Idaho’s Cartee family in 1870s: A daughter goes overseas, an elegant Boise home is built
Lafayette Cartee must have had mixed emotions in April 1875 as he prepared to send his oldest daughter, Carrie, 18, off to Europe to continue her education.
The Idaho Statesman devoted a fair amount of space to the farewell party given for Carrie and Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Falk, with whom she would be traveling.
”Tastefully printed invitations were received during the week by many persons to attend a party Thursday evening given to Mr. and Mrs. Falk and Miss Carrie Cartee who expect to leave the Territory in about ten days. Mr. Falk and wife go to visit friends in Europe and Miss Cartee accompanies them intending to engage in study at one of the celebrated places of learning in the Old World.
“The party was a great success. Boise for a little while forgot that it was a remote inland town, far from railroads or telegraphs, and the lamps shone on fair women and gallant men as brilliantly as they might have in capitals esteemed for gaiety and social splendor. Beauty never fails at any gathering in an American city, and Boise is second to none in the charms of its daughters, who came on this occasion to assert their esteem and sympathy for those who were about to leave them.
“And the graceful waltz and sociable quadrille in rapid succession gave each and everyone an opportunity of venting the abounding spirit of hilarity which distinguished the evening. Elegant suppers had been prepared at Harry Gordon’s and Sheffer’s which were partaken of at 12 o’clock, after which dancing was resumed and kept up until the ‘wee small hours’ when the merry participants separated after one of the most enjoyable reunions of the year.”
The paper then listed all of those who had been present.
“Miss Cartee goes to Europe to study music, French and German, and will probably go to Miss Valentine’s Protestant Seminary for young ladies at Frankfort. From that classical land Miss Carrie looks westward through the clouds, to the vision of a beautiful garden surrounding a pleasant home, the greenest, dearest, and loveliest on earth, and it will always bring pleasant recollections of home and home loves. It is when far away from home that the affections cling with enthusiastic attachment to the scenes that witnessed the day dreams of our youthful expectations.”
In July 1875: “General Cartee is building a new two-story front to his house on Grove Street. The frame is up and it gives the appearance of what will be a large magnificent residence.” Carrie could only imagine what her former home would look like, but the image shown here today is of what was Boise City’s most elegant house.
On March 18, 1876, the Statesman noted that “Miss Carrie Cartee’s many friends will be pleased, though not surprised to hear that she is making very rapid progress in the study of the languages and music at Mannheim, Germany.” Although not in her own family, little Boise City had plenty of German-speaking citizens with whom Carrie could carry on a conversation when she got home.
That month, “Gen. Cartee has been out on Snake River to see his band of cattle which range out that way. He says he never saw cattle looking better at this season of the year.”