Knife Made by Harry Orchard, Mass Murderer

Here is another item I am moving up from the pictures section and into the main posts. It's a picture of Frank Steunenberg along with a knife made my Harry Orchard while residing in the Idaho Pen. This picture appeared in Knife World , August 1993, Vol. 19, N. 8 as part of a nice several page article. An original of this edition was graciously given to me by Roger Worley, a knife collector from Boise, ID., who has this knife in his collection. Orchard did not make it as a prison weapon or shank. He gave the knife to fellow inmate Tom Farley and it was probably held with Farley's belongings until released. I will have to get in touch with Roger again sometime and see what it might take to get him to part with it! Nice article and pics that I will try to scan and get on the blog at some point. Click the picture to enlarge.

Passing of Jean Smylie Steunenberg

Idaho Statesman Obituary

--A recently discovered photo courtesy of the College of Idaho Smylie Archives

From the Naperville Sun November 20th, 2008:
Jean S. Steunenberg, a resident of Naperville since 1951, died on November 16, 2008 at the age of 84. Her husband, Robert K. Steunenberg, predeceased her in 2002.

Jean was active in politics as a member of the League of Women's Voters and precinct Committeeman and Captain when she was not teaching piano. She was an avid reader.

A memorial service will be held at Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home, 516 South Washington Street, Naperville, IL on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. with visitation at noon. There will be a private interment in Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, ID. Donations to The College of Idaho (2112 Cleveland Boulevard, Caldwell, ID 83605-4432) in lieu of flowers in the name of Jean S. Steunenberg are requested.

Jean was married to Robert K. Steunenberg. I may have met Jean when I was very young but no memory of her or Robert. I have seen their picture in a Steunenberg reunion photo (c. 1970) that hangs in the living room at the home of my father and mother. Jean will be joining Robert and many other Steunenberg family members at their final resting place on Canyon Hill in Caldwell, Idaho.

To read more about Robert, go to an earlier blog entry at:

Monday, August 11, 2008

Robert K. Steunenberg-WW II Veteran on LST 808 and Distinguished Scientist

Governor Frank Steunenberg - Life, Assassination, Trial of the Century

I have started (somewhat randomly) posting a few items to a Frank Steunenberg page on Footnote.com. Mostly stuff you have seen here. Feel free to email me comments regarding the web page or anything you would like to add. You won't be able to do so directly on the Footnote web page unless you are a paying Footnote customer but I will be happy to post anything you send my way.
Governor Frank Steunenberg - Life, Assassination, Trial of the Century - biography, pictures and information, learn share and discover the life and times of Frank Steunenberg.

**After some fumbling around, it looks like I have have managed to find and eliminate most of the stray HTML that brought forth the pink and chartreuse colors. Of course, maybe they were an attention getter that I should have left in! It does have me playing with the colors a bit so you might notice some changes.

"To Hell With The Man Who Breaks My Will"

Will in the widow of his Caldwell, ID store (Will on the right with unidentified person on the left).

From a daily diary/memo book. The last will & testament of Will Steunenberg on a page dated 5/9/1907. Some of you may have seen it before as moving up from the picture section at the end of the blog and adding a transcribed version. Certainly weighing on Will's mind as he wrote this would have been the untimely deaths of his brothers Frank and AK Steunenberg coupled with the passing of his father and family patriarch Bernardus Steunenberg. All were gone within an 18 month period beginning with that awful night of December 30th, 1905 when Governor Steunenberg was assassinated. Ancil Keppel “AK” died of a serious illness on March 16, 1907 and Bernardus Steunenberg passed away a short time later on March 29th 1907.

The following is a transcribed copy from the above 1907 diary along with a few additional entries of interest. Will was the second oldest of the ten children of Cornelia and Bernardus Steunenberg and the oldest brother of Governor Frank Steunenberg. He was a shoemaker by trade and owned the above pictured shop in Caldwell, ID. He was born 3/26/1857 in Holland, MI; died August 12, 1946 Caldwell, ID.

A few words are difficult to discern although eyes better then mine could probably figure it out. Will kept a daily diary throughout his adult life and typically made short and to the point notations on each calendar day. Most indicate the weather, lodge activities, visits to family, playing cards, results of hunting/fishing trips and daily personal and business expenses. The last will and testament appears in the memorandum section of the 1907 diary. The diaries are in the possession of my cousin Bill Crookham of Caldwell, ID and several were loaned to me for examination.

The names referenced in his last will and testament are of Will’s remaining seven Steunenberg siblings. I have attempted to use punctuation, capitalization and spelling as per the original. A few items in parentheses have been added for clarification or comment purposes.

May 9^th 1907 (Memoranda section of the diary)

In case anything should happen to me, I would like Jo & Deal (sisters Josephine and Delia) to have the property on Gospel ridge 9 blocks and house in block 33 Dorman’s addition. (space) The ¼ share I own in the home property Block (space) to go to John. let Charley (his brother Charles Benjamin Steunenberg often referred to as “C.B”) & George (Steunenberg) divide my share of the shoe store equally between them. If there is any Money left give Lizzie & Grace (Elizabeth and Jennie Grace Steunenberg) One hundred dollars each & divide the balance equally among you all. see that the guns get good keepers. And if any of Frank’s Boys ever show any tendency to guns & will take care of same; give them the gun that belonged to Frank the 30-303 savage.Don’t blow in (spelling?) money foolishly on funeral Just plain. and remember no mourning goes, Just be Jolly & forget and don’t drag my carcass to a Church I would like the K.P’s (Knights of Pythias) & Odd Fellows to Plant me if they can do so without making blunders & would like for Prof. Boone to make one of his nice sensible talks, No Preaching goes (spelling?). And give Boone $25.00 for his trouble.

Let John, Charley & George see that my wishes are carried out.

W. L. Steunenberg

To Hell with the Man who breaks my will.

Transcribed by John T. Richards Jr.

Other samples of the entries in the 1907 diary include:

3/15 – went to A.K.’s in evening & stayed all night at A.K.'s… A.K. very low.

3/16 – don’t see how A.K. can get well…A.K. died at 5 min to 12

3/19 –A.K. was buried by the IOOF Grand Lodge officers and the canteen assisting…it was a very large funeral considering the muddy & sloppy roads.

3/29 – Father died at 1:15

4/21 – rode out to the cemetery

4/23 – went home and found John and Charlie looking over Frank’s papers.

7/28 – The jury acquitted Haywood this morning of having anything to do with Frank’s murder.

10/27 – went fishing with T.W. Boone 

Was Governor Steunenberg as Tall as Shaquille O'Neal or another Crocodile Dundee?

"Gov Steunenberg stood nearly seven feet in his stockings, and never wore a necktie. When he appeared on Broadway six years ago he created a sensation with his Western costume, broad hat and long hair."

Well the governor was a big guy but not seven feet. Otherwise he might have been playing basketball rather then being a governor. He was more like 6'4", about the same as me. Sensation on Broadway? Costume? My great grandfather had long hair? That sounds like when Crocodile Dundee came out of the Australian bush and was walking the streets of New York (for those that saw the movie). In this case it is Governor Steunenberg from the Idaho Treasure Valley. I think we see a bit of the still prevalent view in 1905 that Eastern papers had of the "Wild West."


I am proud to say that the Governor and I share the same view when it comes to neckties. A family tradition that I try to follow.

Chicago Tribune 8/29/1899.

In Memory of Ex-Governor Steunenberg

Another item I am moving up from the picture section. If anyone has more information on this poem, when it was written and/or the author James H. Hart then please let me know. Click the image to enlarge for reading.

INSURRECTION IS PROCLAIMED/SIXTY RIOTERS ARRESTED

You may have seen these postcards before in the picture section toward the bottom of the blog. I am moving a few items around and brought these up here to go along with the small article below that I just found on Footnote.com.
Click on the pictures to enlarge.

"Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mill, April 28, 1899 before the wreck." The card below from after the explosion is highly sought after but this one from the day before is actually harder to find.


BH&S Mill after the explosion, April 29, 1899. Nothing but splinters. Click here to read "From Statehouse to Bull Pen"

Back side of the card above it. Someone had their history wrong. Of course the governor was not killed in this explosion on 4/29/1899 of the BH&S Mill. His was murdered several years later on the evening of 12/30/1905 when he opened the gate to his home triggering a bomb (see below).


May 4, 1899 - MARTIAL LAW
Martial law was declared by Governor Steunenberg (misspelled Steunberg in this article) within a few days of the bombing of the Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mill.
"THE GATE ON 16th AVENUE"
This is the same pic that I requested be posted on the "Historical Tour" link on the City of Caldwell website several years ago. The Steunenberg name had been there but a blank spot with no picture. Click the link and then "Choose site" and "Steunenberg." Check out the rest of the houses and information on the site.

7/11/1907 - MOYER GIVES LIE TO ORCHARD STORY

We can see Judge Fremont Wood on the bench, perhaps a few members of the jury and Charles Moyer on the witness stand.

Veteran's Day November 11, 2008 - Staff Sargent Jule Steunenberg

We honor our men and women serving around the world today and all those who have served and sacrificed throughout our history.


B17 Flying Fortress (contributed by sfalcont to footnote.com).

I never met my Uncle Jule (Juke) Steunenberg as he died over the Pacific on July 20, 1946 in an accident involving two B-17's such as the one pictured above. He was one of the six children of Julian and Francis Steunenberg. The others are my mother Brenda, Uncle Cal (both living at age 90 and 95 respectfully) Uncle Bud, Aunt Doris and John (died in infancy). Of course all were great grandchildren of Frank and Belle Steunenberg. Frank, having been assassinated on December 30th, 1905, never had the opportunity to see any of his grandchildren.

Jule had already served five years in the Army Air Corp during WWII. On the day of his death, two B-17's were patrolling in search of missing planes and investigating the possible sighting of a life raft when this tragic accident occurred. Twenty crew members died.


Written by my mother Brenda Steunenberg Richards on the back of the above left picture of Jule: "Brenda's brother Jule (Juke) youngest of my 3 brothers. They were so good to little sister Brenda."















Proclamation from President Lyndon Johnson. Not dated and probably done as a Memorial Day event during the Johnson Administration.

Also see:
Footnote Pages

The Marines

Robert K. Steunenberg-WW II Veteran on LST 808 and Distinguished Scientist

December 31, 1905 - Telegram from President M.E. Cady of Walla Walla College

A little worn and difficult to read in spots but this is a telegram from M.E. Cady, President of Walla Walla College 1905-1911, to Julian Steunenberg, expressing his sympathies on behalf of the students and faculty.

December 31, 1905 Letter of Condolence from a friend

A letter of condolence from Clarence Kime, friend of Julian (Bill) Steunenberg and Francis Wood (Steunenberg), my grandparents. They had all been friends at Walla Walla College.

January 1, 1906 - Francis Wood to Julian Steunenberg

This is a letter from my grandmother Francis Wood, known as Fan or Fanny, to my grandfather Julian, known as Bill. They would be married later in October 1906. The letter was mailed from Medical Lake, Washington, on January 1, 1906 and arrived in Caldwell on January 2nd 1906. Click on the images to enlarge. I think you can read it pretty well. I will get transcribed copies up here eventually.

12/31/1905 - Western Union Telegram

This telegram is from Clarence Kime, a good friend of my future grandfather Julian Steunenberg, eldest son of the assassinated governor. It is written to my future grandmother Francis Wood.











"Julian's Father was Murdered at 7PM Dec 30th.
Clarence W. Kime"

More Historical Idaho Music

Check out Gary Eller's latest historical songs found recently during his wanderings through the Idaho panhandle. Some great stuff and new CD's coming soon. Gary has been making a major contribution to the discovery, preservation and recording of historical Idaho music. Many of the songs have been directly related to mining and labor and he even finds the occasional lyrics that refer to the Haywood trial and Governor Steunenberg. I will give a holler to everyone and maybe have some pics to post when the CD's come out.

Following comes from Gary:

Greetings, friends of early Idaho Roots music. The pre-radio Songs of the Month for Nov and Dec now can be heard and read about at

http://www.bonafidaho.com/idahosongs.htm

These postings feature some of the neat songs I found during my month of song collecting and performing in the Idaho panhandle in September.

The book/CD "Early Songs of Southern Idaho and the Emigrant Trails" will be available in two weeks, well in time for Christmas.

The Idaho Songbag CD will be finalized this week and available in time for Christmas as well.

Regards, Gary Eller

THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS - 1896 & 1898

A few election tidbits from 110-112 years ago when Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg was running for his first term in 1896 and second term in 1898. He won by a landslide in 1896 and handily in 1898 but certainly not by the same wide margin. In 1898, the Populists ran their own candidate as opposed to 1896 when they had fused with the Democrats and supported Governor Steunenberg along with silver Republicans.

August 21, 1896


Just a couple of more days and we will have the election of 2008. Get out and vote.

New York Times October 29, 1898