Looking back: Naked man found standing in church doorway and Preston holds beard-growing contest

IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of July 10 to July 16 in east Idaho history.

1900-1925

BLACKFOOT — A man who had been drinking started a fight that resulted in his death, the Blackfoot Idaho Republican reported on July 16, 1909.

A man with the last name Elkhart, who lived above the sugar factory, “came down the road with enough whiskey in him to make him feel energetic” and stopped at his neighbor Matthias Louis’ home.

“On hearing that his neighbor said some disagreeable things about him, he went into the field where Louis was irrigating and tackled him about it,” the local paper wrote.

A “scuffle” followed, and Louis pulled out a gun and struck Elkhart in the head with it.

“(Louis) probably struck again, not reaching quite so far, and the gun discharged a bullet at the inner corner of Elkhart’s left eye, causing instant death,” the paper explained.

Louis went home and “awaited the arrival of Deputy Sheriff H.C. Bucklin.” He was taken to jail and planned to “make a plea of self-defense.”

“Mr. Louis is the man we have mentioned frequently on account of his being in jail for wife-beating,” the paper stated.

It continued, “Only a short time ago, Elkhart signed the local option petition saying he could not resist the temptation to drink when he had a chance, and that when he drinks, he makes a fool of himself.”

1926-1950

IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls High School student received and accepted an invitation to compete in an international typewriting contest, The Rigby star reported in its July 11, 1929, newspaper.

Cornelia Gemar, who the paper referred to as the “lightning-fingered freshman,” won the school novice typewriting championship of the state in May. She received the invitation from the Underwood Typewriting Company to compete in the international typewriting contest in Canada in 1930.

“Idaho was one of the 48 sectional typing matches to choose state champions for the world’s school contest at the international sweepstakes,” The Rigby Star mentioned. “By winning it, Miss Gemar wrote an average of 61 errorless words a minute for a quarter-hour.”

1951-1975

PRESTON — A beard-growing contest was announced in Preston to “spur interest in the Preston night rodeo” taking place later in July, The Preston Citizen reported on July 10, 1952.

“Not many beards were in evidence here this week,” the paper pointed out. “But it could be that some of the light-foliage men are in the process and must be given more time … to show.”

The rodeo committee announced there would be prizes given for the longest beard, reddest beard and whitest beard.

1976-2000

POCATELLO — Pocatello Police received a report of a naked man standing in the doorway of Holy Trinity Church, the Idaho State Journal reported on July 15, 1977.

Reports say he was “shouting obscenities,” but no other information was released.