Blaine County

An appalling calamity occurred at the North Star Mine on the East Fork of Wood River about 3:30 on the morning of February 25, 1917. Three slides formed an avalanche, one from the east, one from the north and one from the northwest, which killed 15 men and injured 17. Following is a list of the dead: Emmett P. Russell, Philip Welch, John Fleming, Samuel La Barge, John Vaughn, John Kistle, John Mc Kelvy, all of Hailey; Israel Peterlin of Broad ford, John Hearn of Fairfield, William C. Schmidt of Rock Creek, E. P. Manjino, time keeper, of Mexico, Joseph […]

The roads and bridges of Blaine County are in good condition. The roads are being im proved from year to year and new up-to-date steel and concrete bridges are replacing wooden structures. We learn from history that the first thing which the Romans did after conquering a country was to construct good substantial roads and bridges. This was an absolute necessity with her far-flung empire in order that she might move her armies to any given point with the least possible delay. We are now following in her footsteps in this respect. Good as are the roads now being constructed,

Several men and women who have resided in what is now Blaine County, have filled positions of trust and honor. I fully realize the difficulty of drawing the line of demarcation between the great and the near-great, and I hesitate to mention names. In presenting such a list I shall only include the names of those who have occupied state or federal offices, or were distinguished in some calling or profession. I shall not even include all state officers, as members of the legislature are classed as state officers, but I shall include only the names of a few in

While it was from the interior of her mountains that the chief source of wealth of Alturas County was derived in the early days, it is those same mountains that furnish the nutritious grasses that sustain hundreds of thousands of sheep and lambs during the summer. For many years the lambs from Blaine County have commanded the highest price on the Chicago and other leading markets. They have also taken many first prizes at various stock shows. The greatest importers in this county of pure bred sheep are Laidlaw & Brockie of Muldoon. They have several breeds on their thousands

The natural hot springs in Blaine County are the Condie, near Carey, Hailey, Clarendon, Guyer, Warfield, Easley, and Russian John. These springs are favorite resorts for bathing. Several well-to-do people have built summer homes near Warfield and Easley Hot Springs. The Baptists have a camping ground for their meetings and summer vacation near the latter spring. There are two dams in Blaine County that are worthy of special mention, the Fish Creek and the Magic. The former is situated about 14 miles in a northeasterly direction from the town of Carey. It was commenced in 1916 and completed in 1920.

On May 20, 1890, Company F, Idaho National Guard, was mustered in at Hailey by Col. W. T. Riley. It is a matter of regret that no roster of this company can be found. At the time in question there were two daily papers published in Hailey, which also were published weekly. One of the editors was a member of the company and the other was a veteran of the Civil War, yet neither published a list of the privates although both published a list of the officers. No roster of said company is on file in the office of

On March 5, 1895, the county of Blaine was created. The first section of the act creating Blaine County reads as follows: “The counties of Alturas and Logan are hereby abolished and the county of Blaine is hereby created, embracing all of the territory heretofore included with in the boundary lines of said Alturas and Logan Counties.” The county seat was located at Hailey. On March 18, 1895, the county of Lincoln was created out of the county of Blaine and the county seat located at Shoshone. The “act to abolish the counties of Alturas and Logan and to create

The Board of County Commissioners as then constituted consisted of Israel T. Osborn, chairman, Sidney Kelley of Carey, and John E. Schad. The indebtedness of Lincoln County to Blaine County had to be determined, bonds refunded, and counsel employed to defend the rights of Blaine County. Their lot was as difficult, perhaps, as ever fell to a board of county commissioners in this state. On January 14, 1899, the suit attacking the constitutionality of the act creating Blaine County was presented to the State Supreme Court. That tribunal said in part: “The state, having, through each of its co-ordinate branches