History Corner

Last week I mentioned the Moser / Plaza Hotel was moved to 202 N. Fairfield in Council and became the George M. and Elizabeth Winkler home. The move occurred sometime before 1910. Ralph and Frances Bass remodeled it into a one-story home in 1959.

In 1901 Elizabeth Moser continued to sell pieces of her property. That November she sold a lot in block 2 to J.L.B. (Joseph) Carroll for $250. I think this lot was just south of the Plaza Hotel where Carroll put a store. (See the accompanying photo.)

Mrs. Moser also sold a piece of block 8 to Fred Cool for only one dollar. I’m guessing this was the SE corner of Moser and Main, where Cool built a feed store. This eventually was the site of the Pomona Hotel (1910 - 1985) and today is the site of the senior center and parking lot.

In 1901 a daughter named Nancy Edgar and Ida Moser. She later married Bill Shaw, and their eldest daughter, Verla, marred Herbert Woods.

In 1902 Mrs. Moser sold a 100’ X 150’ foot lot in block 1 to the State Bank of Idaho. I don’t know where this would have been, but must have been facing the town square. The name of the bank may have been misreported, as I’ve never heard of this bank in Council other than this one mention of the lot purchase.

That summer of 1902 the Signal reported that Matilda Moser had been attending “the academy” for several months. This would have been the Idaho Industrial Institute at Weiser where many regional young people went to reside in the dormitories and attend high school classes.

In 1902 a daughter named Hattie (1902 – 1979) was born to Edgar and Ida Moser.

By the next summer (1903) Matilda was teaching school at the “Lower Hornet” School. I’m not sure exactly where this school was. The Lower Dale School was not built until 1906, but this school may have been in that general area.

That year (1903) Council was incorporated. For most of the rest of that century it was always called a “village” in legal documents before becoming the “City of Council.”

In 1904 Elizabeth Moser sold lot 8 in block 1 to H.M. Jorgens. Jorgens had been one of the original trustees of the Village of Council when it incorporated the year before. He ran a drug store on the north side of the town square, so I would assume this was the location of the lot he purchased. He was also Council postmaster about this time.

Matilda Moser taught at the Middle Fork School from the fall of 1905 until the spring of 1906.

The February 28, 1906 Signal announced, “Mrs. Moser has sold her fine ranch adjoining town to Dr. Brown.” I don’t know if this was all the remaining Moser land, but I haven’t found any more sales of her property. Elizabeth Moser died on December 11, 1910 and was buried in the Cottonwood Cemetery.

Matilda Moser taught at the Cottonwood School for the 1908 – 1909 term. Among other students, the program pictured here listed John Gould and Helen Whitney in the 7th grade, Clarence Gould and Bruce Whitney in the 6th grade, Annie Gould and Ethel Whitney in the 5th grade, Edgar and Ida Moser’s daughter, Nancy, was in the 2nd grade ( she was a first cousin to the Gould kids), and Ralph Whitney in the 1st grade. The Whitney students were younger siblings of the infamous outlaw Hugh Whitney who began his murder and robbery spree in 1911.

In August of 1910 yet another daughter was born to Edgar and Ida Moser had a daughter. They named her Hattie. She graduated from Council High School (valedictorian) sometime around 1928, taught at school at Council for two years (at the age of 19 according to her obituary), married G.A. Creasey in 1940, won a car on the “Truth or Consequences” TV game show in 1949 and died in Utah in 1984.

Council Leader, May 30, 1913: “Miss Matilda Moser has accepted a position as clerk in Sam Criss’ Store.”

In 1913 a son, Roy (1913 – 1973), was born to Edgar and Ida Moser. Roy married Ola Woods, who was a sister of Hubert, Herbert, Clide and Thurn Woods.

In 1914 Matilda Moser began a long career serving Adams County. That year she became Deputy County Clerk. In 1918, E.C. Smith resigned as County Clerk and Matilda was appointed to fill the position. She would hold that office for the next 28 years. An entire era of county records bear her signature – a classic, flawless script right out of the penmanship primer.

Continued next week.