Milner: Early boomtown gone in a flash

Editor’s note: This feature ran May 31, 2018, in the Times-News and at Magicvalley.com.

At the far-east “panhandle” of Twin Falls County sits the remnants of an early boomtown that started with a bang and ended with a sputter.

Laborers hired by Boise-based Faris-Kesl Construction Co. rushed to the burgeoning town to dam the Snake River at what was then known as The Cedars, a popular resting stop on the Oregon Trail.

Businesses quickly formed, including Perrine and Burton General Merchandise. Perrine and Burton were relatives of Magic Valley founder Ira Burton Perrine, whose idea to divert irrigation water from the Snake River at the site transformed the valley. Burton was I.B. Perrine’s mother’s maiden name.

The two men operated the store from March 1903 to July 1904, then moved their store to the south corner of Main and Shoshone in the new town of Twin Falls.

D.O. Longenberger of Milner and his son-in-law H.K. Belmont of Hazelton purchased the Milner business from Perrine and Burton.

The construction of Milner Dam completed in early 1905, producing a lull in the town’s activity as water was diverted to the south side of the valley in March.

Milner experienced a short renewal when north side canal systems were developed, beginning in 1907, before fizzling out altogether.