Looking Back: Five students hospitalized after flag pole and bricks tumble onto sidewalk; and 13-year-old boy missing

IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of April 27 to May 3 in east Idaho history.

1900-1925

RIGBY — A fire that broke out in Rigby was being called the “worst in the history of the village,” The Rexburg Standard reported on April 28, 1914.

The blaze started in the basement of the Edwards block. The fire department quickly responded, but so much smoke in the basement made it impossible for the firefighters to locate the exact location of the fire.

Within two hours, “one of the most substantial brick buildings of the town” had completely burned to the ground. The building had been built five years prior to the fire.

The lower story was occupied by the Rud Mercantile Company and contained $30,000 in merchandise. The upper story was used by Mr. Edwards, the building’s owner, as a hotel.

“It was the pride of the town that Rigby had such good accommodations as to rooms in the way of a hotel,” the paper explained.

The fire lasted for around three hours. During that time, people from Rigby and neighboring towns came to see the blaze. When the front walls of the building fell into the street, there were 25 cars parked along Main Street.

Edwards had worked as a short-line engineer before retiring to pick up farming. He then sold his ranch and invested his money in the building that later caught fire.

“The loss will be felt heavily by him, and it is not known this morning whether he will attempt to rebuild or not,” the paper mentioned.

The loss was estimated at $65,000.

1926-1950

BURLEY — A Power County man was in jail awaiting a preliminary hearing on a first-degree murder charge, the Idaho Falls Post Register reported on May 3, 1934.

E.E. “Blackie” Wilson, of American Falls, was in the Cassia County Jail. He was charged with the death of Della Stone, 22, who died in a Burley hospital the previous week. Stone’s home was in Driggs.

Stone, also known as Bonnie Lee, came to Burley in December 1933. She had lived at a number of hotels in Burley and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Stone of Driggs.

The article mentioned that a chemist’s analysis of the contents of the girl’s stomach was being performed. No further information was provided.

1951-1975

BURLEY — Five students at a Burley school were hospitalized after a flag pole and bricks came crashing down, the Idaho State Journal reported on April 27, 1956.

The accident happened around 8:50 a.m. at the Overland Elementary School. Students David Clayton and Phillip Jones, both 12 years old, were raising the flag when the incident happened.

It was believed that another boy who was helping gave a tug on the rope that sent the 15-foot wooden pole and a layer of bricks from the roof tumbling to the sidewalk 30 feet below. The flagpole and bricks landed where children were congregating before school.

Linda Wilkinson, who was eight years old, was in critical condition and flown to the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. Her doctor said she probably suffered a skull fracture.

Four other children were hospitalized, but their conditions were not known; they were believed not to be as serious as Wilkinson’s condition.

There were about 13 other children who were also injured but were able to stay in school.

School superintendent Bernell Wrigley said an inspection of the roof was conducted less than a week before the accident. He said there had been no evidence of weakness at that time.

Two high school students, Dee Marsden, 19, and D. Taylor, 18, saw the flagpole topple as they drove by in a car. Marsden described the incident as “appearing like a bombardment of bricks.”

Marsden said for a while he wasn’t able to see because of the cloud of dust from the falling bricks.

Marsden and Taylor took the children who were not injured to the other end of the school yard. They then joined the teachers and principal Lee Glenn to help those who were injured.

The cause of the accident had not been determined, but an investigation was underway.

1976-2000

POCATELLO — A 13-year-old Pocatello boy was missing, the Idaho State Journal reported on April 28, 1977.

Jay Jennings had been missing from his home since April 5, 1977. The boy’s last contact with his parents, Doran and Mary Desirey, was by telephone on April 7 from Helena, Montana, according to police.

Pocatello authorities believed the youth may have returned to the Pocatello area and was asking the public to be on the lookout for Jennings.

Anyone with information about Jennings was asked to contact the Pocatello Police Department immediately.