Valley County, IDGenWeb Project

William A. Edwards ( - 1942)

Last Rites for Pioneer

February 26 (PLS*) Funeral services for William A. Edwards were held Sunday in Cascade. Mr. Edwards was born in Georgia, a law graduate of three District of Columbia universities, and came to this section in 1903 after doctors had given him six months to live.

He was attracted by the Thunder Mountain gold boom and or later years loved to retell ancidotes of those wild and wooly days. One of his favorites was the Thunder Mountain celebration of July 4, 1903. He was one of the contest judges, and chief among the contests was a burro race. A big Texan riding a small burro was in the lead up to the last few yards, where the burro up and quit; whereat the Texas dismounted, picked up the burro and carried him across the line. The judges had quite a time deciding the affair but finally awarded first place to the lanky Texan.

Mr. Edwards had hundreds of stories to tell about famous characters as 'Hot Foot' Davis, 'Gas Pipe' Kelly, Frenchie the saloon keeper, Korner, the Negro barber and Doctor Cornell. He had practically completed his autobiography at the lime of his death.

Mr. Edwards' last wish was that he be buried in the hills that had been his home for forty years. His son, Napier, expects to have the body moved this summer.

Extracted from Cheryl Helmer's "Warren Times/A collection of news about Warren, Idaho." Henington Publishing Company, Wolfe City, TX., 1988.

* Payette Lakes Star, McCall.

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