Judson Spofford papers

Colonel Spofford was originally from Vermont, and he fought in the Civil War when he was 20. In 1869, he moved to West Virginia where he worked as an engineer on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroads. He was a member of the Republican State Central Committee and was a delegate from West Virginia to the Republican National Convention in 1880. His military title of Colonel was given to him by Governor Atkinson of West Virginia for service on his staff.

After coming to Idaho in 1885, he was involved in farming and dairying. Spofford was also involved in carious speculative ventures in the Boise area, such as the Colorado Investment Company, which developed and marked out the Dundee addition to South Boise. He was part of a group which took over the Methodist Ditch, out of which grew the Riverside Canal. He started the Boise Rapid Transit Company, which had the first streetcar line in Boise.

Much of his time was devoted to power development and interurban electric railway extension. He promoted and built the Boise-Payette Power Company. He was active in community affairs in Boise and was a member of the Republican County Central Committee and the Grand Army of the Republic.