In 1864 when John and Ann Doney left the Franklin Fort, where people lived in wagon boxes, to build a home of sandstone and adobe, it must have seemed like a castle to them. The sturdy home — about five times larger than a wagon box — was undoubtedly a welcome relief to the family of 12.
Doney was a dairyman and farmer. Today, almost 140 years later, his great-granddaughter, Ann Harris, still lives on the old homestead, although in a modern house that dwarfs the old building.
Recently the Harrises were asked to allow the state to move the home to the Franklin town square where more people could enjoy it, and it could be restored. Many consider the home to be the oldest in Idaho.
A local effort continues to have the state recognize the town of Franklin as the oldest townsite in the state.
The project has taken almost four years. Lemons House Moving from Idaho Falls accepted the responsibility.
Weeks ago the company sent a crew down to Franklin to prepare the house for moving. They built supports on the inside and the outside, wrapped the building in cables, and protected the corners from cables by corner boards.
Using steel beams, hydraulic jacks and wood ties, the building was hoisted while the trailer was assembled underneath, then hooked to a large diesel truck for moving.
The Doney Home is the oldest and one of the most brittle structures they have moved. The final resting place of the building is in the town square of Franklin. The project is funded by a grant from the Idaho Transportation Department and overseen by the State Historical Society.