Payette County ID Archives News.....Idaho's Famed "Castle on the Snake"--A Story of Fate January 14, 1939 ************************************************ 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: Patty Theurer seymour784@yahoo.com March 31, 2006, 12:38 am Boise Capital News January 14, 1939 Idaho’s Famed “Castle on the Snake”--A Story of Fate Boise Capital News Saturday, January 14, 1939 By Vola Mitchell Dark and foreboding--a subject for stories of ghosts and deep mysteries and strange goings on—that is Idaho’s famed “Castle on the Snake,” high on a hilltop overlooking the interstate bridge a mile or so east of Ontario, Oregon. “Justly the old ruins of the once proud structure may be called mysterious. Stark and crazy they stand guard over Ontario’s prosperous vicinity—guard over the bridge and the mighty Snake river and no one passes the point without a curious look to the ruins and a slight sensation of mystery. One might even see a ghost there on a cold, dark night.” By day, the “castle” is a thrilling spot for a hike from Ontario or Payette or Fruitland or surrounding countryside. Names are scrawled over the decaying plaster walls. Nearly everyday someone investigates the structure. But what of its history? Who dared build a home which might have been a baronal estate for some old-country majesty, on the Idaho shore of the Snake river, in democratic America? Yes, there is a history behind this building; a history of prosperity and happiness—followed by ruin and the crash of hopes for a dream castle. These dreams, this history, opened on the day in 1890 when one M. B. Sherman arrived in Idaho from Des Moines, Iowa. Of English descent, 30 years of age, Sherman settled on the east (Idaho) side of the Snake River one mile due east of Ontario. With the cooperation of several other early settlers, Sherman set out a fruit orchard which contained mostly prune trees. Although Payette Valley fruit was later to become a chief source of income for the locality, and vindicate Sherman’s judgment, market activities were so poor at that his venture failed. When matters were cleared up, only a 40-acre plot adjoining the river was left to Sherman. Next began the unique enterprise for which this remarkable man is still famous. Over his entire 40 acres, in rows running east and west, he set out raspberry bushes. As soon as the bushes were well rooted, the ground around the stalks was loosened and each stalk was pressed over toward the north, in which direction it continued to grow. The maturing berries grew up through the foliage toward the south, receiving the fullest exposure to the sun. At that time there was no cut in the river bank where the road now approaches the interstate bridge, so water for irrigation came along the river’s banks from the south. When the berries had matured, a saw mounted on a sled passed over the bushes cutting them off about three inches from the ground. By the time all the bushes has been cut, the first—having been left in the sun—were thoroughly dried, as were the berries on them. Next, into the field came a queer-looking contraption; a high-wheeled wagon on which was mounted a grain box. To the rear of the wagon was attached a blower, powered by a gasoline engine. The berry bushes were thrashed about the inside of the wagon by hand until the dried berries had been knocked off. The wagon’s contents were then shoveled into the blower which removed the trash. The dried berries were then taken to a shed at the field’s edge where they were placed in a machine which agitated them between two canvas sheets in such a way that the dried cores were removed. Following this, they were ready for the final screening after which they were placed in 100-pound sacks for shipment to Chicago. Soon after the berry patch was brought into production Sherman’s wife passed away. In a short time he married Josie Street. By these two marriages, Sherman had five children: three girls--Cozy, Very, and Maureen; and two boy-- Robert and Marlow. Since his arrival from Iowa, the Sherman home had been a small, frame house located near the river’s bank. It was not until the turn of the century that he found the berry business well enough organized to consider the construction of a permanent home. But a man whose mind could conceive such a remarkable business and devise all the complicated and machinery necessary in the operation of it could hardly be expected to content himself with the common, frame dwelling of the time. Visualize the setting as it was in 1900. The new home would be built on the highest ground—the very bank of the river. On three sides—the north, east and south—it would be surrounded by the finest berry vineyard in the territory. On the fourth side it would over look the Snake, far below and the Ontario Valley with picturesque Malheur Butte in the background. Certainly, all this called for one thing—a castle—and here was a man with courage and ability to build one. At that time there was no bridge across the Snake and the only way for Sherman to get to nearby Ontario was to cross on a ferry located about a mile below the site of the present bridge, operated at that time by Susie Morton, now one of the oldest residents of Ontario. Because it was easier to reach the more distant town of Payette, Sherman went there and employed D. H. Snowberger, who came to that town in 1900 and is still a very prominent resident, to make the cement blocks with which the castle was to be constructed. The duties of H. J. Tharp, now employed at the Moore Hotel in Ontario and at that time employed by Sherman to attend the berries, were changed from berry bush tender to castle builder. So with the help of other men employed from time to time by Sherman, Snowberger and Tharp constructed the caste. Door casings, window casings, base boards, stairways and all other parts were made of concrete. Only the window frames were of wood. The cement blocks of which the building is constructed were made on the grounds by Snowberger. The entire interior of the castle was plastered with cement. As soon as the first tower of the castle was completed the Sherman family moved into it. Work with the berries so interfered, that it was not until 1906 the castle was completed. By this time the berry business was at its peak. Of the 40 acres, 38 were actually in berries, the rest being devoted to roads and the castle. Each year 10 acres of bushes were pulled up and replaced with new plants. This left 28 acres in actual production at any one time. The annual crop was about 20,000 pounds of dried berries, worth approximately 30 cents per pound, f.o.b., Ontario. As mentioned before these were shipped to Chicago where they were placed in small packages similar to our present raisin packages. On the label of each package was printed the directions for preparing to serve. The berries were to be placed in a kettle and an exact amount of boiling water added. Berries and water were then allowed to steam for an exact period of time. Both these factors were determined according to the size of the package but in every case, were exactly correct to allow the water content of the berries to be returned to the exact percentage contained in fresh berries. Old timers state that, when directions were carefully followed the resulting berries were practically the same in appearance and flavor as when fresh. About the time the wooden wagon bridge was built across the Snake just south of the castle, Sherman decided to expand his business and planted berry vineyards at Kimberly and Emmett. This was in 1910, but before these new vineyard were brought into production, there came to the original bushes around the castle a year of crop failure. Sherman’s savings, spread thin to finance the new yards, would not stand the depleting overhead of a year’s operation with no income and one of the most unusual business ventures ever attempted in this territory failed. Mr. and Mrs. Sherman moved to California with those of the children who were not already married. The property reverted to the bank in Payette and title to it passed to A. E. Nichols of Ironsides, Oregon, on December 5, 1935. Regarding the man who built the castle on the bank of the Snake, old-times around Payette and Ontario are in complete agreement on two scores: first that he was well educated and possessed one of the keenest minds in the territory; second, no man in the Snake river valley ever worked harder to make a success of his chosen profession. As to the queer-looking old castle on the high bare bank of the Snake, these same old-timers recall a picturesque 1908 scene of the fine, gray castle surrounded on three sides by a beautiful vineyard of green berry bushes and overlooking on the fourth side the river, far below, and the valley beyond. They respected Sherman as an intelligent, hardworking citizen and they admired his beautiful home, thinking not the less of either by reason of the fact that financial reverses stopped the man’s prospering business and destroyed his castle. That is the story of the “Castle on the Snake.” The writer wishes to thank the following for helping collect the information which now brings to the public a picture of the castles history: Edward King, Ontario; D. H. Snowberger, Payette; Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Tharp, Ontario; Mrs. Susie Morton, Ontario; Lillian Wilson, county clerk,Payette; LeRoy A. Sterling, assessor, Payette county. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/id/payette/newspapers/idahosfa403gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/idfiles/ File size: 9.9 Kb