Idaho State Journal from Pocatello, Idaho • Page 8

$--Idaho Sunday Journal, Pocatello Sunday. Feb. 13. 1D68 George Pugmire Had Busy Role in Growth of City; State By I STITES Journal Staff Writer A Pocatellan for GO years, on North Main. He lalerlroad shops at Anchorage.

The sold 'real estate, then joined the i pay rate was then a dollar an department when 'hour with double time for Sun- George PuRmire has been wit- 'Chief Dave directed the 'days and holidays, compared to ness to city, community and 'old timer forces, including i 72 cents an hour in Pocatello. state growth as a worker, lejjis-! Price and i Uixon. 'I he elder Leaving Alaska after a year lator and business man. i i worked as a painter i the boys returned to Seattle to He was born in the old Tilden I he OSL coach department, a find the only job available was area, and remembers in much'closed out his career as a paint detail the hazardous crossing of er i the late Roy t.cu'y.. "Entered Shops at 15 George on hand when Dr.

the Snake River in spring runoff when the family moved to Tocalello in 1906. The normal method of fording was to start from an upstream point and move with the current to reach the opposite shore several hund- ('asllc brought first automobile, D. W. Standrod the second to Pocatello. The Garrett Brothers were operating with a single unit, hauling almost any picking apples.

The strike of 1922 ended and Mrs. Harley Wilklhs in the'and mindful of the agriculture i ing his two sons when thev courthouse. AJI records were in longhand in those years, and George wrote payrolls, lax rolls and oth interests in the Senate. F. Harris, R-Caribou, said, firemen, teachers and judges! need pensions, then so do in the Springfield Son of Pioneers Born May 22, 1900 at Old Til- er files.

Other courthouse work-1 farmers, ers including Gretta Wright, Cla-l Pugrnire stil rice Mitchell, Glenis Bassett. After serving with Dave McNichols, George made principle on the a'ltar 'George Pugmire is a son of holds to his or: George Y. and Martha Merklev rice Mitchell, Art Olson a i i i a concept of politics, quot- Pugmire. His father, a native ing from the old theory Charles, homesteaded at Sheriff; "there is too much tendency to Tilden about 1895, raising livestock in the Snake River hot- George's railroad career and he uave "CNicftols, George made sacrifice worked for the Paul Roberts first step into politics as pres-of expediency." machine shop in the 300 block on North Main. With an awareness that he must have better training to as red feet downstream.

i for 50 cents. Things went fairly well, Kerosene lamps lighted Poca- horses finding temporary footing I tello houses, and electric lights on river bottom or swimming a phones were still new when with only their heads above George was a youngster, ter. At times large chunks of! At age 15 George entered a ice floated over their backs. One prenliceship in the railroad' steadier employment, George enrolled at the Idaho Tech, taking a business course and political economy. Maud Dayton was an English teacher, Mrs.

Goggins teaching short- of the horses straddled the wagon tongue and the outfit was shops. J. j. Kelker was superintendent of shops, A. C.

Hinck- no more than half way acrossj ley superintendent of motive Deputy Sheriff An ad in the old Pocatello Tribune led to George becoming ident of the Young Democrats club of Bannock County, and succeeded Ed Called as secre- Appointed by the U. S. Treasury Department, Pugmire served as assistant state director of tary of the Democratic Central the War Bond program, serving the Idaho Technical In- toms until coming to Pocatello in 1906. George was graduated from Pocatello high school and at- when the tongue broke. A tree'power, and Cy Walsh, general office deputy for Sheriff H.

W. trip. Eight to nine hours were required in driving from old Tilden to Pocatello, the road being across deep sands in several places. Old Home Under Water For George there will be no return to the old home site as it lies under the water of American Falls reservoir, except for about 40 acres of rocks the Bu reau of Reclamation did not buy of the 640 acres owned by the Pugmire family. Unaccustomed to city life George said he was "afraid" of town, with its several thousand residents, the large number of houses and the daily traffic, but by the next fall he was ready for school in the combination grade and high school on North Arthur.

When fire destroyed all but the shell of the schoolhouse in 1914, George moved to St. Joseph's school on North Hayes Avenue. Others attending included George Gregoire, Robert Kane, Eustace Mullen, "Red" Gallagher, Dan Hurl and Kenneth Hull. George appeared in school and church plays, and played the saxophone for ward dances. The Pugmire family entered business at Pocatello, operating a cafe at the present Bitton- Tuohy store site with the late Fred Stedtfeld as the cook.

Stedtfeld later founded Fred's cafe, still operating on Main street. After selling the cafe, George's father opened a butcher shop across from the present Miller Henderson. Later he worked for Maurice Rossiter as deputy, went to Alaska, working in rail-i then for Grace Hall, Ann Keefe was cut, repairs made and Leaving the shops in family continued its hazardous! 1921, George and Albert Irwin GEORGE PUGMIRE Knew Pocatello as Youngster under John Schoonover and Ted Wegener. He served until the Committee. In 1938 George was a delegate to the Democratic state convention.

Elected Bannock county state senator in 1938,, George was among the younger men of the state Legislature. Joining him in 1940 was Parry Nelson of Power County, a bit younger. In those days north Idaho was i Motor Court, 1119 North Main stitute. A member of the LDS church he served end of hostilities in 1945, England and South was offered a Treasury church work he has been ment post at San Francisco, president of the MIA, Sunday The late Mrs. Pugmire urged School and stake superintendent, him to stay in Pocatello, and since then he has assisted F.

J. served on the stake board MIA, is a past Bannock County chair- Laabs in operation of the Laabsiman for the Red Cross two IVIfltrtr Pnllrt 111Q Wnrtjl irosrr. electing men to keep Pocatello from getting a university, while Bannock County was as determined that a four-year school be approved, so elected legislators pledged to that goal. Idaho's Mason-Dixon line lay north of Ada County with the northern cry, "Idaho can't afford two universities," its legislators opposing even the bill to appoint an impartial body to study Idaho higher education. Concerning the proposal, Derr of Bonner protested "it would cost $35,000 and accomplish nothing." Friends Aid Bannock Bannock had its champions, too, and among them was George Rudd, D-Jefferson, who said "no matter what decision would be made by such a survey committee, just as sure as the sun shines, southern Idaho is going to have a university." Leading debate for the bill was Sen.

F. C. Gillette, R-Teton, who said, "Every time the issue comes up there has been log rolling and horse trading and we've all been more or less on the spot." Even the late Sen. K. C.

Barlow, R-Cassia, gave militant voice to the debate, reminding senators "the State Board of Education has shirked the responsibility of solving the Southern Branch problem," and adding "the only way to settle it is by an impartial body." The measure passed 25-16, the Peabody Institute was employed to make the study and at later sessions the school, established street, a 26-unit motel, the first such major enterprise in Pocatello. George finds the motel business requires 24-hour duty and, though highly demanding, he enjoys meeting the traveling pub include reading lie. Hih hobbies and he has completed the "five- foot shelf' rereading much oi the material. He still enjoys fishing and is among the "old timers" who in early days rode the train to Mackay, to be dropped off along Big Lost River, the train stopping on flag to pick up the fishermen for the return trip. George has spent much time on Parsons Creek and Warm Springs, and also fished the Blackfoot River.

In recent years his health has not permitted him to hunt afield, but he has enjoyed accompany- Job Corps Center To Be Expanded BOISE (AP) Plans to expand the Job Corps Center at Marsing, in southwestern Idaho, were announced Friday by H. T. Nelson, regional director of the Bureau of Reclamation, administers the camp. He said the capacity will increased 10 0 1 I i testimonial for LJ. son of Mr.

and E. Kunz, will be Sunclav, 1 p.m. in the Lt)S Tuf.nl; Ward Chapel, Tyiiee. i been called (o serve in Mission viln i ters at Edinburgh. He ter the Sail l.nte City Home on Mirch 7 for Scol! nd i i Kunz fs i 1 i years, and is a past president of Jefferson PTA.

A member of Pocatello Chamber of Commerce, he has served on the tourist committee. He married Evelyn Oct. 5, 1933, in the Salt Lake! City temple with David 0. Mc-i ll Sc Kay officiating. Mrs.

Pugmire i died here in 1961. I He has two sons, Roger, Van Nuys, a movie actor, and! Stevan, Provo, a junior at Brig-j ham Young university and ma-1 joring in German and history; two brothers, Tracy, Techmtil 1 and Harold, Seattle; two sisters, Mrs. George (Leah) Batehans, and Mrs. John (Elva) nf Stntckus, Eureka, Calif. Sev- eral of the 13 brothers and ters succumbed to pneumonia at early ages.

R. E. (Bob) Pugmire, long-time peace officer, died in March 1964. George resides at 69 Trail Creek Road. He plans to continue in active roles with retirement for the distant future.

is iffili it Farmers of A Iributive Educa America. 1 year completed one ho St 'c I tr Techmtil Institute of 1 i log ram Club i con at i will be il nd High the ef- to attend the i Donald, Advisor I Hughes, i presi- i i mtnagcr of 11 was i I irsday's I TI i IBM the last i 01 office. 1 'r of the Uub is Os emphasized i Icsman rein or occu- i tit, mclud- 1 Price of I rm rsity Cir- I and il nd Hinh, i crown- 'h it the i tetheart Otwrg of us Club. ayr Child Snow Near Average ARCO-- Surveys on Big and Little Lost River drainages show snow depths near average for the past 15 years. HOLLYWOOD (AP) -tress Claudia a i is married, but not i her (her, Dean a i the wedding.

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