Idaho, Days 7 & 8, Ashton and the Ranch

Tuesday morning, sister Lynette and I left for our own side trip to Idaho. We stopped at West Jordan, Salt Lake Valley, to pick up Lynette's friend from college days, Annette, as well. She grew up in Rexburg and wanted to visit with family and interview our Uncle Keith who had served with her father when there was a LTM at Ricks College. She is writing a history of those days. She is also a quilter, so our ride north became a "quilt shop hop" as she shared some of her favorites with us. And yes, I purchased a bit of fabric at each stop!

Our first adventure Wednesday morning was a trip to Ashton, place of my birth, and the ranch. As you can see by all the new silos, Ashton is still the railroad hub of southeast Idaho. There were very green wheat fields as far as the eye could see interspersed with potato fields.

Our first stop was the Frostop. I took this picture for Logan of his mother in front of one of his favorite places.

I also took a picture of the mural in the bathroom. Believe it or not, Lynette didn't even notice it when it was her turn! There were lots of tourists stopping for refreshment on their way to Yellowstone Park.

Soon we were headed east to "the Ranch" located about 15 miles east of Ashton near Drummond. Although it has been sold, it still feels like our "homeplace." My grandparents Andrew Percy and Rhoda Nyborg began farming this land in the 1920's and my Uncle Keith continued to work the land when his father passed away in 1959. He finally sold it just a few years ago. This is a picture of Keith and Raija's home from down the hill. Unfortunately, the new owner has not maintained it in the same manner as did Keith and Raija.

Conant Creek was a rushing torrent. Idaho also had a very wet winter. There would have been no wading by the little ones if we were reuniting in the creek bottom this year. See the little island in the upper part of the picture. That was the site of many a bonfire and fireworks display at our family reunions.

And here is the creek from the opposite side of the bridge facing west.

The sauna, a location for many "bathing" memories. Uncle Keith told us at Annette's interview, that the missionaries at the LTM used to try to break the record of the most runs from the sauna to the swimming hole on a visit. One fool did it 17 times.

The birch trees on the south side of the creek and east of the road were lovely as always.

Of course the gates were up, so we could only get this close to the old outbuildings. The grassy patch to the right in the picture is where my grandparents home once stood.

Looking southwest towards Keith and Raija's house.

The cattle pens are still there and I understand that Keith and Gerald still manage to find some fence to mend in the spring.

I'm now looking south to the creek bed from the hill where my mother was born.

Her parents home at that time stood near this old barn. It seemed appropriate that we were here the day before her birthday.

It's also nice to have the barn as a marker for her birth location.

It's also a bit of a landmark as it stands on quite a hill which is not readily shown in these picture.

We next traveled on north and west to the old Squirrel Dance Hall where my grandparents danced as they courted. They had met in Idaho the summer Rhoda came from Orderville, Utah to cook for her brothers.

As you can see, it was established in 1916, so they danced in a brand new building. They met before Andrew Percy served in France during WWI. Upon his mending from a bullet wound and return home, he decided to take the train to southern Utah to see what his chances were with Rhoda Ann. I guess they were pretty good because they were married in Kanab a short time later on January 7, 1920 and she returned to the ranch with him. Their first baby was a stillborn, then Elden was born, and then my mother in 1924, followed by Lowell. These first three children all served during WWII. They went on to have five more children, Keith, Gerald, Elna, Milton, and Nola.

My uncles arranged for us to meet in this building at our family reunion in 1993.

Here is our family group that year. We had lunch inside, Gerald's slide show of the family in the 50's and 60's, and a talent show. Fun times! Notice the Tetons in the distance.


My pictures make the land seem flat, but it is anything but flat. It is a series of beautiful rolling hills, thus just the view of roof tops in the distance.

This is the old general store, now a private home, located across the street from the dance hall.

We came upon these red poppies as we drove back to the bridge at Fall River.

Everything was so pretty and green.

We saw so many wildflowers, including daisies at the ranch, of course. But not red poppies. It made me wonder who might have once lived here who loved red poppies.

It felt good to be home!