James Marchbank Fisher

1848 – 1935

James Marchbank Fisher, was born in 1848 in Scotland and emigrated to the U.S. in 1867.  He makes his way out west and eventually to the Little Willow Creek area where he begins a sheep operation, soon going into partnership with Scott Brundage (yes, the guy associated with the mountain in McCall). Our guy got a less conspicuous namesake in the form of Fisher Creek which flows into upper Payette Lake. When he’s satisfied with his success, he heads back to Scotland, where in 1897 he marries Wilhelmina Kirk (25 years his junior) and brings her home to Idaho.   

By then, he’s living on a ranch on the Weiser Flat and at age 50, the first of his 7 children (all girls) are born. Jeanna in 1898, Catherine in 1900, and Roberta in 1902. Sadly, tragedy struck in January 1903 when all three toddlers become ill. Within a few days of one another, Jeanna and Catherine succumbed. Years later they would be joined in rest near a large headstone at Hillcrest Cemetery by their parents and two sisters, Roberta and Willie.

Before her death, Roberta would tell us that what saved her was the whiskey she was given! For years, the family attributed those deaths to a viral condition. During a house centennial reunion, we hosted for more than 50 family descendants, they conjectured the more likely cause was botulism! Whatever the cause, I’ve often wondered what that must have been like for Wilhelmina, losing two children within days, only a few years after moving to desolate sagebrush country with no family to support her but a husband old enough to be her father.  But that was a different world and life went on. Roberta was soon followed by Chris(tine) in 1904, Frances Mary in 1907, Wilma “Willie” in 1911, and Bea(trice) in 1915.

James passed away in 1935,

From Memories of Tony Edmonson – Historic Fisher House