Much of the Intermountain West was settled by homesteaders, who claimed their claims to land from the federal government in the late 1800s and early 1900s. But settlers needed water. Flood irrigation demanded massive amounts of water be delivered throughout the farmland through canals in order to make the land useful for farming and permanent settlement. That meant that a dam must be constructed on the Snake River to provide the necessary water and hydro-electricity.
When President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Reclamation Act of 1902, the Minidoka Irrigation Project was created, (Minidoka is the county, north of Burley’s Cassia county and the Snake River) and dam construction began in 1904. Minidoka is believed to be a Shoshone Indian name, meaning “broad-expanse.”
Construction of canals commenced shortly afterwards. Delivery of water began in 1907. The dam’s power plant is the oldest hydro-electric power plant operated by the Bureau of Reclamation.
Minidoka county’s history is unique in that large tracts of land opened for homesteading twice in the 20th century. The first drawing, in 1904, as the dam was under construction, would allow some 55,000 acres to be irrigated by gravity flow through three large canals, feeding its networks of smaller laterals onto farmland. This land was opened to homesteading in what would become Minidoka and Cassia counties to winners of a large lottery-style drawing.
Then, winners could file their 80-acre claims, but only after actually seeing the land they filed upon. After filing the claim, law required residence must commence within six months of filing, or ownership of the land could be contested.
The second homesteading, open only to veterans of World II and the Korean War, was offered in stages, between 1954 and 1961. After the Northside Pumping Project was completed, an additional 76,802 acres of federal land was opened, along with an additional 70,000 owned by private individuals. In 1965, the project’s final offering of approximately 5,000 acres was made. By August 4, 1954 when the drawing was held, over 3,000 applications had been received, and a crowd of over 5,000 jammed into The Rupert Square for the drawing.
Settlers came from all over, from over 41 states and from Hawaii and Alaska, which were not states at that time. They came with the desire to own land and establish a home. However, many had no experience in clearing virgin soil or irrigation and many mistakes were made by both the settlers and the engineers in charge. Some failed and left their homesteads, but far more claimed this newly-settled country as their home.
Heyburn
Three town sites were laid out by the Bureau of Reclamation during the construction of Minidoka Dam: Heyburn, the area’s envisioned commerce center, Burley and Rupert. Other communities existed at this time in the area, but they were not given “town-site” status.
Heyburn was originally named “Riverton,” but its name was changed by the post office department in Washington D.C., who complained “there were too many Rivertons already.” They suggested “Heyburn,” in honor of Idaho’s prominent Senator Heyburn, so the name was reluctantly changed.
The newly-named townsite of Heyburn was surveyed and lots sold on October 20, 1906. It was envisioned to become the area’s major commerce center, since that was where the river and the railroad met. However, land speculators arrived, buying “prime property,” then artificially driving up the price of the lots.
But when the lots were offered for sale, this tactic backfired, as few bought the high-priced land. Since they perceived the land as “too expensive,” settlers built their homes and businesses where land was cheaper, including across the river in Burley. Many early-day residents felt this was why Rupert became the hub city of Minidoka county instead of Heyburn.
Heyburn has tremendous diversity, as a bedroom community to the entire Magic Valley. It boasts a wide variety of beautiful parks and waterfronts. It is home to a host of industrial entities, vitally important to the economic strength of the area.
Rupert
Rupert is the site of the first fresh-water well in what would become Minidoka county. Originally called “Wellfirst” or “Wetfirst,” it was later named “Rupert.” The origin of Rupert’s name remains pretty much a mystery, but various accounts have been credited.
A common story is that a man with the last name of Rupert worked for the railroad, loading and unloading local mail. The mail to the area was contained in a mailbag, which had his last name written on it. Eventually people began calling the community “Rupert” after the mail bag for his station. Whatever its origin, the name stuck.
Rupert was platted in 1905 and filed in what was then Lincoln County in 1907. But there were no restrictions governing the town site in 1904 and 1905, and many businesses were erected around the central square. The business owners were considered as squatters with no prior right to the lots they had built upon. To solve this problem, Congress passed a special act which let the businessmen buy the lots for designated prices. The Village of Rupert was incorporated on April 1906.
Minidoka, established in 1884 as a railroad siding, was the first permanent settlement in what has become known as the Mini-Cassia area (coined by combining phonetic elements of Minidoka and Cassia counties.) The railroad has always been a vital part of the area, providing ready access for farm commodities and other needs.
Though settled much later, Rupert, rather than Minidoka, eventually became Minidoka county’s hub and eventually its county seat. The construction of nearby Minidoka Dam in the early 1900s figured prominently in Rupert’s growth, along with the other towns in the Mini-Cassia area.
Rupert is known for its distinctive town square that grew around the site of the original fresh-water well. It is recognized as “Christmas City, USA” for its beautiful, festive Christmas lights and displays, and for its friendly citizens, proud to make Rupert their home.
Paul
Four men made up the first party who selected sites near what is now Paul. Barely surviving for three years until water finally arrived in 1907, the life-giving water allowed them to make their dreams come true. In 1910, the railroad arrived, crossing land homesteaded by Jim Ellis. Seeing an opportunity, he hired an engineer to survey a town site, calling it Paul, after C. H. Paul, an engineer in charge of the Minidoka Project.
During the time of the Minidoka area’s second homestead drawing, during the 1950s and 60s, Paul grew rapidly as a commerce center for the settlers to Minidoka county’s “north-side.” But as the modes of transportation became easier, many of the “boom-town” businesses from the area began relocating to Rupert and Burley.
Paul has a reputation for its quality of life and friendly atmosphere, and has attracted a strong following of residents, who prefer living in this mostly agrarian community. Present-day Paul has a solid core of businesses, many providing ag-related products and services to the north-side.
Sources: “The Minidoka Story,” published by the Minidoka County News, August 29, 1963.; minidoka.id.us 2021; “The Way We Were, the Historical City of Rupert,” by Gary Schorzman; “Progressive Paul, Idaho,” by Gary Schorzman; City of Heyburn 1905-2013,” by Gary Schorzman
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