Teton-Bingham County ID Archives Biographies.....Driggs, Don C. 1864 - ************************************************ 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 October 5, 2011, 7:48 pm Source: See below Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher Don C. Driggs WITH many phases of Teton county's development and upbuilding Don C. Driggs is closely associated. He is the vice president of the Teton National Bank and proprietor of Hotel Driggs in the town which was named in his honor and, moreover, he is an influential factor in the moral progress of the community as president of the Teton stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Utah numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred at Pleasant Grove, November 20, 1864. He is a son of Benjamin W. and Olivia (Pratt) Driggs, who are mentioned in connection with the sketch of B. W. Driggs on another page of this work. Don C. Driggs spent his youthful days in his parents' home at Pleasant Grove, Utah, and supplemented his early education, acquired in the common schools, by study in the Brigham Young University at Provo. He then turned his attention to merchandising and was connected with his father in mercantile interests until 1888, when he removed to what was then Bingham county, Idaho. On his arrival in this state he opened a general merchandise store in connection with M. W. Pratt, and also filed on land, where he engaged in farming and stock raising and further extended the scope of his activities by operating a sawmill. Every avenue in business that was opened seemed to call him. He established the first creamery and in 1895 he founded the town of Driggs, which was named in his honor. He platted his land and sold town lots and became the first postmaster of the town, serving under Grover Cleveland. He was also the first mayor of the town, established the first bank in Teton county, known as the Driggs State Bank, and later converted it into the First National Bank. Of this institution he was the cashier for seven years. He was the organizer of the Teton National Bank, which opened its doors on the 1st of November, 1919. He became vice president of the institution, which was capitalized at $35,000 and of which F. J. Drake became president, with C. T. Manville as cashier. In addition to his other and varied business activities Mr. Driggs has become extensively engaged in farming, which he carries on under the firm style of D. C. Driggs and Sons. They operate six hundred acres of land and are extensively engaged in cattle raising, with which business Mr. Driggs has been identified since his removal to the state. In 1917 he purchased the Driggs Hotel and has since been its proprietor and host. He is likewise the vice president of the Teton Realty Company and the vice president of the Teton Abstract Company. He secured the right of way from Ashton to Driggs, a distance of thirty-seven miles, for the Oregon Short Line Railroad in 1912 and he has at all times been ready to aid and cooperate in any plan, movement or project that has had to do with the development, settlement and improvement of this section of the country. He was associated with the Teton Coal Company, now the Idaho Coal Mines Company, and secured the right of way for the tracks to the mines. On the 3d of July, 1889, Mr. Driggs was united in marriage to Miss May Robison and to them were born nine children: Lewis L.; Vida, who is the wife of Van B. Brinton, of Victor, Idaho; Ellwood W., a student in the University of Utah at Salt Lake City; Douglas H., who is also attending the University of Utah at Salt Lake City; Golden K., Junius F., and Virginia, all of whom are in school; Erma, who passed away in March, 1902; and Don C., Jr., whose demise occurred on the 21st of November, 1898. Mr. Driggs has ever been keenly interested in public affairs and has been very active in support of all plans and measures for the general good. He votes with the democratic party, is a member of the state central committee and was a delegate to the democratic national convention which was held in St. Louis in 1916. He served as county commissioner of old Fremont county in 1899 and in 1898 was county treasurer of that county. He was elected the first state senator from Teton county and occupied that position for one term, serving in 1917. He belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in 1898 filled a three months' mission in the northwestern states. In 1901 the Teton stake was organized and Mr. Driggs was made president and has so served to this time. He is likewise one of the trustees of the Ricks Normal College at Rexburg. He was made bishop of Driggs ward at the time of its organization. He stood loyally for every interest of the government during the period of the World war. He was county chairman of the federal food administration, was a member of the County Council of Defense and likewise aided in putting the county over the top in all of the Liberty Loan drives. His activities and interests have been wide and varied, his labors have been a potent force in public welfare and in the material progress of the community and on the list of leading citizens of this district his name stands high. Additional Comments: Extracted from: IDAHO DELUXE SUPPLEMENT CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1920 Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/id/teton/photos/bios/driggs23gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/id/teton/bios/driggs23gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/idfiles/ File size: 5.8 Kb