History: Virgil Phillips - Who was he?

Virgil Edemoss Phillips was born in Moscow, Idaho, on December 12, 1912. He married Helen Melba Hancock in Reno, Nevada, on January 29, 1957.  Virgil spent his entire life in Moscow, although for many years he spent the winters in Arizona with his mother, and later with his wife and mother.  He also had property in Montana.

Virgil can probably best be described as a "jack of all trades." He often worked with colleagues in home construction in the region. He was active in civic affairs.  He was a life member of the Moose Lodge and belonged to the Auxiliary Police.

Virgil bought the land that now comprises the Phillips Farm in January 1944. At the time, the land had been used for some timber harvest and for growing wheat.  It contained an older, poorly insulated farm house that Virgil lived in at times, particularly in summers. Virgil continued farming the land and also grew an extensive vegetable garden. He was in fact an accomplished gardener, and gave most of the produce from the garden and fruits for the orchard to friends. Along with gardening, Virgil enjoyed many hobbies, including fishing and hunting. He was said to be an excellent marksman. He particularly enjoyed collecting rocks, and had equipment for cutting, grinding and polishing his discoveries. He was a member of the Star Garnet Rock Club, a local rock collectors group.

In about 1960 he built a second house on the farm, constructed mainly of concrete. This one-story building was quite innovative, constructed into the hillside providing an earth berm for the back wall. He placed electric cable in the floor to provide radiant heat; however, the system failed to work. He started a second story, wooden addition to the house in 1972 that he hoped could be heated by solar energy. He was building this addition when he died.

By all accounts, Virgil was very fond of children and he encouraged children visiting the farm to engage in a variety of recreational pursuits. According to Kyle Hawley, whose father was a good friend of Virgil, he was a self-taught naturalist, and he believed that children learn best by being encourage to observe nature on their own. Ironically, Virgil never had any children of his own; however, he helped raise two step-sons, William and Jim Blevins.

Virgil died July 5, 1972 in Moscow, Idaho. At the time of his death, he was survived by his two step-sons, a sister, Mrs. Clifford (Peggy) Ott, and his mother, Louise Phillips of Moscow. His will bequeathed the farm to the City of Moscow, stipulating that it be used for the benefit and use of the children of Moscow for recreation purposes. The city took over the property in December 1973. It was farmed, primarily for wheat by Rowland Hawley under lease through 1990. In 1991, Better Living, Inc., a non-profit organization devoted to demonstrating examples of sustainable agricultural and forestry techniques, took a lease on the land. At that time, the agricultural lands were seeded to alfalfa and brome grasses.

The Virgil Phillips Farm property is now managed by the Latah County Parks and Recreation Department as a county park. The department, working with an Advisory Board established by the County Commissioners, is seeking to develop a management plan for the farm that best reflects Virgil’s bequest and desires for the property.

These notes were compiled in 2002 by Gerry Wright from conversations with the Loyal Talbott family.

Virgil Phillips Farm County Park, Latah County Parks and Recreation, 5168 Robinson Park Road, Moscow, Idaho 83843    (208) 883-5709

Thanks to Cactus Computer for hosting our website

webmaster