THE HILL’S HISTORY
In 1904, Stephen Douglas (S.D) Garman and Mary Caroline Hershey Garman traveled from Polo, Illinois by rail car along with their four children, including son Russell Garman. The family was heading to Yakima, Washington to grow apples. Along the way, they stopped in Caldwell, Idaho. While waiting for the next section of their trip, S.D. heard there were homesteads for sale. He immediately hired a team of horses and drove out to evaluate the opportunity. Long story short, they never continued on to Yakima instead choosing to settle one of the homesteads they had found. Garman Hill was the first homestead in Wilder under the Reclamation Act in September 1904. S.D. and Mary became an intricate part of building the area now known as Wilder and Homedale. S.D. was of great influence in the region, serving as County Assessor for two terms. Mary was very active in several women’s clubs supporting the growth of the area.
During the three generations of Garmans to make the Hill their home and livelihood, a large variety of fruit, vegetables, seeds, and animals were grown and raised here. Apples, pears, corn, sheep, locust trees which provided both shade and lumber and a family run fruit stand named “Garman Farm Boy Market” were all part of the Garman business efforts still remembered by the community.
Houston Garman was the eldest son of Russell and Vergie Garman. Growing up he was put in charge of taking care of the animals each day. After his daily chores his mother would give him a Bible verse to memorize before returning home from school. He was a tall and intimidating man with large strong hands that were never afraid of hard work. After his time in WWII, Houston married his Wilder High School sweetheart Nadine. Houston left the farm for a time to play Major League baseball. When he learned that a child was on the way, their first son Steve, he left the big leagues to return to Idaho, and the farm, for good. Although he studied physical education while attending The College of Idaho, Houston spent his career in agriculture, retiring as Vice President of Crookham Company.
In their forties with their youngest daughter in tow, they built a forever home on the Hill overlooking their farmland and the Owyhee Mountain Range. Houston and Nadine were 96 years old when they finally decided to sell the property in 2021
Greg Garman is Houston Garman’s grandson. He and his wife Kris had been to Garman Hill many times while visiting Houston and Nadine, celebrating Christmas and enjoying family gatherings. One visit ended very differently however. In fact, that visit became the catalyst for Greg and Kris to discuss the potential future of Garman Hill.
Prior to this visit, Kris had purchased and renovated a building in downtown Caldwell previously known as Maddy’s Plaza. The newly named Oakes Brothers Marketplace helped breathe fresh life into the Indian Creek Plaza area. Its influence can be seen by the continued development and energy carried on by others who have improved their own buildings and continued to invest in downtown Caldwell. This certainly wasn’t the first renovation by property owners, but Maddy’s Plaza had been seen as an impossible undertaking and too expensive by most. Its eventual success resonated with developers and locals alike.
During the creation of Oakes Brothers Marketplace, Greg was re-diagnosed with cancer that had progressed to his bones. As a result, the couple was searching for their next step, one where they could have a quality of life at home due to Greg’s physical limitations. Kris needed to be home but also needed to continue to generate an income.
In June of 2022, while standing on the back deck of Houston and Nadine’s home, looking out over the sea of hops fields that now dominate the Wilder region, the idea of keeping the homestead and the land in the Garman family while creating an income stream came to life.
The plan to move their home to the Hill took shape. They sold Oakes Brothers Marketplace, the sale of which funded the purchase of the original homestead. Continued investment into renovations and an addition have brought the home itself into its new era. Unfortunately Greg passed away in December 2023 from a long battle against Cancer. With renovations complete, Kris believes now is the time to share this beautiful land and its incredible view with others.