John M. Stoddard has been a resident of Ada county for but a brief period and is now living on the Boise bench. He has, however, purchased a large ranch near Meridian, of which he took possession in the spring of 1920. For a long period before removing to Ada county he made his home in Cassia county, Idaho, and has contributed to the agricultural development of the state. He was born in Utah, October 14, 1869, and is of Scotch and English descent, being a son of John M. and Mary Jane (Priest) Stoddard. The father was born in Illinois and was of Scotch lineage, while the mother was born in England and belonged to one of the old families of that country. They became converts to the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were married in Salt Lake City in 1868. They had a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters, all of whom are yet living with the exception of one daughter.
John M. Stoddard, the eldest of the family, was reared in Utah and in 1895 came to Idaho, locating in the Upper Snake river valley near Idaho Falls, where he resided until 1904, when he removed to Burley. There he remained until 1919, when he sold his Cassia county ranch and purchased a fine two hundred and forty acre ranch four miles east of Meridian and six miles west of Boise, for which he paid two hundred and fifteen dollars per acre, with a free water right from the Ridenbaugh ditch. While in Cassia county he clearly demonstrated his ability to successfully handle important ranching interests and as the years passed he prospered in his undertakings, being now one of the substantial citizens of Ada county and a valuable addition to its citizenship.
Mr. Stoddard was married near Ogden, Utah, February 26, 1890, to Miss Hannah Bybee, who was also born in Utah and is a representative of one of the Mormon families of that state. While they have no children of their own, they have reared two from infancy, having adopted a son and a daughter. These are William R. Stoddard, who was born March 15, 1895, and is a son of William Edward Stoddard, a younger brother of John M. Stoddard, who is now living at Shelley, Idaho. The child's mother died during his infancy, and Mr. and Mrs. John M. Stoddard adopted him. He is now a bright young man of much capability who was sent on a two years' mission to southern Indiana for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is married and has one son. It was on the 11th of April, 1917, that he wedded Estella Hansen and their little son, born January 3, 1918, is named John Lin.
In his political views Mr. Stoddard of this review is a democrat and he served as highway commissioner of Cassia county for three years under appointment of Governor Moses Alexander. He is always loyal to every interest for the general good, and his devotion to the public welfare has been manifest in many ways. He is a loyal follower of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it is characteristic of him that he stands faithfully by any cause which he espouses. As a business man, too, he has made an excellent record, so directing his efforts and investments that he is now one of the men of affluence in his community.
--Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 3 by James H. Hawley 1920