Newdale, Idaho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Newdale, Idaho
City
Photo of Newdale from above, facing south-west
Location of Newdale in Fremont County, Idaho.
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Fremont
Area
• Total	0.18 sq mi (0.48 km2)
• Land	0.18 sq mi (0.48 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	5,089 ft (1,551 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	337
• Density	1,706.52/sq mi (659.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	83436
Area code(s)	208
FIPS code	16-56800
GNIS feature ID	2411245

Newdale is a small city located in Fremont County, Idaho, in the United States. In 2020, about 337 people lived there. Newdale is part of the larger Rexburg, Idaho area.

History of Newdale

Early Settlers and Farms

In the early 1900s, the area east of Teton City had only a few homes and farms. Families like the Siddoways, Briggs, and Schwendimans were among the first to settle here. The Schwendiman family, including six brothers and their mother, moved from Paris, Idaho to Teton in 1894.

As the brothers grew up, they started farming and homesteading. They got land in 160-acre pieces through the Homestead Acts. Some of this land is where Newdale stands today. Many families lived on their farms from spring to fall. They would move to Teton or other towns during the cold winter months.

Building the Community

In 1912, a one-room rock school house was built in Bowerman. This area was about two miles east of where Newdale is now. About 15 children went to school there. The school also served as a meeting place for the LDS Church. Bowerman might have grown into a village, but the railroad changed things.

The Railroad Arrives

The Oregon Short Line Railroad wanted to expand into this part of Idaho. On June 27, 1914, they bought land from Sam and Fred Schwendiman. This land was used to lay tracks for a new branch line. The new railroad brought more people to the Newdale area.

In 1914, the Edwin Moroni Stocks family and the Leo Schofield family built homes. Mrs. Hansine C. Hansen, a widow, was also one of the first to move in. She had her sons move her house from Teton in 1915. Burt Garner also built a home and opened a grocery store.

Newdale Grows

Sam and Fred Schwendiman started the Newdale Investment Company. They built a rock building for businesses. It had a hardware store and a drug store on the first floor. The First National Bank of Newdale also opened there. Upstairs, there was a recreation hall for dancing and plays. This building opened in June 1915.

A train depot was also built in 1915. It handled both goods and passengers. In August of that year, a group from the Chamber of Commerce visited Newdale by train. They were entertained at the new community center.

The US Post Office opened a Newdale Post Office. On February 15, 1916, Sam Schwendiman became the first postmaster.

Modern Services Arrive

On March 17, 1916, Newdale's water system was finished. It included a wooden water tower and pipes underground. The project cost about $15,000 to $18,000.

The Newdale Investment Company made land available for the town. Engineers surveyed and mapped the town in April 1916. In May, hundreds of shade trees and fruit trees were planted.

The LDS Newdale Ward was formed on December 17, 1916. Meetings were held in an empty building on Main Street. In 1916, Newdale also got electricity from the Utah Power and Light Company. Telephone service came soon after. Newspapers wrote about Newdale's new "bright lights" shining on the bench.

Becoming a Village

The Village of Newdale officially became a town in January 1917. Joseph Fleischman was the first chairman of the town board. Other members included Frank Williams, Burt L. Garner, Edwin Stocks, George Bean, and Henry Campeau.

In 1915, the Farmer's Warehouse Company built a large warehouse. This made Newdale a shipping point for crops. Sugar beets were the main crop at first. Grains, alfalfa, and seed peas were also grown. After 1920, potatoes became the most important crop.

Challenges and Growth

In 1918, the Spanish Influenza spread. Everyone in town wore masks when they went out. Schools were closed for the year because of the flu.

Even with the flu, 1918 had one of the best harvests ever. Newdale grew very quickly. By 1919, just four years after it started, Newdale had many businesses. These included a bank, stores, a barber shop, a blacksmith, and even an opera house. Newdale was estimated to have doubled in size in 1919.

The people of Newdale were hard workers and wanted to make their town a great place to live. In December 1919, an 8-room brick school house was finished. It was built on land donated by Sam Schwendiman, where the Newdale City Park is today. The classrooms were heated by wood stoves and had no indoor plumbing. A playground with swings and a baseball field was also built. Students went to school in Newdale from first to eighth grade. After that, they went to Teton and Sugar City for high school. The school house was also used for LDS church meetings until a new church was built in 1952.

Tough Times and Recovery

An agriculture depression in the early 1920s hurt the town. Many families lost their homes and farms. They were forced to leave Newdale. In 1924, John Schwendiman described Newdale as "half deserted." Many houses were empty, burned down, or moved away. The town also had a lot of debt from building the school and water system.

The Great Depression in the 1930s also had a negative effect. The sugar beet dump closed, but the potato industry kept growing. By 1944, only a small part of the city's debt had been paid off.

The 1940s brought new farmers who focused on irrigation. They used wells and dams to water their crops. Sprinkler irrigation helped double or triple the amount of usable farm land.

Later Developments

An LDS church house was completed and dedicated in 1952.

In 1967, the City of Newdale bought the old Newdale School house and its land. The school was no longer in use. Over the next few years, it was turned into a city park. Around this time, the streets of Newdale were also officially named.

A swimming pool was built in Newdale, with a new well to supply water. However, the pool closed soon after opening because not enough people used it. Newdale's wells produce warm water.

Newdale is the closest city to the Teton Dam. This dam failed on June 5, 1976. However, Newdale did not experience any flooding or damage. This was because of its higher elevation and location relative to the dam.

Geography

Newdale is located about one mile below the Teton Dam.

The city covers an area of about 0.18 square miles (0.48 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Climate

Newdale has a climate with warm summers. It is known as a humid continental climate.

Population Information

2010 Census Details

In 2010, there were 323 people living in Newdale. There were 104 households and 90 families. The city had about 1538 people per square mile.

Most of the people (90.7%) were White. About 7.4% were from other races, and 1.9% were from two or more races. About 12.7% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Of the 104 households, 41.3% had children under 18 living with them. Most households (78.8%) were married couples. The average household had 3.11 people, and the average family had 3.38 people.

The average age in Newdale was 33.8 years old. About 31.3% of residents were under 18. About 15.2% were 65 years or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.8%) and females (50.2%).

Images for kids

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  Log cabin and homestead in the Newdale area. Early 1900s.

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  Newdale Train Depot

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  Newdale ID Water Tower

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  Main Street in Newdale Idaho, facing south. Photo taken approximately 1913 or 1914.

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  Newdale Opera House on Main St. Newdale Idaho

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  A token from a billiards pool hall that existed in Newdale ID in 1916.

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  School House Newdale ID 1919

See also

In Spanish: Newdale (Idaho) para niños