Jefferson County ID Archives Biographies.....Hart, John W. 1866 - ************************************************ 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: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 18, 2008, 10:29 pm Author: S. J. Clarke (Publisher, 1920) Hon. John W. Hart ONE of the most prominent citizens of Rigby and of this section of the state is the Hon. John W. Hart, who has served in the general assembly of Idaho, first as representative and then as state senator, and who takes a prominent part in the important business, political and religious activities of Jefferson and neighboring counties. He was born in Ogden, Utah, November 14, 1866, the son of John I. and Martha (Barton) Hart, natives of England, who on coming to America in 1853, went directly to Ogden, Utah, and there settled. The father immediately engaged in farming and stock raising, which he carried on steadily until 1899, when he began his well earned retirement. He resides now at Hooper, Utah, at the advanced age of ninety-six years. The mother, however, is not living, her death occurring in November, 1904, when she was 54 years of age. Until he was twenty-six years of age, John W. Hart lived in Utah and it was in the city of Ogden that he received his early schooling. After he had reached man's estate he started out on his own account, engaging in farming and stock raising, in which he has been more or less interested ever since. It was not until 1895 that he decided to cast his lot with the people of Idaho, and in that year he left his native state and with his family located in that part of Fremont county which later became a part of Jefferson county. Here he bought a farm which he still operates, carrying on general farming and stock raising. Since his coming to Jefferson county, Mr. Hart has not devoted himself entirely to agricultural pursuits, a fact which is shown in one way by the deep interest he has taken and is taking in the development of the business activities of this section, especially banking. In 1913, he, with other men of the community, purchased the Rigby State bank, which they operated under the same charter until 1919. For some time it seemed to Senator Hart and his associates that the economic development of this section demanded that the credit facilities of the Rigby State bank be extended; accordingly the capital was increased and the bank converted from a state to a national bank in 1919 under the national banking laws of the United States and it now does business under the name of the First National Bank of Rigby with a capital stock of sixty thousand dollars and a surplus of twenty thousand dollars. Especially marked has been the growth of the bank in the last six years since its purchase, at which time its deposits were fifty-three thousand dollars while opposite the same item on the bank's most recent financial statement is four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Besides Mr. Hart, who is president, the other officers of the bank are Josiah Call, vice president; F. B. Ellsworth, cashier, and Clarence Hart, assistant cashier. In November, 1918, Senator Hart with others organized the Jefferson State Bank at Menan, Jefferson county, and of this he is also president. In addition to his banking interests in Jefferson county he is a director of the Farmers & Merchants bank at Idaho Falls. Aside from banking, Mr. Hart has business interests of a more general and varied nature. He is president of the C. A. Smith Mercantile Company of Menan; president of the City Pharmacy of Rigby; president of the Hart-Ellsworth Auto Company of Rigby and Rexburg, Idaho; and general superintendent of the Woods Live Stock Company of Jefferson and Clark counties. The last mentioned is the largest of the kind in the state, and, in addition to raising cattle, horses and sheep, they also carry on general farming on an extensive scale. For a number of years Mr. Hart has taken a very prominent part in the public and political affairs of his state and community. He is a stanch republican and has devoted much of his time and talents to furthering the interests of that party both locally and nationally, having served for the past seven years as a member of the republican national committee. He has twice had the honor of nominating Senator Borah for the United States Senate and Senator Heyburn once. He was chosen to represent his district in the sixth session of the lower house of the state legislature and on the expiration of his term, his constituents were so fully satisfied with the quality of his work that he was chosen to represent his district in the state senate during the eighth session, serving continuously until the fourteenth session with the exception of the eleventh. An interesting sidelight of his senatorial experience occurred when Mr. Hart who, for two sessions was president pro tempore of the upper body, served as governor of the state for thirty days during the absence of the governor and lieutenant governor. On December 2, 1886, Senator Hart was united in marriage to Elizabeth J. Hogge and to this union have been born thirteen children, of whom two are deceased, namely: Vera, who died in 1911, and Martha, whose death occurred in 1898. The others are as follows: John W., Jr., a rancher in Jefferson county; Elizabeth E., the wife of Alvin S. Green, who is cashier of the Jefferson State bank at Menan; Clarence, the assistant cashier of the First National bank of Rigby; Charles O. and George L., both farmers living near Menan; Sarah Z., the wife of David H. Manwaring, a resident of Rexburg, Idaho; and Veda, David F., Cecil E., Joseph I., and Ivey Katherine, all of whom are living at home. Both the senator and his wife are stanch and valued members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rigby, and Mrs. Hart has served as state president of the Woman's Relief Society. Mr. Hart has also served the church for a number of years in official capacity. Under his administration the splendid stake tabernacle was erected in Rigby, and in 1886-87, he did missionary work in the southern states. For several years he was bishop of the ward of Menan, which position he relinquished to accept the presidency of the Rigby stake, in which capacity he has served for the last five years. All during the World war Mr. Hart devoted a large portion of his time to the government war activities, being chairman of each Liberty Loan drive in Jefferson county, which exceeded its quota each time and that without one penny's cost to the government. Additional Comments: Extracted from: IDAHO DELUXE SUPPLEMENT CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1920 Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/id/jefferson/photos/bios/hart55nbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/id/jefferson/bios/hart55nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/idfiles/ File size: 7.1 Kb