The Town Grows
By Ron Marlow
Henry Diedericksen surveyed and plotted the Payette township in early 1880. A map of 1895 shows street names such as Front Street, Broad Street, and Boise Street. From north to south. There were names such as Tioga, Mill Street, Commercial Street, and Main Street (now Center Avenue). In 1911 those names were changed to numbered designations. Sagebrush covered the townsite so it had to be removed and burned before buildings could be erected. Farm machinery, such as scrapers and plows were used by Peter Pence and other land owners to clear the brush. In a few years bigger and better machinery arrived by rail. Sidings were built north and south of town to accommodate incoming freight and outgoing shipments of farm produce, fruit and cattle. Payette's original Main Street was next to the railroad tracks, which is now 6th Street, over the overpass and down to where it becomes 7th Street. Little is left of businesses on the south end of 6th Street. This was the location of Payette's first drug store, John Reed’s, and Wm. Lauer's Hardware Store. The south end of town was known as Lamme's Addition. David Lamme built a two-story brick store and operated it with Mr. Marquardsen. The top floor was the "Opera House," the largest assembly room in town. It was reached by an outside staircase. Many social functions were held there including Payette High School commencement exercises. On the North side of the building was the Idaho Cider and Vinegar Works, built in 1889. It burned in 1976, was demolished, and the 13 storage tanks moved to Fruitland. Hurd Brothers had a veterinary clinic in the area.
The Payette Creamery opened its plant, April 11, 1899. It manufactured butter and had a poultry processing plant. It burned in 1989. The largest building in the block was the fruit packing plant, Rinelli, operated by J. C. Palumbo. The brick building stands today on the east corner of South 6th Street and 2nd Avenue South. Nearby was the Higginbottom Bottling Works.
Stirm’s Brewery was located in the south west end of town with a bar nearby. Mr. Stirm's got his hops for malt from the Peter Pence hop farm on Big Willow, east of Payette. They were raised on the bluff and irrigated with water from two big 30 foot water wheels in the ditch.
Across the tracks was the Payette Cold Storage Company built in 1912 by Colonel Mueller. Ice was cut in blocks at Washoe in winter and stored in a large building covered with sawdust from nearby sawmills for summer use. When refrigeration replaced the ice, a water well was dug, striking a pocket of natural gas. Some townspeople thought this was the start of a new business but it soon ended.
North of the Creamery building was the Van Patten Lumber Company and in the same block was the Boise-Payette Lumber Company. The Wilson Lumber Company was nearby. Johnny Banks had a livery barn and Giesler Brothers Store did business in the same area.
The Oregon Short Line Railroad depot was on the east side of the tracks. It was made of brick and stone, built in 1906, and because the railroad ceased operations in the area, it was demolished in November 1985. Just north of the depot, between 1st and 2nd Avenue North was Ethel Clausen's "Payette Hotel," offering room and board.
The Idaho Canning Company (American Fine Foods), on the west side of the tracks from the depot, was organized January 1903 with capitol stock of $30,000 from seven local businessmen. They began operations on June 16, 1903 with "Seven Devils" brand and "Tom Thumb" brand of peas and corn. They are still in operation in the same location.
At the corner of 1st Avenue North and 7th Street stood Coughanour's three-story brick building called "The Coughanour Block." It housed 14 apartments, the photo studio of Geo. Snook, a post office, cafe, print shop, barbershop, shoe shop and a realty office. When the 6th Street overpass was built over the railroad tracks the Street and curbing was very close to the buildings front entrance. Tenants moved out and the building deteriorated. In 1985 it was declared a safety hazard and demolished. A fenced in car storage lot now stands in it’s place behind the Idaho Youth Ranch Building.
Down the block from "Coughanour's Block" building are several old business establishments that include Jim Swank's blacksmith shop of 1895, Down’s and Uhren Harness Shop of 1898 and two others - still standing.
On 7th Avenue North, near the 11th and 12th Streets is Whitney Arms Mobile Manor. In the 1890s it was the site of the Grant Whitney House. Mr. Whitney built it, in 1887, for his wife Mamie, who was living in Boston. She moved to Idaho and the couple were community social leaders and their third-floor ballroom was the scene of festive occasions. Their three daughters used it for a roller skating rink. Mamie loved the house but hated living "in the wilderness."
Soon the couple divorced. In 1901, the William Iretons purchased the house but after four years the divorced. The house became known as "Whitney's Folly." A son took over the house but ran into financial difficulties and the building was repossessed by the government. During the depression of the 1930s it was turned into 12 apartments for poor people. After an extensive remodeling job a new owner turned it into a restaurant in 1981. The business failed in 1984 and was put up for auction. New buyers purchased it in hopes of restoring it. On Easter Sunday, April 7, 1985 it burned beyond repair.
The Whitney House was a large, beautiful home with oak floors, ornate woodwork and ample sized rooms. It seemed to be vacant more times than occupied. Old-timers recall that often voices of small children and the tinkling of a piano could be heard coming from inside suggesting that perhaps it was not vacant as much as it seemed.