Idaho's first native-born governor, Charles Benjamin Ross, was born near Parma, Idaho December 27, 1876. He was one of eight children born to cattleman John M. Ross and his wife Jeanette Hadley Ross. He attended school in Parma, ending his education after grade six. In 1894, at the age of 18, he decided to continue his education by attending business colleges in Boise and Portland, graduating from Portland Commercial College. He returned to the ranch in 1897 where he and his brother W.H. Ross managed the holdings which their father had developed.
On February 14, 1900 he married Edna Reavis, who was a natural politician and a great asset to her husband's career. When Ross became governor she was often referred to as "Governor Edna." Although they had no children of their own, they raised four foster children.
C. Ben Ross was elected county commissioner in Canyon County, a position he held for three terms (six years) resigning it when, in 1921, he moved to Pocatello to manage his father's estate in that town. In 1923 he was elected mayor of Pocatello, and remained in office until he was elected governor in 1930. When Ross took office as mayor, Pocatello had only a few blocks of paved streets, and a few more were gravel; at the end of his term 54 per cent of Pocatello's roads were oiled. He also improved the city's water supply and lowered taxes. His interest in roads and taxes continued into his terms as governor.
He ran for governor five times, the first in 1928 when he was defeated. On May 2, 1930 he again announced his intention of running for governor. This time he was successful, but, as a democrat, was handicapped by a republican legislature. The election of 1932 saw the return of Ross as governor, but this time with a democratic legislature; his unusual bid for a third term in 1934 was also successful. In 1936 he received the democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, but was defeated in the general election by the incumbent William E. Borah. In 1938 he again ran for governor, receiving the nomination in the primary by defeating B.W. Clark by only 2,200 votes. The general election saw his defeat by C.A. Bottolfsen by 28,571 votes.
Following this defeat Ross retired to his farm. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945, the day of President Roosevelt's death, and lingered as a semi-invalid for almost a year. In mid March, 1946, he had a heart attack and on March 31 he died in St. Alphonsus Hospital, Boise. His wife refused to allow his body to lie in state in the Statehouse and he was buried quietly near his Parma home.
The five boxes of C. Ben Ross papers consist of letters, speeches and other memorabilia, the majority of which deals with Ross's tenure as governor of Idaho, 1930-1936. There are also items relating to the Ross Plan and miscellaneous items of campaign material.
There is also a collection of reports, some published by private organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Eagles, some are typescripts of articles and others are government reports.
Series V contains newspaper clippings, and occasionally complete newspapers, dealing primarily with Ross and Idaho politics, There are a few articles on W.E. Borah in the 1935 and 1936 folders.
Among the more interesting items of personal memorabilia is a collection of photographs. Unfortunately very few have been dated, and often there is no identification for Ross's companions in group photographs. There are a number of identification badges, ribbons, and souvenir programs for functions Ross attended, as well as magazines with articles about Ross.
The more personal items include farm leases, a Quit Claim Deed, check registers, correspondence with the Federal Land Bank of Spokane regarding the loans for S.S. Powers and E. Stemper, and property tax records.
The contents of each section are outlined in full in the following Description of Series.
In addition to the five boxes of Ross papers herein described, the Special Collections Department of the University Library has the book
The papers of Governor C. Ben Ross have been arranged by keeping like material together. The correspondence is arranged chronologically by year, then alphabetically by correspondent within each year, thus the outgoing and incoming letters are kept together. Letters from local, state, and federal agencies or organizations are arranged under the name of the person signing the letter rather than the agency.
Reports and newspaper clippings are in chronological order. The items of personal material are sorted according to type. Property tax notices are arranged by county, then by date. There is no arrangement in the photograph portion of the collection.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
The correspondence included in the Ross papers contains original incoming letters, carbon copies of outgoing letters and copies of correspondence between third parties with a copy sent to Ross for his information.
Letters written in election years deal with campaign arrangements, election results, and include many letters or telegrams of congratulations, or, as in 1936 and 1938, condolence. Throughout this series are letters from people wanting jobs. Some letters can be called "tattle-tale letters," others are responding to specific questions concerning individuals in government work. There are a number of letters from A.A. Steel which deal with Ross's farm in Parma. Some letters deal with Pocatello politics, some with national policies which will affect Idaho. Beginning in 1933, Ross's friends were urging him to run against Senator W.E. Borah, and these continue through Ross's unsuccessful campaign to "retire Borah to private life" in 1936.
In the 1935 file there is a 103 page typed manuscript by Paul Davis entitled "Sales Tax."
Following the folder of undated correspondence is one labeled "J.C. White." White was maintenance engineer in highway district #5 (Coeur d'Alene) and the correspondence in this file, dated 1932-33, deals with the excessive cost of maintaining the roads in the district.
Most years have a miscellaneous folder, the contents of which are described following the alphabetical list of correspondents. There are also, for several years, extra folders with specific labels, the contents of which are included in the following list and are identified by the following codes: RP - Ross Plan (1933), NP - Nominating Petition (1934), CP - Candidacy Petition (1936), CAEG - Campaign Advertising Expenses (Governor, 1934), CAES - Campaign Advertising Expenses (Senate, 1936).
Governor's message to the 22nd session of the legislature of the State of Idaho, 1933. 12 p. typed. (various drafts)
The reports contained in Series IV represent a great diversity of subject matter. Some reports are published in the form of booklets, some are mimeographed sheets and others are typescripts. Some of the reports are contained in notebooks which appear to have been used by Ross in his campaign speeches. These are usually single sheets and are not listed separately in the following list.
The clippings deal with Ross's activities as governor and also include both political reports of campaigns and paid political advertising. In 1932 there is a series of clippings on Byron Defenbach. The two folders for 1934 contain articles on prayers for rain, the State Board of Equalization, the Highway Department, state finances state Automobile Association, Pardon Board, relief, IERA, FERA, CWA, NRA, and Idaho Wool Growers in addition to articles on Ross's bid for a third term as governor.
Ross's attempt to gain Borah's Senate seat is the primary interest in the 1935-1936 folder, while his decision to run for a fourth term as governor is the subject of clippings in the 1937 file. The remaining clippings are concerned with Idaho politics. There are two articles in 1946 written upon Ross's death.
The newspaper clippings are arranged chronologically and occupy eleven folders; the last folder contains undated clippings, most of them from the years 1930-1936. The majority of the clippings are from Idaho papers, with occasional articles from Salt Lake City or Portland papers.
The final series in the papers of C. Ben Ross is comprised of eight folders of personal items, notebooks, souvenir programs, photographs, legal and financial documents
The notebooks appear to have been used by Ross in his 1930 campaign tour and include the itinerary, lists of democrats by county, lists of state committeemen, and lists from each county of the democratic nominees for office.
Most of the photographs in this collection are of C. Ben Ross. File cards have been prepared for the photographs and these cards are interfiled with the cards for the library's photograph collection. Most of the photographs are undated, and unfortunately Ross's companions in group photographs are also unidentified.
Identification ribbons: Annual Governors' Conference, 1931; Governors' Conference, 1933; I.O.O.F. 51st Annual Session, 1933; American Legion 17th Annual Convention, 1935; Caldwell Pioneer Celebration, 1540.
Souvenir of Conference of Governors of the United States, held at French Lick, Indiana, 1931.
Music: Twilight on the River Salmon. Music by J. Chas McNeil, words by Lee Muckensturm. Autographed by Lee Muckensturm.
Invitation and passes to the White House, January 18, 1934
Bowers, Claude G. "Back to the fundamentals." An address delivered at the Jackson Day Dinner, Washington, D.C., January 12, 1938
Third Annual Governor's Day, Boise High School. Program.
Aims and Purposes of Western Range and Sheep Association.
Dairymens News Bulletin. II:6, February 15, 1929
Several amateur poems
Two blueprints