[notes: from Craig Snyder's GED file] --312SAMSON SNYDER, JR. A business man of ability and keen discrimination that have led him to succeed well in all his undertakings, and now at the head and owner of a thriving general merchandise establishment in Pierce, a public minded and patriotic citizen, and always ready to aid any enterprise that is for the welfare of the town or district, and a progressive and stirring man of sound principles, we with pleasure accord an epitome of his career space in the history of his county.

Samson Snyder, Jr., was born in Randolph County, West Virginia, on August 9, 1868, being the son of Sampson and Elizabeth (Bonner) Snyder, natives of West Virginia. The father was born on August 19, 1835, and now lives retired in Harmon, West Virginia. He served three and one-half years in the Civil war and the details of some of his life are intensely interesting. He enlisted in the Home Guards and was elected captain of his company, having been chief spirit in organizing it. They enlisted in a body and were joined to the Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He had many narrow escapes and was wounded several times. Once his leg was broken. He was in the battles of Rich Mountain and Carricks Ford, and in very many skirmishes. His company was largely in skirmish duty and was under McClellan. He was a scout for the general on numerous occasions. His father, the grandfather of our subject, was in sympathy with the Confederates in the commencement of the war, but later changed his mind and enlisted in the Union forces, in his son's company. He was detailed on scout duty most of the time and the Confederates had a heavy reward placed on his head. He was captured many times, but always succeeded in escaping. He was a man of intense spirit and rendered valuable service to his country. Captain Snyder was captured once and was tortured by being forced to remove his boots and walk over frozen ground. Captain Hutton, a Rebel officer, was holding his arm in this barbarous proceeding, and as they came to the edge of a stream, Captain Snyder shoved the unwary Rebel down the bank and took to the woods. More than a hundred shots were fired at him, but he escaped them all and got away. But he was in a rebel settlement and had to go thirty miles barefoot over two mountain ranges to get to the Union lines. It is of note that Hutton, the rebel who was tumbled down the bank, is now living in the same county with Captain Snyder and it speaks volumes for the honor and noble manhood of the latter that he is friendly to his former persecutor. The mother of our subject was married in West Virginia and came from Scotch ancestry. She is now living, aged sixty-three. Our subject was raised in his native place and educated in the district school and later in the West Virginia University, and was appointed cadet by Hon. T. C. Green, regent of the University. He returned to his parents before graduation and in 1891 came to southern Idaho, spending six months at Nampa. Then he came to Moscow and thence to Fraser, where he homesteaded a quarter section. He farmed and raised stock until 1901 then opened a hotel in Pierce and in the fall of the same year started a miners' supply store, which has become one of the leading general merchandise establishments of the town. Mr. Snyder has seven brothers and four sisters. He was married on November 2, 1892, at Fraser, Elizabeth C., daughter of. John W. and Adell (Tupper) Clark, natives of Michigan, becoming his bride on that occasion. Mr. Clark and his family now reside at Weippe. Three children have been born to this union Vergie, Erma P. and Oro Lolo. In addition to his business, Mr. Snyder has four hundred and eighty acres of land, of which one hundred acres are hay and orchard and the balance in fine yellow pine timber. Mr. Snyder is an active Republican.

Samson Snyder, arrived in the Weippe area from West Virginia in 1890. Snyder taught school and sent word back to others in Harman, West Virginia, of the opportunities in the area. Other families following him were the Bonner, Carr, Ball, Bennett, Jordan, and White families. At one time 90 percent of the population of Clearwater county had come from West Virginia.
http://www.clearwatertribune.com/Weippe.htm

• Samson Snyder built a telephone line from Greer to Weippe 1902.
http://www.northcentralidaho.info/cwcountry.htm


[note]--313NAME OF DECEASED :SNYDER ,SAMSON
YEAR : 1945
CERTIFICATE NUMBER : 145405
COUNTY OF DEATH : Clearwater
CITY : OROFINO
DATE OF DEATH : 09/06/1945
DATE OF BIRTH : 08/09/1868

[note]--314Samson Snyder Rites Saturday
Pioneer Resident Dead After Fifty-four Years Work In the County
Sampson Snyder, 77, one of the most widely known pioneers in Clearwater County died at 3 p.m. Thursday at his home of a heart ailment.
With varied interests in more than 54 years residence here, he built and operated an early telephone system in the county, was a long-time garage owner, bank director, besides being engaged in the grocery business and in farming operations.
He was born in Harman, W. Va., August 9, 1868, fourth of a family of 12 children and came west to Nampa and then to Fraser, Idaho in 1891. He was active in many affairs of the community until he began ailing a year ago he had been falling rapidly for the past month and died quietly at home while asleep.
He was a 32nd degree Mason and was a member of the Calem Temple of the Shrine and the Scottish Rite body at Lewiston. He was a member of the Orofino chapter of O. E. S.
Mr. Snyder married Miss Elizabeth Clark at the home of her father, John W. Clark on November 2, 1892; and on that date three years ago celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with an open wedding anniversary with an open house at their island ranch home.
Wide Interests
He was the first school teacher at Fraser and was an early day hotel operator at Pierce and had operated a small sawmill at Weippe. In 1902 he acquired the telephone line from Greer to Pierce and later expanded to Orofino buying out the Bell system here later turning over his holding to the Interstate company. In 1927, he built the Snyder Motors building, now the Gaffney Thompson garage, which he operated until his retirement in 1940.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Snyder, three daughters, Mrs. J. M. Perkins, Weippe; Mrs. Virgie Hadley, Spokane; Mrs. Lolo Morrison, Palouse; and a son, Eldon Snyder, Pierce. Eight brothers and sisters surviving are, Albert Snyder, Kamiah; Henry Snyder and Mrs. Phoebe Carr, Orofino, john Snyder, Lewiston, three sisters and a brother in West Virginia, Mrs. Stella Cooper, Mrs. Nettie Harman, Mrs. Carrie Cooper and Blaine Snyder. Eleven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren also survive. A son, Loren C. Snyder, died in May, 1942.
Masses of flowers were in exhibition at funeral services Saturday at ?? p. m at the Methodist church a tribute for the pioneering efforts of Mr. Snyder and to show the way in which he was held in the community.
The Rev. Kenneth Under[??] conducted the funeral sermon and …. [unreadable]


“Samson Snyder, Jr. to Antone Hinky, lot 10 blk 118 Griffith and Kings addition to Nampa, $90.”
Historical Newspapers > Idaho Statesman (Boise City, Idaho) > 1891 > October > 25 (from Ancestry.com


61SAMSON SNYDER, JUNIOR, (8/9/1868-9/6/1945) was born at Harman, West Virginia, the fourth in a family of twelve children. He was the son of Sampson and Elizabeth (Bonner) Snyder.
Married Elizabeth Clark (11 /25 /1875-7/16 /1956) on November 2, 1892 at Postville, Nebraska.
There are so many things of interest that could be said about Samson, Junior. He went West in 1891, a widely known pioneer in Clearwater County, Idaho. He had attended West Virginia University before going West. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of the Calem Temple of the Shrine and the Scottish Rite body of Lewiston, Idaho.
He was the first schoolteacher at Fraser, Idaho. He ran a Hotel At Pierce, operated sawmills at Weippe, went into the Telephone business, then, later building a garage known as the Snyder Motors.
He died of a heart ailment, but all his life he had been active in many affairs of the community where he lived.



315“From Indian camp to trading center, Weippe
(Taken in part from an article written by Eva Wolfe)
Through the years studies have shown that Weippe was originally spelled Oy-ipe. Another spelling, Oy-iap, has also been noted in its early history. General Howard called the area Oy-ipe in his journals. Harry Wheeler, Nez Perce historian, believed that Weippe means a "very old place," "oy" means "all" in the Nez Perce language, but no meaning has been found for "iap".
In Weippe’s earlier days it was frequented by the Nez Perce Indians, who enjoyed the summer climate and profitable hunting grounds. They erected lodges, fished, hunted and dug the camas root in the surrounding area.
An early journal described Weippe as the trading point of the prairie in the southern portion of Shoshone County. The average altitude of this section, as given by Wellington Landon, pioneer settler and owner of the original townsite of Weippe, is approximately 3,000 feet. The Weippe prairie is a level meadow fringed by forest, and through it runs Jim Ford’s Creek, named after a pioneer wood dealer from Lewiston. Ford came up the Clearwater to this stream where he cut logs, floated them down the river to Lewiston, and cut them into stove wood.
In 1805, the Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark sighted the Weippe prairie while seeking food for their starving expedition. Here they were greeted by a group of Nez Perce with food and friendship.
During 1884, the government surveyed a large portion of the country lying between Lolo Creek and the North Fork of the Clearwater River and an army of settlers immediately followed the official opening of this territory....

... Samson Snyder, arrived in the Weippe area from West Virginia in 1890. Snyder taught school and sent word back to others in Harmon, West Virginia, of the opportunities in the area. Other families following him were the Bonner, Carr, Ball, Bennett, Jordan, and White families. At one time 90 percent of the population of Clearwater county had come from West Virginia.”

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Snyder, Sampson — of Orofino, Clearwater County, Idaho. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Idaho, 1924.
http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/snyder.html

He was married on November 2, 1892, at Fraser, Elizabeth C., daughter of. John W. and Adell (Tupper) Clark, natives of Michigan, becoming his bride on that occasion.