On October 1, 1940 Charles Winkler married Mary Esther Alcorn somewhere in Washington County, Idaho. She was close to 40 and he was 42. Esther was the daughter of Alva Alcorn who owned the Council Pharmacy in Council on the NW corner of Illinois Ave. and Galena St. Charlie had been a pharmacist since 1923 and had worked in Boise soon after that. It’s not clear when he moved back to Council, but he soon started working in his father-in-law’s pharmacy.
Meanwhile Ernest “Si” Winkler was running the Merit Store and owned the former Carl Weed building that stood just across the street, east of Alcorn’s Council Pharmacy. Around 1942 Si had the old Weed store torn down. It has been a parking lot ever since.
Charlie’s father-in-law, Alva Alcorn, died in December of 1944. Charlie and Esther continued to run the drug store for many years.
Also in 1944, Jim and Mary Winkler moved to Payette
In 1947 a young man named Ralph Bass went to work for Si Winkler in the Merit Store. At some point, he married Si’s daughter, Frances Winkler.
Adams County Leader, May 18, 1951: Mr. and Mrs. James Winkler, now living at Payette, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married in Council March 31, 1901 at the home of the bride’s parents.
In November of 1950 Charlie Winkler was elected as Adams County’s State Representative in the Idaho Legislature. He would hold that office until 1964.
Adams County Leader, November 21, 1952 – Lewis E. Winkler died at the age of 85. Born Oct. 7, 1867 in West Virginia. Came to Idaho and Council with his parents in 1878. Operated the first blacksmith shop in Council and drew the first map of the Thunder Mountain country, which served as a guide to miners during the 1902 gold rush. Carried mail to Warren on skis for two years. Owned the Golden Rule Mine near Burgdorf since 1914. He was the last surviving charter member of the Council I.O.O.F. Lodge.
It was 1952 when the building that now houses the Council Valley Museum was constructed. The basement contained the town’s fire department, and the upper floor became City Hall, and the Council Library and Museum. Half of that upper floor was the library, and the other half contained what had been Bill Winkler’s “Curio Collection.” Bill had collected items related to local history for much of his life. When he died in 1939, his nephew, Charlie Winkler, inherited Bill’s collection and loaned it to the city.
Adams County Leader, March 5, 1954: “Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bass left Wednesday to take over the management of the Merit Store in Cascade. Ralph has been with Merit Stores Inc., for the past seven years, and Mrs. Bass Frances has spent most of her adult life in the store with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Winkler. They will move their furniture as soon as a house is available, and Ralphie will enter school there in the near future.”
Two years later (1956) Ralph and Frances came back to run the Merit Store in Council.
Adams County Leader, February 17, 1956: James A. Winkler, 87, died at Payette. He was born in 1869 in West Virginia and moved to Council when he was nine years old. “He owned a grocery store in Council until he moved to Payette, Nov. 11, 1944.” Survivors: wife Mary; two daughters and grandchildren.
The April 13, 1956 Leader said work had been done at the Winkler Cemetery to remove sagebrush, and a new fence built. Plans were made to make a new plot of the graves to locate them. Anyone with information for this project was asked to contact Charles Winkler.
Adams County Leader, August 17, 1956: “Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Reece of Enterprise, Oregon have leased the People’s Market from Ernest Winkler and will take possession September 1st. They have taken an apartment at the Pomona hotel where they will make their home. Mr. and Mrs. John Williams, who have managed the market for some time, have not decided definitely what they will do.”
In the 1950s, Ruth Winkler was the village clerk. As I mentioned before, at some point she was also the librarian. Both entities were in the same building, so that makes sense.
In November of 1956, Charlie Winkler was reelected, and Eisenhower won the race for president. The following January, the Leader announced that Neal Winkler married Susan Jolaine Williams of Boise.
In 1957 Si Winkler sold the Merit Store to Boise Wholesale and Dry Goods. Ralph Bass continued as manager.
Adams County Leader, Sept 19, 1958: Ernest W. “Si” Winkler died Sept 16 of a heart attack. He was born in Council Sept 5, 1893 to George M. and Elizabeth Winkler. He married Nellie Phillips in 1917. Served in WWI, then became a partner in the Merit Stores, Inc. He managed the Council store for nearly 40 years, retiring just months ago. Survived by two daughters Mrs. Ralph Bass (Council) Frances and Mrs. Harry March (Cascade) Gladys; one sister Mary Anderson of Council; 3 brothers George A. Winkler of Emmett, Charles Winkler an Henry Winkler of Council.
Continued next week.
100 years ago
February 22, 1924
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Sipes are the parents of twin boys born February 18.
Claude Keithly went to Portland with a carload of stock.
“J. V. Kramer came in on Mondays train on his way to his father-in-law’s, C. G. Reffner at Mesa.”
75 years ago
February 24, 1949
Fire destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Clelland.
“The depth of the snow has made it extremely hard for men to get to hay stacks in fields.”
Died: Mrs. Sylvia Allison, 64, a resident of the Cambridge area since 1890. Born in California in 1884, she came by covered wagon to the Salubria Valley with her parents when she was five years old.
The Quonset hut erected last fall by the Farmers Co-Op Creamery collapsed under snow.
49 years ago
February 20, 1975
McCoy’s Welding & Repair burned to the ground Wednesday morning. Morris McCoy said he does not plan to rebuild.
A girl named Angela Kay was born to Mr. and Mrs. David Bailey at the Council hospital on Valentine’s Day.
“Mr. and Mrs. Joe Alman, Cascade, co-publishers of the Star-News, McCall & Cascade with Mr. and Mrs. Don McMahan of McCall since 1968, announced today they have purchased the Owyhee Chronicle at Homedale and the Canyon County Weekly at Wilder from Mr. and Mrs. Everett Colley effective February 1 and will make their home at Homedale. Mr. and Mrs. McMahan will continue publication of the Star-News. All three newspapers will be printed at Emmett.”
25 years ago
February 25, 1999
“The grazing fee for western public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management the forest service will be $1.35 per animal unit month in 1999, the same amount charged in 1998.”
Snowpack is about 132% of average in the Weiser and Mann Creek basins. For most of the state, this is the fifth consecutive year of near-normal snowpacks or better.
Died: Twila (Marti) Mae Glenn, 63, of Boise. She graduated from Council high school in 1954 and married Arthur Marti who died in 1975. She married Thomas Glenn in 1985.
Died: Leon (Bob) Robert Fairchild, 80, of Quincy, Washington. He grew up in Midvale and graduated from high school there in 1936.
