Jefferson County ID Archives Biographies.....Hart, John W. 1866 - 
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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.


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IDAHO

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CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1920


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