Looking back: Bear falls dead at man’s feet and Preston mother wins new radio for giving birth
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IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Sept. 19 to Sept. 25 in east Idaho history.
1900-1925
ANNIS — A traveling salesman for a produce company with headquarters in Pocatello called The Rigby Star “in no very pleasant frame of mind” to report an incident he recently witnessed.
The paper wrote on Sept. 21, 1916, J.A. Youngren was driving from Rigby to Annis. When he was about four miles north of town, he saw another car heading towards him while “a bunch of hogs were crossing the road.”
“The car approaching Mr. Youngren did not slow down nor attempt to avoid the hogs, hitting them at full speed and crippling several,” The Rigby Star said.
The driver drove off, so Youngren stopped his car and went to the farm house to tell the owner what happened.
“There is rarely any excuse for running into animals along the road,” Youngren told the local paper. “In (my) opinion, the farmers should respect their rights by arresting the willful drivers who show no regard nor respect for their property, and if they do not, certainly no one else will.”
1926-1950
RIRIE — A local man killed a black bear with what The Rigby Star described as a “lucky shot.”
On Sept. 21, 1933, the paper said Geo T. Lufkin and his son, Eugene, were riding down the canyon of Little Burns Creek. They were looking after their cattle when they ran across fresh bear tracks belonging to two cubs.
As the father and son made their way down the canyon, they came across the mother bear who ran into the brush along the creek. Eugene grabbed his rifle from the saddle and followed the bear.
“He came to an opening in the brush and looked over into the creek, just as the bear gave a big lunge at him from the opposite bank a few feet away,” the article explained. “Eugene pulled the trigger on the rifle without raising the gun to his shoulder and the bear fell dead at his feet.”
Eugene shot the roughly 400-pound bear in the head, according to the paper.
1951-1975
PRESTON — A Preston mother won a new radio for giving birth, The Preston Citizen announced on Sept. 25, 1952.
Kenneth Porter of Ken’s Electric Company was running a “special big promotion” to give a Westinghouse laundromat and dryer to the mother of any twins born in Franklin County on Sept. 23, 1952. He was also giving away a portable Westinghouse radio to the mother of any baby born that same day.
No twins were reportedly born that day, but Merl Esplin’s daughter was. Porter delivered the radio to Esplin at the hospital the following day.
1976-2000
POCATELLO — A Blackfoot man was arrested at the Pocatello Airport on charges of carrying a concealed weapon.
The Idaho State Journal said on Sept. 23, 1976, Lonnie Lemon, 31, reportedly told pilots at the private flying service he was being pursued and needed transportation.
“The workers became alarmed and summoned Power County deputies from the adjacent airport terminal building,” the Idaho State Journal wrote. “Deputies allegedly found the weapon and took Lemon into custody.”
Lemon was being held at the Power County Jail pending his arraignment.