John E. Rees papers

Collection

Identifier: MS 0021

Staff Only

Summary

The collection primarily consists of essays and narratives written or collected by John E. Rees about Native Americans in Idaho, with a large portion relating to the Shoshoni tribe. Other topics include: history of Sacajawea, how the town of Emmett was named, Lemhi County, petroglyphs.

Dates

Creation: 1916 - 1925

Biographical Note

John Ephriam Rees was born in January 1868 in DuQuoin, Illinois. The son of Robert Gilliham Rees and Electra Needham Rees, the family moved to Lemhi County, Idaho in 1877. His father operated the general merchandise store at the Lemhi Indian Agency where he worked for 17 years. Growing up in Lemhi County and working in the store, he was afforded the opportunity to study the Native American culture first-hand. He became a life-long student of Idaho's native peoples, writing extensively on his discoveries.

It is unknown if he received a formal education. He taught history and literature in Salmon City schools for 15 years and also served as the Prosecuting Attorney for Lemhi County in 1918. Rees died on September 23, 1928 of heart failure.

Extent

0.5 Cubic Feet (1 document box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

General

The Idaho State Archives (ISA) recognizes the existence of outdated, biased, or otherwise potentially harmful language in its catalog. Some of this language appears in descriptions created by staff over the agency’s 140+ years of operation. ISA staff identify instances of potentially harmful language in our descriptions and update them to reflect the agency’s commitment to accurately recording the history of all Idahoans.

Some of the potentially harmful language present in the catalog has been supplied by the creator or content of the material it describes. It is best practice to retain such language to preserve the integrity of the material as it was acquired. The presence of potentially harmful language has been flagged at the collection level.