Ola
June 28, 2001
Dear Friends,
We do not know what went through those early settlers minds as they topped the hill and viewed our beautiful valley, bit it must have seemed like the perfect spot to raise cattle and horses. The grass and water would have been plentiful and the wildlife abundant. The only drawback was there were no other white women for Mrs. Baird to visit and share miseries with. Mr. Baird had his daily work and trap line to keep him busy, but we can only imagine Mrs. Baird must have been quite lonely and frightened for her baby's safety. She must have had one eye peeled for danger and was convinced she would feel a lot better if the family had a secure building to run for protection.Subsequently, the fort was built and has been on the Pat Carlock place for many years. The Carlock family recently donated the fort to the Ola Community and it has been moved up to the Ola Community Park where it will be preserved for future generations to enjoy and ponder the life that the Bairds must have had when they first came to, and settled in, the valley.
Projects such as this always required a certain amount of expense. If you have an interest in the Ola Valley and the preservation of its history and would like to be a part of the fort restoration, donation will be accepted and appreciated. Please send contributions to the Old Fort Preservation, P.O. Box 54, Ola, Idaho, 83657. We appreciate your interest and support.
----------- Ola Community Board
Carroll Baird's homestead along Squaw Creek was less than half a mile west of the present-day site of Ola. Mills writes that the Bairds built their cabin where the old Indian trail crosses the creek. The trail was also used by miners and others taking the short cut to, or from, Oregon and the Boise Basin. Prior to the 1875 post office, the mail was delivered by pack horse and snowshoes along the Brownlee Trail from Horseshoe Bend (Boise County) to Warren (Idaho County).
Six weeks after the post office was established, Bairds' bachelor neighbor to the north, Fred Hoffman was appointed postmaster, a postion he held until the post office closed the end of January 1877, when mail was sent to Cascade (Valley County). Mills writes that first wedding in the community was between Fred Hoffman (aka Huffman) and school teacher Ella Drake March 6, 1879.
Mills also writes that when the post office was re-established July 1882, it was under the name of Ola, "for an old Swede that happened along."
Baird was sheriff of Boise Co. 1894-1895,(see Boise County Sheriff's History). This area was part of Boise County until Gem County was formed March 1915.
Post Office and Postmaster History
UPPER SQUAW CREEK established Sept 6, 1875 by Carroll Baird
Nov 15, 1875, Frederick D. Hoffman; Discontinued Jan 28, 1877. Mail to Cascade (Valley County).
(later known as Ola)
OLA established July 22, 1882, by Carroll Baird
Miranda Perron, November 10,1890
Benjamin F. Shepard, February 27, 1892
George W. Smith, November 21, 1895
Benjamin Shepard, May 6, 1901
John M. Holbrook, July 18, 1903
Edward Thornton, September 28, 1906
Sherman Glenn, Oct. 25, 1908
John Babcock, Dec. 10, 1918
Palmer W. Wharton, August 10, 1917 (end of record)
GROSS
The Gross post office was established April 11, 1906, Ruth E. Gross Mrs. Jo K. Nesbitt, November 28, 1919 Mrs. Anna Query, Oct. 26, 1929The Richard Gross and Ruth Cramer Gross 1909 homestead was in Section 10 and 15, Township 11 North, Range 1 East, B.M., on Squaw Creek, about eight miles north of Ola. The Nesbitts were in Section 2 and Section 11, Twp. 11 North, Range 1 East, B.M., along the Second Fork of Squaw Creek, about a mile or mile-and-ahalf north, northeast.
See Ruth Gross' niece Hester's story about growing up on Squaw Creek
Related Links
Transcriptions of the Ola Cemetery may be seen at Find A Grave and on GenWeb Gem County Archives .
See Ola Community Newsletter for current Ola happenings.
Sources:
"History of Post Offices in Idaho." U.S. Post Office; Gem County Historical Society collection
Nellie Ireton Mills, "All Along the River/Territorial and Pioneer Days on the Payette." Privately printed for Payette Radio Limited, 1963.
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