“History of Henry Flamm and Flamm’s Funeral Services”

              Voices of the Past
“ History of Henry Flamm and Flamm’s Funeral Services”
By Russell Flamm
Interview conducted by Harold S. Forbush
Transcribed by Devon Robb October 2004
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Harold Forbush- The following interview was transcribed from reel to reel tape onto cassette on the 2nd of September 1983 by the Historical Society and copies of this tape maybe purchased through this society.
HF- Today is my real joy to have in the office on this Saturday the 7th of February 1970, Russell Flamm who is and has been very prominent in the business here in Rexburg and he’s here to represent the Flamm family, one of the decedents of the early pioneer Henry Flamm. We start these tapes out by asking first of all, will you kindly state your full name and the date and place of your birth Mr. Flamm.
Russell Flamm- I am Russell Flamm. I was born in Rexburg, Idaho on September 29, 1904.
HF- And Mr. Flamm will you state the names of your parents, your mother and father and their full names?
RF- My father’s name was John Daniel Flamm. My mother’s name is Francis Yates Rigby.
HF- Now as an interesting thing to me, your father was in the first family of the original Henry Flamm?
RF- My father was child number seven in the first family of Jacob Henry Flamm and his mother’s full name was Heline Boch.
HF- Now you father then married a Rigby girl, now was she one of William F’s daughters?
RF- She was William F. Rigby’s daughter and my mother, Francis Yates Rigby, was the fourth child of the marriage of William F. Rigby and Ann Yates.
HF- Ok now Mr. Flamm going back one step further to that of your grandfather, his wife was whom?
RF- Grandfather Flamm?
HF- Yes Grandfather Flamm, his wife.
RF- Grandfather Flamm’s wife was Heline Boch.
HF- She was Heline Boch and as I understand she the mother of was it eight children?
RF- Eight children. She was the mother of eight children.
HF- And she it was and her husband who came up here to Rexburg originally, now with them didn’t he bring a second wife then or a little later or something? 2
RF- That was later. He brought the second wife later just what year I don’t know.
HF- Now your grandmother was the first lady to pass away in the Rexburg area.
RF- Grandmother Flamm, my direct grandmother, was the first adult person to pass away in the pioneering of Rexburg.
HF- Now was this a some little while after their arrival?
RF- That was in November 1883.
HF- What arrangements did they make then for her being laid away and buried?
RF- Well they made a homemade casket; presumably a man by the name of Walter Paul made caskets. On the starting no doubt at that time made caskets, and they used them for of course for the burial purposes of the pioneers from then on.
HF- Had they selected a cemetery area?
RF- They selected a cemetery site on the hill south of Rexburg and the first burials, four of five burials as I understand it were made there and then the cemetery was abandoned because of so much difficulty making the burials because of lava rock, they had to blast with dynamite practically ever bit of it and it was such a tremendous job that they shifted the cemetery and moved it down north of Rexburg at the present cemetery site now.
HF- And those who had previously been buried were disinterred?
RF- They were disinterred, the families were disinterred or the bodies were disinterred and removed to the Rexburg cemetery.
HF- Well now Russell, your grandfather was quite a prominent individual, I note that he is named as one of the fourteen original pioneers on a little plaque which the Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarking Society Organization erected. I think that marker was made over there in 1935, wasn’t it. Do you have that marker with you?
RF- No, I don’t have the marker with me. I have the writing of the call for the marking. The inscription on the monument follows, “ Go into the Snake River country, found settlements, care for the Indians, stand upon and equal footing, and cooperate in making improvements, gain influence among all men, and strengthen the cords of the stakes of Zion.” This call was given by President John Taylor of the LDS Church and George Q. Cannon was a counselor and Joseph F. Smith was a counselor. This was given in March 11th, 1883, that was founded when the city of Rexburg was founded.
HF- On March 11th?
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RF- On March 11th, 1883.
HF- Now your grandfather was very closely related or associated with the original founder Thomas E. Ricks. Could you make some comments about this relationship, where it had its founding, and something about your grandfather as he came into the area that is first in the Cache Valley and then his association with Thomas E. Ricks?
RF- Well Grandfather Flamm was called as first counselor to Thomas E. Ricks along with George Gunnel as second counselor and they had the special call from President John Taylor to come and found the valley or the settlement of Rexburg at this time. Now Grandfather Flamm was associated with Thomas E. Ricks in Logan, Utah previous to this time and also he had been active in Church work there in Logan and previous to this he had served a mission back in Germany, was called to be the President of the Swiss/ German mission by Joseph F. Smith, no, no maybe not. But anyways he was called to be President of the Swiss/ German mission in 1877 and had of course been active in the church affairs.
HF- Now he was originally a convert from Germany, was he not?
RF- He was originally a convert from Germany, he immigrated to America after his mother died and he had largely the responsibility of caring and taking the head of the family after a young boy and he immigrated to New York City and became interested in the church through a tract being given to him, passed to him on the street and he took the tract home and read it and was convinced and joined the church in New York City.
HF- Now Russell once your grandfather established himself in the Rexburg area in the early 80’ s after March 11, 1883, he became associated and I suppose manager of a quite a large store here in the community did he not?
RF- Yes, grandfather farmed the first two or threes after coming to the valley, homesteaded property and farmed. Then in 1888 or late 1887 he took a wagon and teams back to Logan had $ 30 dollars cash that he bought merchandise with, teamed it back to Rexburg and began his own business in 1888.
HF- What merchandise did he sell from his store?
RF- Well he sold all types of merchandise to begin with from that foundation stock, he sold that, which would be a stock of groceries, clothing, and items of that kind mostly at that time. Then later as the business grew he put all the profits back into the business and bought more merchandise and adding what he could besides and he built the business up until he was selling all types of merchandise, floor machinery, furniture, participating in the undertaking business or funeral business, the undertaking business being what it was known as mostly then. That would come a few years later after the new building was built.
HF- Now where was his first store located as you might describe it in Rexburg today? 4
RF- The first business was located, where, on the corner of Main Street and 1st East in Rexburg and it was back, not directly on the street at that time, it was back in a little log building probably a hundred and fifty feet actually from the street for the first building. And then he started to building a new building later on and that’s when they branched out more into the, they branched out still more at that time of course when the building was completed in 1896.
HF- Can you describe that improved building, the new building that he constructed?
RF- The new building was approximately fifty feet wide a two story rock building made of very substantial rock hauled from the edge of Rexburg on the Rexburg bench, quarried there. Walls about eighteen inches thick with solid rock and a two story building and it was approximately a hundred feet long.
HF- Russell do you have any idea who some of the workmen were who constructed that, maybe the foreman, the one who was credited with actually doing the building of that stone structure?
RF- Well I don’t know as to who actually built it, I would assume that possibly; and Uncle John Jacobs would have built the building and been supervisor of it and in fact I think this was right. The rock would be quarried by Arthur Beasley, who founded a rock quarry at that time up on the Rexburg hill.
HF- Now you say that was constructed and completed in, I believe you said 1896?
RF- 1896.
HF- Now you and I this past year have witnesses the raising of that building by the Idaho Bank of Commerce. Would you like to comment as to what has happened to it and the stone and any comments which you would like to make with reference to this tearing down to this real landmark?
RF- Well the building was torn down starting last summer by the Idaho Bank of Commerce people. The building had two capstones at the top of the building, one dated 1888, the founding of the business, and the other capstone had 1896. I attempted the get the capstones but the bank people said they wanted to use them to incorporate in their business in some manner, just what they didn’t say but on the top of this building an opera house founded by grandfather Flamm, also shortly after it was built and that was of course a very precious asset to the community and this is where all the early activities, the dances, the operas, and in fact the civic center or the entertainment center of the whole valley in this particular building. Then later they added two additions to the east and enlarged a building and of course enlarged the merchandise and sold all types of merchandises, machinery, in fact everything and in the early days they would take in produce on trade and trade it for other merchandise so the farmers would haul in their produce and trade and then they would intern take it and mark it, they would trade it for
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livestock, hogs, cattle, or produce, grains, or anything that people might have and grandfather extended credit to all new pioneers that came. They would use the credit system and then pay their bills in the fall and pay it by produce and other means.
HF- I’ve heard that he developed a system of script which he would use in his store and those who had possession of this script and got possession, of course, they use it to trade with and, I guess, it was associated with his store, no other store would accept it probably.
RF- This is very true. He did establish the script system and people could draw the script and then pay for it in the fall and this means this type of credit and that paid for things as they went and they’d pay for the script as they bought it and then use it and they could obtain it by of course some of these other means, now that was later in the 1900’ s about 1912, 10 to 11, 12, when this script was issued.
HF- Now Russell you referred to the fact that your grandfather commenced the beginning of funeral services in connection with his business. I can imagine that this had a very humble beginning and grew to what it is now in the Flamm funeral service. Would you like to comment on the early conditions as you understand them with reference to taking care of the dead?
RF- Grandfather did establish the undertaking work for the Upper Snake River Valley and this took place probably about the time, actually the establishment of the completion of the building in 1896 as a direct business. However, he did assist in the caring of the dead previous to this with a man by the name of Walter Paul who built the caskets of rough lumber and did no embalming in those days. They used the casket; packed the bodies in ice as much as they could to preserve them until they could make the burial, have the services and make the burials was the early beginning.
HF- The Relief Society sisters in each ward, I’d imagine, played quite a part in this program to did they not?
RF- The Relief Society sisters have always played a very important part in the burial of the dead and they would dress the dead and make the clothing and perform the services, the loving services for the preparatory work for the burial.
HF- You know as to whether they, your grandfather or those who carried on immediately after, used, I presume a hearse drawn horse, well put it this way, the hearse was drawn by horses, I suppose.
RF- The first hearse I remember seeing the first hearse that was used in the business as a boy, this came in the 1900’ s, just how long they had the hearse I don’t know but it was in the 1900’ s probably from 1905 on that they first had the first real horse drawn hearse. Now this hearse was, of course, of the nature of the first early hearses with a buggy with a hearse built body, considerable glass on the hearse and the driver seat in front and then the hearse for the casket to be placed in and used that way.
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HF- Probably shrouded with dark curtains and properly cared for in that faction I suppose.
Yes a regular old fashion and the beginnings of the hearse, it was fashioned in the beginning of our actual dressing of the hearses today with draperies and considerable glass and curtains, lacy curtains and this nature.
HF- Well now I’ve heard and understood that in this general store, the first bank of this part of the Upper Snake River Valley was established. Now can you make some comments as too the establishment of this banking system, who it was? Any comments you would like.
RF- Yes Ross J. Comstock came to Rexburg from the Middle West and he came here with the idea of establishing a bank. There was of course no building so arrangements were made with grandfather Flamm and he had a teller’s cage in one part of the Flamm Company building. Ross Comstock, this I think was about 1903 if I have the right date and then he commenced building his own building adjacent to the Flamm Company building and it was built on the corner of First east in Rexburg, Main street of Rexburg and became one of the nicest bank buildings in the whole valley at that time.
HF- Now would this be right on the corner, this would be in front of your grandfather’s store then?
RF- No this was directly to the side and where the present Idaho Bank of Commerce now is.
HF- I see.
RF- That is the original building, the Idaho Bank of Commerce had remodeled and things like that but the original building is still standing today until they raise it.
HF- Well that’s very interesting. Well now your grandfather being named as one of the early pioneers and a church man and business man accomplished other things and was noted for other achievements in his life. Would you comment on this?
RF- Yes grandfather Flamm was very active in civic affairs. He was the first chairman of the village board of Rexburg and in 1903 April 14, he was established as the very first Mayor of the city of Rexburg after an election, I the results of the election but that is in material but he was elected the first Mayor of Rexburg in 1903.
HF- Do you have those election results here with you? If you do I think it would be quite interesting to note just how many did vote on that, in that election.
RF- The election was held on April 7, 1903. The vote was canvassed on April 11, 1903 and Henry Flamm was declared Mayor on this date. Henry Flamm receiving 280 votes and Heber C. Sharp obtaining 206 votes. The council that was elected with Mayor Flamm were I. M. Woodburn chosen President of the Council, John L. Jacobs, Eli McIntire,
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Joseph B. Lloyd, Niels H. Holstrom, and Edmund Paul were chosen as council men or elected as council men also. Now Henry Flamm making his first appointments made A. M. Carbine clerk, Treasure was R. J. Comstock, or Ross Comstock, Attorney was James H. Wallace Engineer, O. E. Petersen Police Judge, Finniest Tampist Chief of Police, Joseph Morris Quarantine Physician, George E. Hide M. D., Street Supervisor David Osburn, and Water Master David Osburn.
HF- Isn’t that interesting going back to 1903, I think this is real interesting and let’s see by reflection the number of vote cast was 280 and 206 making a total of 486 who cast their vote on the 7th of April for Mayor. Now you grandfather had met with an accident before coming up here but I suppose being a stalwart individual as he was he didn’t permit that to stop him in all of these achievements. I think this is very remarkable. Would you like to just comment about the accident which he had and any comments that through the years that has come down about this, any legends or anything?
RF- Yes grandfather Flamm had the accident in Logan. I think it was in December of that year, no, it was probably in January of February. But as understand it he was helping someone start fires, or starting fire in his own fireplace or stoves and in those days they used dynamite frequently in the winters especially to split logs, they were cotton wood logs largely that were in the vicinity and rather tough to split so they used dynamite and in the using of this dynamite it exploded in his face and as a result he was blinded in one eye and very very closely came to losing his life besides. Now after his recovery then he came to Rexburg following the family that came first, his son Peter and his daughters Elnora Flamm and Elisa Hess Flamm. They were the first two woman pioneers to come into the valley with company of the pioneers.
HF- Did his family participate with him quite a lot in the operation of his business?
RF- The family participated 100% with him in the business and his farming activities at that time. Grandfather Flamm had been manager of a little business in Logan before coming to Rexburg known as the United Co- op Business which was a Co- op business and he naturally carried on his business activity in Rexburg from that foundation previously.
HF- Now, let’s see, I think you mentioned your father was Daniel Flamm. Did he and your Uncle Joseph, Jacob Joseph was it? Or Henry Joseph. Did they those men help him with the store or did they get involved in the banking business or what comments?
RF- The boys, Uncle Peter was the oldest boy of the family and he, of course, was active with grandfather with the farming and the business. He for one, was the builder of the ferry that they had the ferry the north fork of the Snake River to get the wagons and the other animals across and the people and that’s established about three miles west of Rexburg with a monument with his name on that and he operated the ferry along with another one, I don’t remember just who, but the two of them together built the ferry and they were sent up advance of the regular pioneers to do some of this work as I understand it. Then Uncle Henry, or Henry Joseph Flamm was the next son in age and he also
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participated and he went back to Logan and received schooling and then he worked at the store and took over the manager shift of the store after grandfather Flamm became older and was of course manager and operator and became interesting in some banking, interests with Mr. Comstock. And my father was John Daniel was interested in the business, a stock holder, and he for one did the outside selling work for the business, selling machineries, harvesters, and all types of machinery and also did the collecting of the accounts along with this other selling part of the business and Uncle Henry after grandfather’s death became the permanent manager, he became manager about 1910 and at grandfather’s death in 1913, of course, he was complete manager of everything.
HF- Now did you father train and skill and instill the liking for the funeral business in his sons, yourself, and Ed and Kenneth or who did that?
RF- No, my father was interested in farming later after the old Flamm Company business went broke due to bank failures and things but my father was interested in farming and we as younger boys were raised on the farm in town and on the farm in the summer time and then during the depression my father had a hard time, Uncle Henry started out the business again after the original business failed and he started a little business in the funeral work and a few floor coverings on a cashed in insurance policy that he had and he run this business for four or five years and I left the farm and started working in another store in Rexburg, in the Scott store that was just newly founded in the first of April or the middle of March of 1928, Uncle Henry went in partnership with Burdett Erkerstall and called it company Flamm/ Ekerstall undertaking company and he came in October of 1928 and asked me if I wanted to come and work for him and that’s when I first experience in the funeral business.
HF- Now, let’s see Russell, I’m assuming that you’re the oldest of the boys is this correct?
RF- I’m the oldest of the boys that’s connected with the business, yes, I’m the third son in our family and the fourth child so I’m the older of the group that’s in the business, yes now.
HF- Well now were you sent back east to get your funeral service training or mortician diploma or perhaps some place here in the west?
RF- I went back to Cincinnati, Ohio to a special embalming school in 1930after I had worked for two years in the business as an apprentice and then I went back to Cincinnati, Ohio to this Cincinnati College of embalming. It wouldn’t have been necessary for me to have gone to school, I could have taken a correspondence course or I could have studied and taken the state examinations but I choose to, of course, to have the schooling and have the better foundation so I choose to go to this school.
HF- Then later on Ed and Ken joined you in this venture?
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RF- Yes, Uncle Henry died in 1934 and previous to this I went on a mission in 1932 and Uncle Henry hired Edwin to take my place while I was on my mission, and he died in the mean time in 1934. I was called home from my mission to manage and take charge of the business both furniture and funeral business which they had branched out more, we had branched out more in the furniture business along with the funeral business also.
HF- Now where was this business located, which had been started again by your Uncle Henry?
RF- The first location was on the corner of where the Madison Co- op presently is now in a little building that was formerly the farmer’s merchant’s bank building that they had gone broke also. He rented this small building and did his funeral work and the embalming in the back of the building and the little floor coverings in the front part. And then from there was he incorporated, or when he went into partnership with Mr. Ekerstall, they moved the business on College Avenue where the Sorensen Paint Company now is, that was also a previous furniture building and they had done some undertaking work there, J. R. Young, so he moved to that building, which enlarged his business again. Then in 1929 he was instrumentally in buying what was know as the old Jensen/ Patterson buildings and the old Roberts Hotel building with ZCMI and he moved to that building.
HF- And where is it located, where you presently are?
RF- Where our present furniture business is now, us having moved our funeral business away from the furniture business.
HF- And that was done about what year did you separate the two businesses as said?
RF- In 1942 we purchased what was known as the beneficial mortuary business after them going broke and we moved our undertaking business to the building that they occupied on First East and First North and we operated that business there until 1955. We then purchased the building and the business from Roland Wiser and Wiser/ Ekerstall Company having separated from the Ekerstall business previously about 1937and we purchased them after this business also failed here in Rexburg and we moved our business from First East up to their building that we purchased and that’s on 3rd East and First South and we operated that until December of 1967 when we built our present funeral home building back on First East and 61 North adjoining the property of our building that we had been there before previously.
HF- Well that’s quite a history and over the years, I suppose, the nature of the mortuary business has changed really quite a lot hasn’t it not?
RF- Yes of course in the early days they had no means of embalming, they had no means of preservation for taking care of the bodies other than ice packs and that to try to keep them as much as they could for a day or two until they had the funeral and then later as embalming was innovated grandfather Flamm hired an embalmer and a mortician to operate the funeral business.
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HF- Track 2 continuing with the interview with Russell Flamm.
RF- His name was John Phillips and he operated the business until he passed away about 1917 or 18 along in there and of course they hired other men to operate the business from then on until the business went broke.
HF- In the funeral services, I suppose, in the past many years they, the LDS Church has played quite a part in actually having the body brought to the chapel and the funeral service would take place there but of more recent years hasn’t there been a trend to hold these funeral services in the mortuary itself?
RF- The funerals, as a recent trend for the last twenty- five years or so, has been tending toward holding the funeral services in funeral chapels and our new building was built and designed for this purpose so that we could give the people these accommodations, the LDS Church, of course, has always played a prominent part in proper conducting of services and service to other people and as a result the ward chapels were used to hold funerals and are still used today for a good majority of our active LDS people to still go and want to have their services back in the chapels. But the first year we built our building we held about 52% of our services in our funeral chapel, the remained in the churches.
HF- And had this trend increased, in other words you say that was your first year, how about the second year. Does it seem to be growing trend that it be in the funeral chapel?
RF- It holds about normal but that seems to be about normal. Some years it will be up and some years down but those like I stated who are active in the LDS Church want to and prefer to have their services back in the chapels. So this being the very active LDS community, we still, I think are going to hold close to that percentage in our chapels.
HF- About how many funeral services do you hold as an average each year?
RF- We do from seventy to seventy- five services a year.
HF- Now would this be pretty much in Madison County or would it, say a few coming out of Fremont, Jefferson, Teton, and maybe Bonneville County at Clark or?
RF- This is principally in Madison County. We occasionally get somebody out, yes, in Clark County and Fremont County and that’s a matter of statistics, a matter of family choices where we do that, the funeral directors on each side of us participate likewise in about the same thing but it’s largely Madison County. Now we do occasionally go to outside areas to bring our local people home and those cases, of course, are counted in number of cases but the registering is taken other places so.
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HF- At the present time in bringing people in from the outside who have moved away and yet to be buried here in the Rexburg cemetery, for example, these people would be brought maybe back by train or airplane of private car, I suppose.
RF- Yes there’s all methods, of course, some are shipped home wherever they maybe from all parts of the world, for instance, last year we had one shipped from Austria, a missionary and from distances we quite frequently take our private conveyance and go bring people back home like Salt Lake City and different places, sometimes more distant. I have gone to Toenapa, Nevada and brought home different ones and some maybe longer distances and some shorter distances but where they go away to hospitals and other things, then we go get them and transport them back.
HF- Now Russell before we close this tape dealing with your life and the Flamm family I want to turn to some items pertaining to various locations of the community but before I do this I want to have one item cleared. Now I’m assuming that they Henry Flamm family had it’s, I mean Mr. Henry Flamm, your grandfather was the common progenitor of all the Flamm’s in this Upper Snake River Valley.
RF- Yes grandfather Flamm was the only one immigrating from Germany and coming to America that joined the church and he in turn immigrated to the Salt Lake Valley and then to Logan, Utah and is largely the progenitor of all the Flamm’s. Now I must restate that he had a half- brother that followed him here later and there is a family of the Flamm’s there on that line and that was Caleb Flamm and Charles Flamm. Charles Flamm never married but Caleb Flamm is the progenitor of another branch of the family later.
HF- And they aren’t in this area though are they?
RF- Yes there are some in this area. He had a son by the name of Charles Flamm and from this line comes the other line of Flamm’s that are living in Idaho Falls, and Ririe area and in that area.
HF- Oh, that’s very interesting. I’m glad I asked that question because I just assumed that it might be just all coming from Mr. Flamm your grandfather.
RF- No him being the line of this half- brother that this line comes from there. Now there isn’t a very large line and my father’s family are the only progenitors left in the way of the male name carrying it on in the vicinity.
HF- Well now you have been quite active in learning and being familiar with early history of the Rexburg area and the sights and locations of different buildings. Now in the early days the Bannock Academy was formed and I have the impression that they kiddies attended their first schooling in connection with the Bannock Stake Academy in the First Ward Church of Rexburg. Now if this is so, where was that building located and of what construction was it?
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RF- Well this was my understanding that this was s and the building was constructed of logs and was also used as a First Ward Church and the school in the very beginning. Now the Rexburg First Ward was organized in April of 1884. The first ward to be organized this side of Preston, Idaho as I understand it in the Upper Snake River Valley and the building was also used as a school house in the very beginning until the building was later changed, now as to just where the first change was, whether it was immediately up to the College site now that Ricks Academy that was later known that was started and begun in 1888 and is the foundation of Ricks College now and I think that this was the beginning of the breaking away of the school from the old Rexburg First Ward building.
HF- Now that building was located where, if you can give me a location on that?
RF- This building was located about in the center of the block where the previous Flamm building was located on the block of First East and Main street and over to First South immediately below the canal that runs through where the present pump house, old pump house is located and the home of Eff Wilmore in the rear of the building there or directly south of the Phillips Insurance Agency over in this area.
HF- Well now your father’s, your grandfather’s home was located where?
RF- My grandfather’s first home was located in the north east portion of Rexburg on First North, Third East and First North. He had a two and a half acre plot of ground that city was first divided up into 10 acre plots and those who desired it obtained a two and a half acre plot for their homes making four plots of land on a city block and grandfather Flamm built his first log home on this property there right on the property now that my brother Edwin lives on and the Yates later built a brick home on the corner of this property. It was directly behind there.
HF- That would be east of the present location of the First Eighth Ward Church.
RF- That’s correct, about a half of block from that present building.
HF- Now I understand in the early days, during the days of Thomas E. Ricks, there was a tithing area where people would bring in their produce. It would be west of where your grandfather’s home was located.
RF- That was on the corner of First North and Second East Street. In 1890 Bishop Thomas E. Ricks secured a plot of ground there, or a two and a half acre plot of ground there and that was later used as the first tithing house, a building was built and used as the first tithing house, and the granary and things for storage for tithing that was paid in produce and that was the beginning of the tithing business. Later they also, this Bishopric, purchased the 10 acre plot that is now the city park, later donated to the city by the Church Offices under the supervisor of Stake President O. P. Martinsen and John L. Clarke and myself as Bishop of the Rexburg First Ward acting as business representatives of the church in procuring this city park as a city park, obtaining the deeds from the Church Offices and obtaining this property as a city park.
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HF- And when was that transacted again?
RF- This particular transaction to the city was transacted in 1952 I believe.
HF- And it was named in honor of one of its Mayors, J. Fred Smith, I understand.
RF- Yes, J. Fred Smith was the Mayor and the council named the park in honor of him.
HF- Well now the school, Adam’s School was perhaps one of the early schools; maybe it was one of the first elementary schools in the area. Would this be your understanding?
RF- Well the Washington school was the first elementary school after the Bannock Academy and Ricks College was established in 1888. The Washington school was old rock building that’s still being used for the first elementary school.
HF- And that was the first public school then of the county, of the area?
RF- Yes. That was the first school of the area, then the Adams building followed after that, the school people obtaining the property from the church and building the Adam’s school building on the site where the old tithing office and the granary and things were for the church.
HF- Now those schools, I don’t any dates on those when they were constructed, if you do why we’d enjoy hearing them, one can assume that they were built after the turn of the century. Would this be so?
RF- Yes I think that would be the case, now I don’t have the dates or anything on that. I served on the school board and I didn’t take those dates down and I haven’t the dates in reference as to when the building was built but it would be after the turn of the century. Now the very first building that was built was a wood framed building standing with the Washington school, was standing there on the corner where the present J. R. High School is. Then the rock building was added to the north.
HF- Now Brother Flamm as we come to the close of this tape I think that we should have you tell us of your own family, the girl you married and when and something about your own children and their accomplishments?
RF- Well I married Ann Burn in 1935 June 5th in the Salt Lake City temple and we have now five children and they are James Russell Flamm, Maxine Flamm Williams, we lost a still born child for the next birth, then we have Ruth Flamm Ickmyer, and Phyllis Flamm Jeppson, and John Daryl Flamm as children. My son Jim, we call him, has associated with us in the business now, my daughter Maxine lives in Idaho Falls and her husband is a teacher in the Skyline High School in the Music Department. My daughter Ruth lives in Ogden and her husband is teaching at Weber College. My daughter Phyllis is living in
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Provo and she and her husband, Ronald Jeppson are attending the BYU at the present time, and my son John Daryl is still at home going to High School here in Rexburg.
HF- Well that’s very very fine. Well now Brother Flamm I would like to express personal thanks to you for you coming over here today and spending some time out of your very busy schedule. I know that you are busy, you are your partners in your Flamm enterprises and I really appreciate getting this historical data from one who has grown up with a lot of the development of the area in Rexburg and one who has experience a lot of these items that we have talked about.
RF- Well thank you very much for inviting me to come and I’ve enjoyed it while I may not have been too coherent in some of the things but nevertheless I have been very happy to help you out.
HF- It’s interesting to talk about these things. I really enjoyed it.
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