Looking back: Church catches fire, girl honored with national life-saving award and five tons of sand spills on road
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IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Feb. 13 to Feb. 19 in east Idaho history.
1900-1925
REXBURG — A Presbyterian church in Rexburg was damaged by a “disastrous fire,” according to an article in The Rexburg Standard dated Feb. 13, 1919.
The fire started in the furnace room and “totally destroyed the furnace and seriously damaged the entire interior of the building.” It was caused by the overheating of the pipes, the paper said.
“A fire had been made in the furnance in the morning in order to heat the building prior to a social which was to be held in the evening,” The Rexburg Standard explained. “The minister left the building at noon with everything in good running order.”
An hour later, smoke was seen coming out of the building and “the alarm was immediately sounded.”
“Firemen were there in due time and very soon had the flames under control and are to be complimented on their good work,” the article reads.
The damage was covered by insurance and repairs were to “commence at once.”
1926-1950
LABELLE — A man killed a mountain lion northeast of Rigby in Labelle, The Rigby Star wrote on Feb. 17, 1927.
Leo Morgan, of Labelle, noticed the animal “when along the river” the week before.
“The animal sprung away from a pile of brush and into the timber,” the article reads.
Morgan caught the animal in a trap on the ranch of Jess Harrop. It was six feet and four inches from “tip to tip” and weighed over 100 pounds.
“The animal carried the heavy trap a considerable distance after being caught,” The Rigby Star explained.
It was the first mountain lion to be “noted this far down the river for many years.”
1951-1975
SODA SPRINGS — A nine-year-old Soda Springs girl received a Girl Scout Life-Saving Award, an article dated Feb. 13, 1958, in the Caribou County Sun mentioned.
Norma Jean Woodyard, a member of local Brownie Troop 68, was honored for her “heroic action” in saving her sister, Nancy. She had come too close to a bonfire and her clothing caught fire. Norma Jean grabbed her and rolled her in the dirt, smothering the fire.
“Nancy was severely burned despite the efforts of Norma Jean, but due to her sister’s quick action, she is recovering,” the paper noted.
The award was sponsored by the National Girl Scouts of America and presented during the regular monthly meeting of the Soda Springs P.T.A.
1976-2000
POCATELLO — A “city sander” — a two-ton truck used to sand slick streets — flipped on its side and spilled five tons of sand onto the road.
The Idaho State Journal reported the accident on Feb. 17, 1976. Floyd Deppe, 64, was driving the sander when he “lost control on the slippery road and went into a skid.” The truck slid sideways and struck a curb before spilling its contents.
The truck received about $2,500 in damages and was supposed to be out of commission for about a week. City authorities said the sand was “shoveled into another truck.”