Today, we honor Minnie Frances Howard, a remarkable woman whose legacy continues to shape the Pocatello community. Born in 1872 in Missouri, Minnie moved to Kansas as a teenager and began teaching in rural schools. She later earned her medical degree from the University of Kansas Medical School in 1899, an impressive feat for women at the time, and joined her husband, Dr. William Forrest Howard, in a joint medical practice.
In 1902, the Howards moved to Pocatello, where Minnie became a community leader, health advocate, and historian. She eventually stepped away from practicing medicine to raise her four sons, Nelson Jacob, Richard Philip, Forrest Hayden, and Francis Emmert (all of whom became doctors), and turned her focus to civic involvement.
Minnie was instrumental in preserving Pocatello’s history. Inspired by Ezra Meeker’s 1907 visit, she helped mark the original site of Old Fort Hall in 1916 and served as Bannock County Historian for over two decades. Her passion for education and public service was reflected in her leadership in numerous local and national organizations—from the Women’s Republican Club to the Southern Idaho Historical Society and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
Minnie passed away in 1965, but her contributions to medicine, historical preservation, and civic life have made her a lasting pillar of Pocatello’s heritage.