Age 6 months - Leon Maxwell Nurss (photo taken about Dec 1914 in Grangeville, Idaho)Monday, August 23, 2010
Nurss, Leon Maxwell
Age 6 months - Leon Maxwell Nurss (photo taken about Dec 1914 in Grangeville, Idaho)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Military post in Idaho County - Camp Howard
The remains of Camp Howard, located in Grangeville foothills (near Mt. Idaho). The abandon fort was on our grandfather Albert Frank Nurss' land. His twin sons, Alan Alva Nurss and Albert Frank Nurss Jr were born in Camp Howard on 13 March 1891. Albert Frank Nurss Jr died at the approximate age of 1 1/2.
Read about military activities that lead to the building of Camp Howard on page 193, Vol. 16 of
Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States, Volume 16 By Military Service Institution of the United States on google books.
Read about military activities that lead to the building of Camp Howard on page 193, Vol. 16 of
Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States, Volume 16 By Military Service Institution of the United States on google books.
Also see mention of it at google books on page 526 of
History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana: 1845-1889 By Hubert Howe Bancroft, Frances Fuller Victor
The Camp was abandoned and was on the property when Great-grandfather Albert Frank Nurss filed his land patent (about 1885). He used it for a short term home while he built a new one and later used it for storage.
Here is more about Great Grandfather Albert Frank Nurss:
Taken from History of North Idaho, which has sketches of prominate citizens of the area. It can be found at repository Univ of California libraries (digitized by Microsoft) or online at http://www.archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00slwerich "An Illistrated History of North Idaho Embrasing Nez Pearces, Idaho,Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties State of Idaho" Western Historical Publishing Co. 1903; Page 569: "ALBERT F. NURSS is the well known ice man of Grangeville, who also owns a good farm, which is the spot on which Howard erected headquarters in 1877 and a part of the edifice is used by Mr. Nurss as a residence. He was born in New York in 1855, and is the son of Jard and Hulda J. (Blakesley)Nurss. The mother was born in 1836 and died in 1902. The family removed to Illinois when our subject was young and he was raised mostly by his relatives. When twenty-three he went to Kansas and worked for a year, then he went to Nebraska and one year later found him in the famous Wood river country of southern Idaho. When he came here in the fall of 1882, there was still excitement regarding the Indians. After renting land and selling the crop he wrote to the land department of the United States regarding this famous camp Howard and finding it subject to entry he took it as a preemption and later filed a homestead right on it. For seventeen years Mr. Nurss has been in the ice business in addition to handling his farm, now having a regular wagon and delivers to the people of Grangeville, enjoying a thriving trade. In Illinois, in 1877, Mr. Nurss married Miss Nora,daughter of J. M. Davis, a pioneer of Illinois. Mrs.Nurss was born in Illinois in 1860 and has two brothers and three sisters, who are all living in the east except one, in Idaho county, who came as a pioneer here in the early sixties. Mr. Nurss has five brothers and sisters all deceased. The following named children have been born to them : Roy E., Mary McLean. Dora. Gracie Bickford, Allen, Harvey, Effie. Mr. Nurss is a member of the W. of W.. ofthe I. O. O.F., and is a Democrat. He was a member of the school board for seven years. Mrs. Nurss is a devout member of the Baptist church."
Grangeville, Idaho long ago
This picture has no writing on the back, no post card marks, and is on a thick cardboard - a bit thicker than the old post card pictures.School House - Grangeville Idaho
Students sledding down *Crooks Road after school could usually count on our grandfather, Allen Nurss, or great grandfather, Albert Frank Nurss, to time their trips to town in order to meet the sledding students at the bottom of the hill. Using horses and wagon, they would be pulled back up the long hill filled with delight at the prospect of one more quick sled ride before returning home for chores and dinner.
Sometimes the school teachers would room at Grandpa and Grandma Nurss' home located at the top of Crooks Road, in Grangeville, Idaho. According to the Idaho County Press, and family history, Grandpa Allen Nurss and Great Grandpa Albert F Nurss both served on the school board. Others in our family taught in Grangeville schools, but more about that later.
The stories we could tell about the students at this school! They were strong, sturdy students who developed wonderful bonds and became good citizens. There were a few pranks too which we might share later.
The stories we could tell about the students at this school! They were strong, sturdy students who developed wonderful bonds and became good citizens. There were a few pranks too which we might share later.____________________________________________________________________________
Part of a journal entry from one of the students, Loha Geraldine Nurss, who attended school in the schoolhouse pictured above which was located at the top of Crooks Road [Street]:
"I started to school in a one room school house where the grades ran from the 1st thru the 8th grade. The school was located kittie corner from our ranch house at the foot hills in Grangeville Idaho. The teachers name was Borland and another one I remember was Slyer. And Lu La Maines.
We used to board the school teachers before I started to school. But after I started we did not do this anymore. One of the teachers we boarded was Lula Maines. My Dad was trustee of the school board for a time, after I started to school.
I remember an incident of black pepper being put on the Pot bellied stove, in the middle of the room by my cousin Leon Nurss. Our eyes burned & kids started sneezing & coughing so our teacher lined us up to march out she asked each one of us if we had did it. It was all no’s till she came to me, and as I had saw him do it I said yes & I named Leon [Nurss], my cousin.
Well needless to say I was quite an unpopular person. My best boy friend, Bernard Hoeckul who was rite behind me said what the heck did you tell for & he didn’t speak to me for days which really hurt.
Some other kids who I remember quite well from school were Alma Cash, Welda Chase & of coarse there were boys Paul Warden, Frank Cash, Joe Cash, Vance and Howard Darling & of coarse my favorite Bernard Hoeckel."
*now named Crooks Street
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Oneida Love Nurss Summer 1922
Our dear little Oneida. The whole family loves her still. She was laid to rest on the 16th of January 1925 (see her death certificate for location of her grave) in Prarie View Cemetery in Grangeville, Idaho. I and other family members have stood in front of her grave marker in that cemetery on several occasions. It was white with a lamb on it, her name is engraved on it as well. Sadly, during some maintenance her marker was damaged and the cemetery staff removed her marker to the garage, along with her brothers marker, Ronald Bennett Nurss, who died at 3 months of age and was laid to rest in that same cemetery in 1915. We are saddened to learn that they have no plans to return their markers, and record of their burial has been lost to them.
Evidence of our Grangeville family history is slowing being lost.
Friday, August 20, 2010
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