Happy 115th Birthday to us!

On this day, 115 years ago, our great-grandfather John Steele Gourley filed a Carey Act claim with the State of Idaho; thus, taking the first step in establishing the orchard and designating water availability.

Thereafter, John had to show improvements to the property.  He ordered materials for a “prove-up” shack that was delivered by rail, then down to the canyon by horse and wagon. 

He “grubbed” the sagebrush off the land with a hoe and dug irrigation ditches from “Gourley Coulee” and from Cedar Draw. John had one horse and a plow, but did most work by hand. He’s pictured here next to the prove-up shack with a pistol for protection along with a scabbard, inside the door is a pot for boiling water, outdoors on the left is a water bag for fresh drinking water - sometimes drawn from Niagra Springs across the river, and below that is a pile of kindling.

Thanks to Madeline Kelley Buckendorf for being our curator of family history!