Rexburg Pioneers Story...

Arsenic and God’s Will

- Edward Joseph Jacob

By: Janae Kern

In 1923 an earthquake destroyed a third of Tokyo, the New York Yankees defeated the New York Giants four to two in the World Series¹, President Warren G. Harding, the 28^th President of the United States of America², died unexpectedly while returning from visiting Alaska³ and Edward Joseph Jacobs died five days before his 29^th birthday⁴.

* * *

August 18, 1923 was a Saturday⁵ morning. Edward’s mother, Eleonora Flamm⁶, came into the darkened room and laid down a copy of A Man For the Ages⁷ by the bedside. She removed the damp cloth from his forehead and replaced it with a new one after checking to see if his fever had gotten any better.

“How do you feel⁸?” she asked nervously as she wrung her hands. He’d been sick for two and half years⁹ already, and she was beginning to think that his time was drawing to a close.

“I feel fine¹⁰,” he said weakly.

She smiled briefly in spite of her concern, he was never one to complain or murmur¹¹. “I brought you a new book,” she said, “I heard it’s a bestseller.”

“Thanks,” he said as scenes from his life flashed before him.

* * *

It was 1899 and Edward was once again five years old. He remembered how his father served his first, and only, term as mayor of the village of Rexburg¹². It didn’t mean much to him at the time because he was so young and the experience was overshadowed by his father’s second term in office, this time of the city of Rexburg¹³, six years later.

After ten years of village status Rexburg had modernized enough to be organized into a city in 1903¹⁴. Edward remembered fondly the switch from log homes to homes made out of stone.

In 1905, his father, John Lewis¹⁵, had been elected as the third mayor of Rexburg. It was during this summer Edward, at 11 years old, had been given the exasperating task of helping to fight the cricket infestation. Mayor John Jacobs realized that this was a bigger problem than he originally thought and arranged to hold a fundraiser to deal with the problem.

They raised enough money through playing baseball with St. Anthony, but coming up with a viable idea was a little harder. One such idea that stood out clearly to Edward was E.G. McGriff’s “sure-fire recipe for cricket control.” The recipe included mixing one pound of arsenic, two pounds of sugar and four pounds of bran together with just enough water to dissolve the arsenic and sugar. It was then to be spread over a field much as a sower would sow wheat – it might have worked and Edward was willing to try but his dad said no¹⁶.

* * *

Helena¹⁷ came into the room to the sound of her older brother’s laughter – after spending the last year in bed¹⁸ it was good to hear him sounding more like himself. “What’s so funny?” she asked as she brushed his black hair¹⁹ away from his eyes.

His grey eyes²⁰ twinkled as he said; “I was remembering the crickets and how dad wouldn’t let us put the arsenic on them.”

She chuckled herself at the memory. “It wasn’t actually that bad compared to the others²¹.” Anxious to keep him talking she said; “Do you remember when we got electricity?”

“How could I forget?” he said. “We didn’t have to keep greasy rags and matches²² around anymore.”

“Mom got an electric washing machine so we didn’t have to use scrub boards²³ either,” she said.

“And then we moved to Oregon²⁴,” he said as he looked out the window at the noonday sun.

“It wasn’t all bad,” Helena said, “we did learn to read and write before we came back²⁵.”

“Yeah,” he said absently. “Could you get Mom?”

“Sure,” she said as she squeezed his hand and left the room. He had that far away look in eyes again – the one he always did when he thought about her.

Which, he was in fact doing.

* * *

Edward’s mind drifted back to 1917. His wife was dead²⁶. The “War to End All Wars²⁷” was in its third year, and his dad, John Lewis Jacobs, had been dead for two years²⁸.

For the life of him he could not remember when they got married or how’d they’d met²⁹. Probably through a business trip, his work did take him through Menan³⁰ frequently, especially since he was now the manager of Jacobs Lumber Company³¹. Her name was Leah Esther Stephens, and she died in her 23^rd year³². It was a shame that someone who “showed such promise of a successful future³³” should have their life ended so soon.

“I acknowledge thy hand in all things Lord³⁴, but why take away my wife?” he asked.

A passage of scripture came to mind in silent reply; “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord³⁵.” Tears trickled down his cheeks, as he was comforted in the knowledge that he had faith in and a testimony of the resurrection of the dead³⁶.

* * *

“You wanted to talk to me,” his mother said as she poked her head into the room.

“I’ve set aside some money, about a thousand dollars, in the bank. I want it to be used for temple work³⁷,” he explained.

“I understand,” she said dabbing at her eyes as she too thought of Leah and the brief time they had together.

* * *

Eleonora Flamm had moved to Idaho with her husband, John Lewis, from Utah³⁸ in the late 1880’s and had opened a store on Main Street with her father, Henry Flamm, selling goods and supplies to the pioneers of the village³⁹. Much of the supplies were sold on credit, which was unheard of in the area⁴⁰. But through the grace of God⁴¹, everything worked out and they were able to move the business from “a small frame building” to a “two-story, forty by one hundred foot rock building⁴²” in 1898.

Often times Henry and John would write off the debts to families that were struggling, to many of the widows and to those whose spouses were serving missions⁴³. It was in this atmosphere of generosity and love that Edward Joseph Jacobs was born on August 23, 1894⁴⁴.

A couple of years before her son’s birth, President Harrison signed the bill admitting Idaho into the Union as the 43^rd state⁴⁵. In May of the same year, Elder Andrew Jensen with Bishop George L. Farrell and Apostle Marriner W. Merrill were sent to “assess the Upper Snake River Valley communities”⁴⁶. What they found was not only encouraging because some considered Idaho to be a barren wasteland, but also reassuring. The harsh climate still prevailed and while it was not for the faint of heart, farming and daily life had improved greatly when the Teton River was successfully irrigated and water could be brought to the communities surrounding the river. Land tripled in value and what once was a desert was now a thriving, pioneer village⁴⁷.

* * *

Edward’s mind wandered to another part of 1917 – standing in line with hundreds of other young men registering for the war as Sergeant Frank personally invited them to join. Sergeant Frank, at 12 years old, was the “authorized mascot” of the First United States Cavalry and had seen action along the Mexican border as part of the United States Army⁴⁸.

Edward left his mother, two sisters and lumber company⁴⁹ behind to serve in France for about a year as part of the 103172 regiment as a Mechanist Corporal Royal Engineers Captain⁵⁰. For his part in the war he received a 15 Star Campaign Medal⁵¹.

After the war, he went back to his lumber company and got involved in commercial, religious and social affairs, even serving as the Boy Scout Leader at one point⁵². He bought and sold some land⁵³ near town as well. He tried to emulate a good Christian character, treated the poor with kindness and made sure that the advice he gave was sound⁵⁴. He was a “Rexburg boy who had made a success in the world⁵⁵”. And on August 18^th1923, five days before his 29^th birthday⁵⁶ he left it a better place.

Works Cited

1900 United States Federal Census - Idaho

1910 United States Federal Census - Oregon

1920 United States Federal Census - Idaho

“1920s Bestsellers.” Caderbooks.com. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. http://www.caderbooks.com/best20.html

“Biographies of the Presidents. ” Infoplease.com. 2007. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760585.html

Clements, Louis J, Harold F. Forbush. Pioneering the Snake River Fork Country. Rexburg, ID: Eastern Idaho Publishing Company, 1972. Print.

Crowder, David L. Rexburg, Idaho: The First Hundred Years 1883-1983. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers, 1983. Print.

Tales of Eastern Idaho. Idaho Falls, ID: Curtis Press, 1981. Print.

“Eastern Idaho Death Records.” Special Collections and Family History. Web. 1 Oct. 2010. http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/famhist/Obit/searchDetail.cfm

“Edward Jacobs Called to Rest.” The Rexburg Standard. 23 August 1923: 1. Print/Microfilm.

“Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.” The Rexburg Journal. 24 August 1923: 1. Print/Microfilm.

“Edward Joseph Jacobs.” Ancestry.com Visited: 1 Oct. 2010.

“Family Group Record.” FamilySearch: Family Group Record. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. https://new.familysearch.org/en/action

The Holy Bible. King James Version. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1979. Print.

“Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937.” Family Search. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. http://new.familysearch.org

“Information Please: 1923.” Infoplease.com. Web. 7 Oct. 2010.

http://www.infoplease.com/year/1923.html

Property Deeds. Madison County Records. Edward J. Jacobs, 1920/1921. Deed Records, Book 90:532, 591. 98:95, 578. 112:226.

Rexburg Cemetery Gravestone – picture taken by me 23 September 2010.

Scott, Patricia Lyn. The Hub of Eastern Idaho; A History of Rigby Idaho, 1885-1976. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers, 1976. Print.

South Bannock County Historical Center. A Century of Transition, 1890-1990. Pocatello, ID: Idaho State University Press, 1990. Print.

“World War 1 Campaign Medals.” National Archives. Web. 1 Oct. 2010. www.natioanlarchives.gov.uk

World War 1 Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

Endnotes[i]

---

^{1 Infoplease.com “Information Please: 1923”}

^{2 Infoplease.com “Biographies of the Presidents”}

^{3 Pg. 186 Tales of Eastern Idaho. “President Warren G. Harding Visits Idaho Falls”}

4 ^{Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{5 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Standard. “Edward Jacobs Called to Rest.”}

^{6 1900 United States Federal Census - Idaho}

^{7 Caderbooks.com. “1920s Bestsellers” I figured that after spending close to year on his back, he’d want to read something and a 1920 bestseller because of the lag time to ship it from the east coast}

^{8 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{9 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{10 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{11 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{12 Pg. 300 Pioneering the Snake River Fork Country. “Appendix Table 5”}

^{13 Pg. 300 Pioneering the Snake River Fork Country. “Appendix Table 5”}

^{14 Pg. 116 Rexburg, Idaho 1883-1983. “Progressive Rexburg, 1900-1909”}

^{15 1900 United States Federal Census – Idaho, 1910 United States Federal Census – Oregon, FamilySearch: Family Group Record. “Family Group Record”}

^{16 Pg. 120-121 Rexburg, Idaho 1883-1983. “Progressive Rexburg, 1900-1909”}

^{17 1900 United States Federal Census - Idaho, 1910 United States Federal Census – Oregon, 1920 United States Federal Census - Idaho}

^{18 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Standard. “Edward Jacobs Called to Rest.”}

^{19 World War 1 Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918}

^{20 World War 1 Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918}

^{21 Pg. 120-121 Rexburg, Idaho 1883-1983. “Progressive Rexburg, 1900-1909”}

^{22 Pg. 127 Tales of Eastern Idaho. “Electricity Improves Life in Fremont County”}

^{23 Pg. 127 Tales of Eastern Idaho. “Electricity Improves Life in Fremont County”}

^{24 1910 United States Federal Census - Oregon}

^{25 1910 United States Federal Census – Oregon, 1920 United States Federal Census - Idaho}

^{26 FamilySearch: Family Group Record. “Family Group Record”}

^{27 Pg. 15 A Century of Transition, 1890-1990. “World War 1”}

^{28 Rexburg Cemetery Gravestone}

^{29 I couldn’t find any records of his marriage, how they might have met or their life together – however their temple ordinance was completed shortly after they died and they are sealed together}

^{30 FamilySearch: Family Group Record. “Family Group Record”}

^{31 1920 United States Federal Census - Idaho}

^{32 FamilySearch: Family Group Record. “Family Group Record”}

^{33 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.” It was actually said of him but I figured that the same probably held true for her as well.}

^{34 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{35 The Holy Bible. Job 1:21. It stands to reason that when you think “why me?” this scripture would come to mind}

^{36 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{37 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{38 1900 United States Federal Census - Idaho, 1910 United States Federal Census – Oregon, 1920 United States Federal Census - Idaho}

^{39 Pg. 35 Pioneering the Snake River Fork Country.}

^{40 Pg. 35 Pioneering the Snake River Fork Country.}

^{41 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{42 Pg. 53 Rexburg, Idaho 1883-1983. “Settlement, 1887-1899”}

^{43 Pg. 53 Rexburg, Idaho 1883-1983. “Settlement, 1887-1899”}

^{44 1900 United States Federal Census - Idaho, 1910 United States Federal Census – Oregon, 1920 United States Federal Census – Idaho, Family Search. “Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937”}

^{45 Pg. 82 Tales of Eastern Idaho. “Idaho Becomes a State”}

^{46 Pg. 57-58 Rexburg, Idaho 1883-1983. “Settlement, 1887-1899”}

^{47 Pg. 87 Tales of Eastern Idaho. “Fremont County: Irrigated Empire”}

^{48 Pg. 160 Tales of Eastern Idaho. “World War 1 Recruiting in Southeast Idaho”}

^{49 World War 1 Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918}

^{50 National Archives. “WW1 Campaign Medals”}

^{51 National Archives. “WW1 Campaign Medals”}

^{52 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Standard. “Edward Jacobs Called to Rest.”}

^{53 Property Deeds}

^{54 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.”}

^{55 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Standard. “Edward Jacobs Called to Rest.”}

^{56 Pg. 1 The Rexburg Journal. “Edward Jacobs Goes to Final Rest.” Pg. 1 The Rexburg Standard. “Edward Jacobs Called to Rest.” Family Search. “Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937”}