Gem County ID Archives Photo Place.....The Marsh-Ireton Ranch Part 2 Image 2 April 22, 1948
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/id/idfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sharon McConnel gem.idgenweb@gmail.com November 19, 2022, 12:19 pm

Source:             Nellie Ireton Mills
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/id/gem/photos/themarsh1647nph.jpg
Image file size: 287.6 Kb

(continued)
office was established the name was changed to Marsh). People coming for their mail
forded the river and when the water was high called across and someone from the
ranch brought them over in a boat.

A small stock of groceries and dry goods was kept and interesting stories of this
business are revealed in an old account book. Often ranchers from beyond the river
and others purchased an order of goods having it all charged together with five or
ten dollars in cash.

This was the beginning of a policy of helping the fellow that was in a tight place
that always prevailed on the ranch. Among the first entries in this book is one made
Nov. 12, 1876 when Ben Wilson of Hagem sent 4 yoke of oxen, branded W on the left
horn to the ranch to be fed for the winter. This was evidently the beginning of a
profitable business of wintering Basin stock that continued for many years.

At an early date Mrs. Cole, a sister of Mr. Mitchell came to the ranch as hostess
and housekeeper and remained for several years until she met and married Milton
Wilkerson, a rancher in the Salubria Valley on the Weiser river.

In 1873, Mr. Marsh, who had crossed the plains in 1852, went to Indiana to visit his
mother and persuaded his half sister, Josephine Warner, a teacher, to come home with
him to assist Mrs. Cole. After coming by stage coach from Kelton, Utah to Boise,
where Mr. Mitchell met them with a team and wagon, they arrived at the ranch May
7th, 1874.

Everything was very new and strange to the Eastern girl and her first impressions
and loneliness were recorded in her diary, but soon she learned to ride horseback
and enjoyed the ranch life, ever facinated by the steady stream of humanity that
flowed past the door on the way to the gold fields. Many indians camped along the
river especially when the Salmon were running and they came to dry fish. Frequently
they came to the door to beg bread and one died and was "buried" in the top of a
cottonwood tree near the river. At first they were friendly but during the Nez Perce
war the ranch was on the alert. A boy, James Ballantyne, was shot on Upper Squaw
Creek while hunting cows and many people from the other side of the river went to
Idaho City and Boise for safety and 
a number crossed and stayed at the ranch. For weeks Mr. Marsh slept on the living
room couch with his loaded gun beside him but they were not troubled.

Miss Warner taught two terms of school in the Wilson district below Emmett and was
offered the Emmett school the year she was married. Her diary records that on May
10th, 1874, three days after she reached the ranch, she met John Ireton, "and liked
him very well", but it was four years later that the following notice appeared in
the Idaho Statesman: "Married: Ireton-Warner —At the residence of Mitchell and Marsh
by Rev. J. McKean on the 30th of May, 1878, John Ireton and Miss Josie Warner. Miss
Josie is the half-sister of Mr. Marsh and has been the landlady of their house for
sometime past, and is one of the most accomplished and estimable young ladies of Ada
County and by this union has secured a gentleman worthy of her hand. A long and
happy life is the sincere wish of 
the Statesman."

Although the wedding was a simple home affair there was no lack of charm or dignity.
The bride's beautiful white swiss dress, trimmed with yards and yards of fine
embroidery came from New York. With it she wore white kid gloves and a wreath of
orange blossoms in her hair.
The groom was very correct in white kid gloves and broad cloth.

Mr. Ireton, who had been ranching, with his brothers on Lower Squaw Creek, sold his
interests there and bought a third interest in the Payette river ranch and the firm
became Mitchell, Marsh and Ireton. Additional land had already been added to the
original Squatters Claim and now Mr. Ireton took an adjoining desert claim and land
was also taken under the Timber and Stone Act.

The new partner was an experienced stockman and at once started adding to, and
building up the quality of the cattle and horse herds. A fine stallion of the Blue
Mountain strain of driving stock that had been developed in the Grand Round Valley
was bought and the horse herd increased by other purchases. Within a few years 400
head of fine animals bearing the M brand roamed the hills from Emmett to Horseshoe
Bend and South to Dry Creek.

Many of the good driving horses in Boise and the neighboring towns came from the
ranch and often when the young horses were brought in from the range and broken Mr.
Ireton would ship a car load to Iowa, Kansas and other places in the midwest where
driving horses were in demand. On the return trip he sometimes brought 
thoroughbred cattle to the ranch —bringing the first shorthorns to this section —and
fine stallions for their horse herd.

Additional Comments:
Articles appeared in "The Emmett" newspaper April 22, 1948 written by 
Nellie Ireton Mills.
Images were previously submitted by Sharon McConnel in December 2005.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/id/gem/photos/themarsh1647nph.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/idfiles/

File size: 5.6 Kb