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History returns to life during cemetery tour
A chapter of Elmore County's past returned to life Friday as the Mountain Home Historical Museum hosted an annual tour at Mountain View Cemetery.
During the evening, guests walked through the cemetery where they heard the stories of some of the famous people buried in the cemetery.
Telling those stories were students from Mountain Home High School's Encore Company, who dressed up in era-specific attire to reenact the roles of these local pioneers.
"There are so many people buried there that had such an impact on our community, and it's important to recognize their accomplishments," said museum director Deb Shoemaker.
Many of these men and women came to Elmore County with nothing more than the shirt on their backs and helped build this community to where it is today, Shoemaker said. It's important for others in this community to know their stories and their place in local history.
Among those individuals buried at the cemetery is Elizabeth Harmon Walker, whose family built a two-room log house in the Cold Springs Creek area that is now known as Hammett. The home served as a stage station and post office
When her husband, Charles, died in 1884, she and their six young children continued to run the station, farming the land, selling hay, grain and potatoes to the freighters.
"The immigrant trains were still coming through, and sometimes there would be as many as 20 wagons camped overnight," said Kaitlyn Lutrell, who portrayed the role of Walker. "So for several days, I would do their washing and cooking before they moved on."
With her children's help, she was able to buy more land and cattle and owned 1,200 acres of land in the valley.
Others buried at the cemetery are Olive Jenson Groefsema, a former teacher and county historian who helped establish the community's first hospital.
"Until we had a hospital, the doctor either saw you in his office or came to your home, sometimes having to do surgery on the kitchen table if you could not make it to Boise," said Iris Hernandez as she played the role of Groefsema.
Despite that issue, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the plans to build a hospital in Mountain Home.
"We had county commissioners at the time that did everything they could to make sure we didn't have one," Hernandez said. "It took a lot of determined people to overcome the politics and lawsuits, and finally after 10 years, the hospital opened its doors in 1954."
The local high school students also brought to life the memory of John and Ella Caldwell, who brought new business and a community fixture to Mountain Home.
John Caldwell opened up lumber and hardware stores in Mountain Home, Glenns Ferry and Hill City.
"At this time, it was important that you be able to do a little bit of everything in order to make a living, so I added a sheet metal shop, sold John Deere tractor parts (and) had a tire vulcanizing shop," said Trystan Malcolm, who played the role.
Ella Caldwell was active in other aspects of the community, including time as president of the Mountain Home Civic Club. She was the one who wrote the letter asking Andrew J. Carnegie for the money to build a library in town.
"Through these efforts, we have a Carnegie Library Building," said Kylie Richardson, who portrayed Caldwell. "It served as the city's library until the new library was built in the mid 1970s. Today, it houses the Mountain Home Historical Society and is... on the register for historical structures."
In addition, the local civic club raised the funds to develop Carl Miller Park and build the rock fireplace located in the center of the community park.
One of the other prominent individuals buried at the cemetery is Commodore Jackson, who donated the land to build the final resting place for many of those who lived and died here.
He traveled to southern Idaho while driving stagecoaches. He ended up buying ground and ran a stage stop called Rattlesnake Station located eight miles north of current day Mountain Home.
"I changed the name from Rattle Snake Station to Mountain Home since it was located at the foothills of the mountains," said Joey Vogl, who played the role of the commodore. "I bought quite a few acres that include where Mountain Home is today."
When the Oregon Shortline Railroad came through in 1883, a way station was built in present day Railroad Park because it was easy to get water there and trains needed water to make steam that powered the locomotive.
"I sold them some land and then the postal mail stopped coming by stagecoach and started coming by train," Jogl said. "That's when I pulled up stakes and moved the post office down to current day Mountain Home. "
It was individuals like these that helped shape Elmore County into what it is today, Shoemaker emphasized.
"Their strength, determination, and accomplishments are truly amazing," she said.