Mrs. Kate Kesgard

From "History of Idaho, The Gem of the Mountains," Vol. III, pg. 454. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. Chicago, 1920.

Mrs. Kate Kesgard, the widow of Christian Kesgard, has resided in the neighborhood five miles west of Emmett on the New Plymouth road for a longer peried than any other resident of the district. She was born in Denmark, December 28, 1835, and is now in the eighty-fifth year of her age. Reared in her native country, she there became the wife of Christian Kesgard on the 2d of August, 1858. He was born in Denmark, May 17, 1824, and spent the period of his boyhood and youth in his native country. His wife bore the maiden name of Kate Bindrup and both represented worthy and substantial families of Denmark. Coming to the United States in 1862, they lived for six years in Utah before removing to Idaho, where they took up their abode in 1868, settling in the neighborhood of Mrs. Kesgard's present home. The ranch which they first occupied is now owned by their son, James A. Kesgard, their youngest child, who is one of the most progressive farmers of Gem county or of the Payette valley, mentioned at length elsewhere in this work.

In 1870 Christian Kesgard and his wife removed to Walla Walla, Washington, but in 1873 returned to Idaho and settled on a ranch that joined the one which they had previously occupied in Gem county, which was then a part of Ada county. Later a division in the county made their place a part of Canyon county and finally Gem county was set off, so that without removing from the ranch they lived in three different counties. Christian Kesgard was a homesteader and pioneer of this section, and he and his wife laid the foundation for the present prosperity and prestige of the family name in the neighborhood.

The death of Christian Kesgard occurred March 18, 1882, on the Kesgard ranch and his widow still occupies the one hundred acre ranch which adjoins that of her son James. She is yet strong and vigorous although now in her eighty-fifth year. Before leaving Denmark two daughters, Margaret and Mary, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kesgard, but both have passed away. The other seven children were all born in the United States. These are: Elizabeth, a resident of Boise; Stena, who married Andrew Rasmussen, engaged in ranching at Falks Store, Idaho, but she passed away January 31, 1920; Christian, who is living at Emmett; Mrs. Anna Wallace, who with her three children, Esther, Edna and Maurice, resides with her mother; Mrs. Lena Riggs, who Is a widow; Mrs. Emma Helm; and James A., who is mentioned elsewhere in this work.

Mrs. Kesgard can remember many interesting incidents of the early days when she was living on the Idaho ranch property now occupied by her son. During the time of the gold excitement in the Boise basin supplies were largely hauled by wagon past the Kesgard ranch. In the early days Indians were numerous in the neighborhood, and bear and deer were to bo seen in large numbers, Mrs. Kesgard has lived to witness remarkable changes as the years have passed—changes in the methods of living, in the manner of developing the farms and also in the modes of travel. She maintains a keen interest in what occurs at the present time and is one of the valued pioneer women of the state.

son JAMES A. KESGARD on Page 702



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