife belongs to the Christian Church.
Back to: Nez Perce Biographies
Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903