Karma and I attended the Centennial Celebration of the King Hill Irrigation District in Glenn's Ferry this weekend. My Great Grandfather Henry Jones was one of the original pioneers to homestead the land through the Carey Act in 1908. My Great Grandfather drew the first pick of land in the land drawing. His first choice was a parcel of land in what is called "Pasadena Valley". That land, coincidentally, would also be associated with our family through the marriage of Kathryn Mills and my Grandfather Wes Jones. Henry's idea was to grow orchards and the land in the Pasadena Valley was thought to be too hard pan for growing fruit trees so he opted for land just above and accross the river from what is now the town of King Hill. The land is still currently being farmed and is producing potatoes and grain.
The land in Pasadena was drawn by our "Aunt Nellie". My Great Grandfather Glenn Mills came out from Iowa to help Aunt Nellie farm the land. I spent a lot of time when I was young listening to stories told by "Grandaddy" of the great adventures he had in the early days of settling and exploring the land we call Idaho. Our family was some of the first to explore many areas in Idaho including the Sawtooth Mountains. The high alpine lake, "Lake Kathryn" bears the name of my Grandmother, a tribute from her father Glenn Mills.
The Centennial Celebration was at the Glenn's Ferry high school and it was absolutely packed!? It was great to see so many people in attendance. My cousin Ken Jones was the master of ceremonies and did an excellent job presenting. His wife Jan Jones coordinated the catering and did a great job with logistics and also found time to make cake for everyone attending. My Grandfather Wes Jones gave the prayer before dinner and also talked about the history of the area and the importance of the irrigation district.? We saw a few familiar faces and also made some new friends.
The Centennial Celebration was a great success. We learned a lot about the history of the project, of our ancestors, and most of all were able to meet members of the community that keep the area productive and keep the tradition of farming alive.