Gem County Post Offices and Postmasters
Emmett - 1867 as Martinsville, to present, 83617 zip code
established as EMMETTSVILLE October 31, 1868; see "What's In A Name?" by Director-Curator Meg Davis
name changed to Emmett December 9, 1885, William M. Hamersley
Elsie Wardwell , May 31, 1890
Hugh N. Fulton, May 13, 1891
Stephen Dempsey, June 17,1892
Edward Allen, June 28, 1897
Daniel E. Smithson, Sept. 19, 1902
Edward Waring, April 16, 1907
Samuel O. Riggs, January 6, 1916
Robert R. Coon, July 9, 1924
34 m. NW of Boise, 36 m. SE of Payette
Section 7, T6N, R1W
Emmettsville
established October 31, 1868, by James M. Donnell
("by James M. McDonald on Thomas Cahalan place seven miles west of Martinsville;" Mills, p. 91)
see What's in a Name? by Director-Curator, Meg Davis
John Poole March 18, 1869
discontinued November 1, 1869
reestablished July 5, 1871
Nathaniel Martin, September 19, 1871
Douglas Knox, September 21, 1875
Benjamin Leonard Warriner, October 19, 1876
Aaron Buscom, February 6, 1878 (aka Bascom)
William Hamersley, August 25, 1880
name changed to EMMETT December 9, 1885
Gross
established April 11, 1906, Ruth E. Gross
Mrs. Jo K. Nesbitt, November 28, 1919
Mrs. Anna Query, Oct. 26, 1929
Note: The Gross homestead was approximately eight miles N. of Ola, on the present-day Third Fork Road
Hanna
established June 26, 1909, by Maude B. Holland
Joseph I. Guthrie, May 2, 1911
discontinued February 29, 1912, mail to Emmett
note: the Hanna school was in Section 30, T7N, R2W; presumably the post office was in the general vicinity
Letha - 1911 to present, 83636 zip code
established May 2, 1911, by Thomas Thompson
Alton W. Newell, June 29, 1912
Roy P. Batton, Oct. 14, 1920
Frederick W. Fischer, July 12, 1923
on Payette River, 9 m. NW of Emmett
Section 29, T7N, R3W
Marsh
established July 5, 1871, as SQUAW CREEK, William S. Mitchell
Edson Marsh, June 4, 1877
renamed MARSH June 14, 1889, Edson Marsh
S. Lena Schenck, October 15, 1902
Burton C. Platt, April 30, 1903
discontinued Nov. 15, 1906, mail to PEARL
(later known as MONTOUR)
Huntley writes: From the Idaho Territorial Statesman, May 18, 1882, page 3, comes this notice: "Mitchell and Marsh have opened a ferry on the Payette River at Squaw Creek to aid travel to and from the Squaw Creek diggings."
Martinsville
established May 31, 1867, by Jonathan Smith
discontinued May 25, 1870
The first ferry across the Payette River near the present town of Emmett, Idaho, was constructed in 1866. A roadhouse and post office had been established there under the name of Martinville. . . . It was known as the Upper Ferry on Payette River and located at the crossing on the ranch of W. Martin and J. H. Smith. A toll franchise was granted by Ada County Commissioners on April 1, 1868. . . . This notice appeared in the Idaho Territorial Statesman on June 20, 1882, page 3: "The Emmettsville ferryboat broke loose last week and went down the Payette, lodging about two miles below. It can not be towed back and no boat will be put in before the water goes down so that the river can be forded. - p. 224, Huntley, James L. "Ferry Boats in Idaho", Caxton Printers, Caldwell, Idaho, 1979.
Huntley places the ferry T6N, R2W
Montour
first established as SQUAW CREEK, later known as MARSH
established May 16, 1912, Alva D. Stanton
Walter W. Volkmer, June 30, 1913
Miss Ester Joines, Dec. 21, 1920
(wed, Mrs. Dean Fay Palmer, November 15, 1921)
Lois Amyx, 1958
Joe Amyx
Mrs. Delores Jones (nee Gifford) on S. Bank of R., Sec. 16, 1965
on S. bank Payette R, 11 m. NE of Emmett
Section 16, T7N, R1E
1973, Star Route - Montour & Sweet & Ola, 21 miles
Many carriers, 1st with buckboard until WPA build better road, then by pickup from Ola to Montour. Railroad quit so Rt. carrier went to Emmett to pick up mail which stages had brought from Boise. Later starting point changed to Ola (to Emmett) as it was in 1973.
First mail by fgt. wagon from Boise: 1913 by Ry with messenger from depot using handcart.
Ola - 1875 to present, 83657 zip code
(first established as Upper Squaw Creek)
established July 22, 1882, by Carroll Baird
Miranda Perron, November 10,1890
Benjamin F. Shepard, February 27, 1892
George W. Smith, November 21, 1895
Benjamin Shepard, May 6, 1901
John M. Holbrook, July 18, 1903
Edward Thornton, September 28, 1906
Sherman Glenn, Oct. 25, 1908
John Babcock, Dec. 10, 1918
Palmer W. Wharton, August 10, 1917
19 m. SW of Smiths Ferry; 15 m. N. of Sweet
about common corner Sections 23, 24, 25, 26, T10N, R1E
Pearl
established November 12, 1895, Oakley C. Wylie
Hubert S. Richmond, July 5, 1904
George A. Sprague, June 9, 1904
Joseph M. Lyon (declined) February 27, 1906
Alfred Skippen (did not take possession) August 4, 1906
Roy C. Campbell, January 29, 1907
Albert B. Hicks, January 10, 1908
Luella M. Von Harten, June 2, 1909
Emma L. Von Harten, April 9, 1915
discontinued April 18, 1919, mail to Eagle
Jules A. Delamaster, May 28, 1919
(note: probably Jules V. Delamater, Rush VonHarten's son-in-law)
Reopened June 11, William K. Von Harten
Discontinued May 15, 1923
George J. O'Neill, March 19 1926
Discontinued July 31, 1929, mail to Eagle
8 m. SE of Emmett
SE Section 12, T6N, R1E
Squaw Creek
established July 5, 1871, by William S. Mitchell
Edson Marsh June 14, 1877
renamed MARSH June 1889
see The Marsh-Ireton Ranch, by Nellie Ireton Mills, "The Emmett Index," April 22, 1948
Sweet - 1885 to present, 83670 zip code
established 1885 by Ezekiel Sweet
Peter Shoo, May 18, 1895
Thomas W. Porterm, January 2, 1894 (Porter?)
Frank Noland, May 10, 1895
Warren Taylor, May 13, 1901
Samuel Lilly, February 20, 1907
Mercy Sheffen, November 20, 1908 (probably Skippen - Mercy Skippen m. A. Boynton Nov. 1910)
Anna Skippen, September 17, 1910
George S. Harris, February 13, 1914
Ella Linebarger, March 19, 1918
Mrs. Rosa Bennet, Oct. 10, 1919
(wed - no date) Mrs. Rosa Hammond
(wed - no date) Mrs. Rosa Goins
discontinued Dec. 31, 1967, mail to Horseshoe Bend
15 m. SE (should be NE) of Emmett; 12 NW of Horseshoe Bend, Section 8, T7N, R2E
Upper Squaw Creek
established Sept 6, 1875 Carroll Baird
note: Baird was sheriff of Boise Co. 1894-1895, Boise County sheriff's history
Nov 15, 1875 Frederick D. Hoffman
Discontinued Jan 28, 1877. Mail to Cascade
(later re-established by Baird as Ola)
Sources:
History of Post Offices in Idaho. U.S. Post Office; Gem County Historical Society and Museum Collection, 501 E 1st Street, Emmett ID 83617.
Mark Metkin, Idaho post offices, writes: "The names and dates were transcribed from the postmaster appointment records that were maintained by Post Office Department until the 1930's. The records were handwritten and are not always easy to decipher, so errors are possible."
The copy at the Gem County Museum is typed and undoubtedly the original transcriber encountered the same problems.
Huntley, James L. Ferry Boats in Idaho, Caxton Printers, Caldwell, Idaho, 1979
On post offices, Huntley writes: "Frank K. Schell has written a history of Idaho post offices from 1862 to 1973 called Ghost Towns and Live Ones in which he says: 'It must be remembered that early-day post offices did not necessarily denote the location of a "town." . . . a great many of these early-day post offices were located in the living room, kitchen, or what-have-you of private dwellings. . ."
Lyons, Ruth B. The Village that Grew. Privately printed, 1979.
Mills, Nellie Ireton. All Along the River/Territorial and Pioneer Days on the Payette. Privately printed for Payette Radio Limited, 1963.
Metsker's Atlas of Gem County Idaho, Chas.F.Metsker, 1939
Ruth Gross photo courtesy of the descendants of her niece, Hester Gross MacAskill Woody.
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Serving Gem County since 1973.
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