As early Idaho’s industry thrived, steam-powered heavy machinery made a difference

Although not much evidence of it remains today, Boise City got its start on a northern sagebrush desert that received only about 10 inches of rainfall a year. She was blessed, however, with a river from her northern mountain backdrop, timbered with pine and fir that could be harvested and floated down to town, where it could be sawed into lumber.

Big news in the spring of 1874 was the Tri-weekly Statesman’s announcement: “Steam Wagon. Rossi & Lambing, lumber merchants of this place, are importing a steam wagon to haul lumber from their mill on Dry Creek. Mr. Lambing has been East this winter and has made the purchase and shipped the wagon to Kelton.”

Kelton, Utah, was Boise’s nearest contact with the Union Pacific Railroad.

On May 5, 1874, the Statesman reported: “The Steam Wagon. C.C. Haines, division agent for the Northwestern Stage Co. reports, ‘The steam wagon got out 15 miles, but the water foamed so badly in the boiler they were obliged to abandon the effort to drive it through with its own power, and had sent back for teams to haul it through.’ Mr. Haines saw the engineer making a trial trip at Kelton, and it appeared to work very well, moved at the rate of three miles per hour and could turn as short as a single team.”

There was more logging news of a different kind on May 3, 1881. “A boat was brought into town for Cutting Clark yesterday, which he is taking up the river to use in driving logs. The team stopped in front of Spiegel’s store for quite a spell, and the boat presented so ‘good’ an appearance hoisted on the wagon that the boys in passing it with their hands full of accounts for collection said it was steamer day for sure, for there was the boat that was going to sail.”

“Steamer Day” was the popular name for the first of the month when bills came due.

“Mr. Cutting Clark has got down about 500 saw logs from Moore’s Creek and lodged them on the banks of Boise River where he can get them into his ditch as he wants to use them. Very few of his logs run down the Boise River during the high water were lost, and he says his loss on this drive does not amount to anything. Messrs. Rossi & Ridenbaugh have begun to haul down lumber from their mill in the mountains and are prepared to fill orders for any kind of dressed or undressed lumber.”

By 1890, so much timber was being harvested illegally from federal and state land that government agents had their hands full enforcing the timber laws.

“The six Utah men who were arrested for cutting Idaho timber pleaded guilty and were fined $2.50 each. It seems the men had unintentionally violated the law. They had appropriated but little timber, but the case was pushed in great measure for the purpose of having a clear construction placed on the law covering timber depredations. The law, as laid down in this case, is that non-residents of a state cannot cut timber in the state for any purpose, and that in case of violation of the law a non-resident violator cannot claim immunity under any exemptions permitted to citizens of the state.”

“A BIG TIMBER STEAL” was the headline in the Idaho Daily Statesman on Dec. 9, 1893. “There is little doubt in the minds of state officials that a powerful Michigan syndicate is laying plans to secure by questionable methods, possession of a large portion of the valuable timber land in Shoshone County recently surveyed.”