Oxford, Idaho

Edited by Kim Helmandollar Colaianni

(Oxford Main Street circa 1920*)

     At the height of political and religious controversy, Oxford received several blows from which it never recovered.  In 1886, the land office was moved to Blackfoot, Idaho and in 1887 the railroad terminus was moved to Swan Lake, Idaho and later further north to Pocatello, Idaho.  Business declined dramatically and residents slowly drifted away to find better opportunities elsewhere.  By the turn of the 20th century, little was left to remind the old-timers of the “boom” years.

AGRICULTURE

    Horses and mules were the power behind all life in early settler days, and it was not uncommon to find thirty horses on a large ranch.  They plowed, planted and harvested the fields of hay and grain.  They dragged logs from the mountains for all building projects, hauled freight to Montana, pulled buggies or sleighs for personal travel, gave children rides to school, and provided entertainment on William Fisher’s Race Track.  Quite a few Oxford ranchers had a small flock of sheep.  During the summer the sheep were pastured on the mountain or in the groves nearby.  Twice a year, before going out on summer range and soon after coming back before winter, it was necessary to shear the wool.

CHURCHES

    Oxford was unique in Franklin County history, as it is one of two communities that had churches outside the LDS faith.   At one time Oxford had four churches: Methodist, Presbyterian, Mormon, and Josephite**.  The Presbyterian Church was located northeast of the town site.  It was later abandoned, then moved into town to become Oxford Merc.  The Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints. (Community of Christ) met in the Oxford School. The first Mormon meetinghouse was built in 1886.  It was a one-room, log building, located a little north and east of the existing building.  Later a new and spacious building was built.  Prior to 1877, Clifton was a part of the Oxford Ward.  It was also the headquarters for the Oneida Stake of the LDS Church. 

SCHOOL

     The first school was built of logs in 1867 and Henry Howell was the teacher.  By 1880, four schools were in this fast-growing town.  They included a public, Congregational, Methodist and LDS. The last school, a public elementary, was built in 1911, and it was called the Oxford School.  Grades 9-12 traveled to school in Downey in a canvas-covered Chevy truck driven by Dan Hatch. The people of Oxford were very proud of their new school.  Many teachers graced the halls from 1911-1947 when the school closed its doors and students attended for one year in Swan Lake.  The building was torn down in 1983.

(Oxford School circa 1911)

     Serious problems emerged within the community following the passage of the Edmund's Act of 1882 which challenged the Mormon community’s practice of polygamy.  Bigamy laws were changed to make simple cohabitation a felony.  The Idaho legislature passed the Idaho Test Oath in 1884 making every citizen wishing to vote or hold office swear they did not practice polygamy nor act as a member of any organization that did.  This effectively disenfranchised the Mormons and excluded them from participating in government.  Federal Marshalls, including future Idaho Senator Fred T. Dubois, opened their offices in Oxford with their main focus on the capture and prosecution of polygamists.

AMUSEMENTS

     The town created its own amusements.  Dances were held, with their own orchestra to furnish the music, and several brass bands were organized. The Oxford School was the site of spelling bees, the Reorganized LDS church meetings, civic meetings, a manslaughter trial, basketball games, boxing matches, roller skating and dances.  Drama groups were organized in which some of the finest dramas of that time were presented, and baseball groups were organized.  The Oxford Baseball Girls was a women’s baseball team, which was quite unusual for that period.  The 4th of July was celebrated with a salute of firearms or cannons at the break of dawn, followed by a parade, a good program, a ball game in the afternoon and races for the young, ending the day with a grand ball at night. 

*The photograph shows a Millinery Shop which was owned and operated by my Aunt Susan Erikson. My mother, Wilma, worked for her in the early 1930's.The town site once had streets completely lined with poplar trees. My father, Herman, attended Oxford School.

**Josephites: A Roman Catholic religious order founded in Belgium.

EXCERPTS FROM:   

In God’s Lap, A. J. Simmonds.  (Herald Journal, 2004).

Oxford History, Orthea Moser and James Dee Boyce. (Self-Published, Square One Printing, Logan, Utah.
The Oneida Stake, 100 Years of LDS History in Southeast Idaho. (Preston, Idaho, 1987).