(Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920)

Frank E. DeKay, warden of the state penitentiary at Boise, was born in Utica, Michigan, December 20, 1869, a son of Samuel L. and Amelia E. (Berry) DeKay. The father has now passed away, but the mother is still living, making her home in Mount Clemens, Macomb county, Michigan. Samuel L. DeKay, a native of New York, died in 1887, when his son Frank was eighteen years of age. During his active life he followed various business pursuits, devoting considerable time to contracting and building, and in that connection he built the city hall at Detroit, Michigan, and also did the grading work on the Detroit, Lapeer & Marquette Railroad. He likewise had various other important business interests. At one time, in his home town in Utica, Michigan, he conducted a drug and grocery store, also dealt in furniture and carried on an undertaking business. He was also proprietor of a livery stable and the owner of a sawmill and a pulp mill. These varied and important interests received his attention all at one time and he was likewise the owner of a farm near Utica. His home in New York was near the city of Utica and with others he removed to the west and founded a new town in Michigan which was named Utica after the old home city in the east. In a word he was a very forceful and resourceful business man, readily recognizing and utilizing opportunities and carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertook. Aside from his extensive business affairs he was active in public office, serving as sheriff of Macomb county, Michigan, for three terms, being the incumbent in that office at the time of his death.

The youthful days of Frank E. DeKay were passed in Utica, Michigan, where he acquired a high school education. He was eighteen years of age at the time of his father's death and when twenty years of age came to Idaho, reaching Pocatello in 1889. For four years he engaged in the retail grocery business there, owning and operating the same until 1893, when he removed to Idaho Falls, where he conducted a dry goods store for two years. In 1895 he went to Blackfoot, Bingham county, Idaho, where he resided to the time of his appointment to the position of warden of the state penitentiary by Governor Alexander in January, 1917. At Blackfoot he had served as under sheriff from 1895 until 1897 and in the latter year had established a meat market, which he owned and successfully conducted for seven years or until 1904, when he entered the retail grocery business, continuing in the same for thirteen years or until removing to Boise in 1917. He is a man of rugged, sterling qualities and diversified interests, for in connection with his mercantile business he devoted many years to the cattle industry, being recognized as one of the state's successful cattlemen and still the owner of a large cattle ranch at Tyhee, five miles north of Pocatello, comprising three hundred and twenty acres. He filed on this tract when the Fort Hall Indian Reservation was opened to settlement in 1902 and has since developed and improved this wild sagebrush land, once the home of the red men, festive jack rabbits and howling coyotes, converting the same into one of the most valuable properties in the Snake River valley. The Indians on the Fort Hall Bottoms, where he grazed his cattle, gave him the sobriquet of "Koochen-tibo-heintz" (white cowboy friend). In recent years Mr. DeKay has given considerable attention to public duties. He was appointed sheriff of Bingham county by Governor James H. Hawley and served until the end of the term. As warden he has introduced the honor system. During 1917 he worked fifty-six per cent of the convicts outside on the penitentiary farms, without a gun guard, and lost but nine, six of whom were captured and returned to the prison. In 1918 he worked sixty-six per cent of the convicts outside on farms and in road camps and to date has had but five men run away. In the past fifteen months he has had five life prisoners who have worked and slept outside the prison without guard and there has been no loss among them, all being on the honor system. He is a man of broad humanitarian principles and kindly spirit, always seeking to develop the "spark of good" that is in each individual. His relation to the convicts is somewhat paternal in nature — much like that of a father toward his' children. He makes the men feel that he has faith in them and desires to help them and will do so if he has their cooperation and support. The only punishment meted out is that of solitary confinement with a bread and water diet.

On the 8th of May, 1893. when twenty-four years of age, Mr. DeKay was married to Miss Kate C. McLeod, of Pana, Illinois, and they have become parents of four children, three sons and a daughter: Frank G.. Katherine, Edwin R. and Harold R. The eldest son, now twenty-one years of age, was a student in the University of Washington at Seattle and served in France. Before attaining his majority he joined the One Hundred and Sixty-first Field Hospital Corps and was gassed and wounded by shrapnel shell September 26, 1918, in the first day's fighting in the Argonne. He is rated twenty-five per cent total disability and is now receiving government vocational training at the University of Washington. The daughter, Katherine, nineteen years of age, is a student in the State Normal School at Albion, Idaho. Both are graduates of the Blackfoot high school. Mrs. DeKay has been a teacher in the public schools of Pocatello and introduced the kindergarten system there in 1892. Mrs. DeKay has always been closely identified with educational work, holding one of the first life diplomas ever granted to a teacher in Idaho, and was the first woman school director in Bingham county, having been elected clerk of the Independent District No. 8. Blackfoot, in 1901. To her belongs the credit of installing the first school library in the county at Blackfoot. She is a charter member and assisted in organizing both the Current Event and Civic Clubs of Blackfoot, is an officer of the Columbian Club of Boise, a Daughter of the American Revolution, is very active in Red Cross work, is head of a Red Cross unit and at present (1917-1919) is matron of the Idaho penitentiary.

In his political views Mr. DeKay is a democrat. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which he joined on attaining his majority, and he is now a past noble grand. He also has membership with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Woodmen of the World. Mr. and Mrs. DeKay are widely known in various sections of the state and enjoy the warm regard which is always given in recognition of high personal worth and merit on the part of the individual.
contributed by Amanda Fox

(Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920)

Frank E. DeKay, warden of the state penitentiary at Boise, was born in Utica, Michigan, December 20, 1869, a son of Samuel L. and Amelia E. (Berry) DeKay. The father has now passed away, but the mother is still living, making her home in Mount Clemens, Macomb county, Michigan. Samuel L. DeKay, a native of New York, died in 1887, when his son Frank was eighteen years of age. During his active life he followed various business pursuits, devoting considerable time to contracting and building, and in that connection he built the city hall at Detroit, Michigan, and also did the grading work on the Detroit, Lapeer & Marquette Railroad. He likewise had various other important business interests. At one time, in his home town in Utica, Michigan, he conducted a drug and grocery store, also dealt in furniture and carried on an undertaking business. He was also proprietor of a livery stable and the owner of a sawmill and a pulp mill. These varied and important interests received his attention all at one time and he was likewise the owner of a farm near Utica. His home in New York was near the city of Utica and with others he removed to the west and founded a new town in Michigan which was named Utica after the old home city in the east. In a word he was a very forceful and resourceful business man, readily recognizing and utilizing opportunities and carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertook. Aside from his extensive business affairs he was active in public office, serving as sheriff of Macomb county, Michigan, for three terms, being the incumbent in that office at the time of his death.

The youthful days of Frank E. DeKay were passed in Utica, Michigan, where he acquired a high school education. He was eighteen years of age at the time of his father's death and when twenty years of age came to Idaho, reaching Pocatello in 1889. For four years he engaged in the retail grocery business there, owning and operating the same until 1893, when he removed to Idaho Falls, where he conducted a dry goods store for two years. In 1895 he went to Blackfoot, Bingham county, Idaho, where he resided to the time of his appointment to the position of warden of the state penitentiary by Governor Alexander in January, 1917. At Blackfoot he had served as under sheriff from 1895 until 1897 and in the latter year had established a meat market, which he owned and successfully conducted for seven years or until 1904, when he entered the retail grocery business, continuing in the same for thirteen years or until removing to Boise in 1917. He is a man of rugged, sterling qualities and diversified interests, for in connection with his mercantile business he devoted many years to the cattle industry, being recognized as one of the state's successful cattlemen and still the owner of a large cattle ranch at Tyhee, five miles north of Pocatello, comprising three hundred and twenty acres. He filed on this tract when the Fort Hall Indian Reservation was opened to settlement in 1902 and has since developed and improved this wild sagebrush land, once the home of the red men, festive jack rabbits and howling coyotes, converting the same into one of the most valuable properties in the Snake River valley. The Indians on the Fort Hall Bottoms, where he grazed his cattle, gave him the sobriquet of "Koochen-tibo-heintz" (white cowboy friend). In recent years Mr. DeKay has given considerable attention to public duties. He was appointed sheriff of Bingham county by Governor James H. Hawley and served until the end of the term. As warden he has introduced the honor system. During 1917 he worked fifty-six per cent of the convicts outside on the penitentiary farms, without a gun guard, and lost but nine, six of whom were captured and returned to the prison. In 1918 he worked sixty-six per cent of the convicts outside on farms and in road camps and to date has had but five men run away. In the past fifteen months he has had five life prisoners who have worked and slept outside the prison without guard and there has been no loss among them, all being on the honor system. He is a man of broad humanitarian principles and kindly spirit, always seeking to develop the "spark of good" that is in each individual. His relation to the convicts is somewhat paternal in nature — much like that of a father toward his' children. He makes the men feel that he has faith in them and desires to help them and will do so if he has their cooperation and support. The only punishment meted out is that of solitary confinement with a bread and water diet.

On the 8th of May, 1893. when twenty-four years of age, Mr. DeKay was married to Miss Kate C. McLeod, of Pana, Illinois, and they have become parents of four children, three sons and a daughter: Frank G.. Katherine, Edwin R. and Harold R. The eldest son, now twenty-one years of age, was a student in the University of Washington at Seattle and served in France. Before attaining his majority he joined the One Hundred and Sixty-first Field Hospital Corps and was gassed and wounded by shrapnel shell September 26, 1918, in the first day's fighting in the Argonne. He is rated twenty-five per cent total disability and is now receiving government vocational training at the University of Washington. The daughter, Katherine, nineteen years of age, is a student in the State Normal School at Albion, Idaho. Both are graduates of the Blackfoot high school. Mrs. DeKay has been a teacher in the public schools of Pocatello and introduced the kindergarten system there in 1892. Mrs. DeKay has always been closely identified with educational work, holding one of the first life diplomas ever granted to a teacher in Idaho, and was the first woman school director in Bingham county, having been elected clerk of the Independent District No. 8. Blackfoot, in 1901. To her belongs the credit of installing the first school library in the county at Blackfoot. She is a charter member and assisted in organizing both the Current Event and Civic Clubs of Blackfoot, is an officer of the Columbian Club of Boise, a Daughter of the American Revolution, is very active in Red Cross work, is head of a Red Cross unit and at present (1917-1919) is matron of the Idaho penitentiary.

In his political views Mr. DeKay is a democrat. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which he joined on attaining his majority, and he is now a past noble grand. He also has membership with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Woodmen of the World. Mr. and Mrs. DeKay are widely known in various sections of the state and enjoy the warm regard which is always given in recognition of high personal worth and merit on the part of the individual.
contributed by Amanda Fox