Nikken

There is an old story in the Lind family, that has been passed down through the generations of children.  It is from the old Scandinavian folktale called “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” that was printed in 1841.  When John and Emma Lind moved to the Junction Valley in 1884, there were several streams of fast running water and later ponds and reservoirs that were built.  John and Emma, who had grown up in Sweden, told the old story of the old water troll, Nikken, that lived in the water and pulled little children in.  This helped keep the children away from the water when they were young.  This story was passed on and retold to the next generation of Lind children.  We were very careful to stay away from the creek as much as possible, even while fishing.

In the 1940's, the pipe broke that was turned to open the valve on the reservoir so they could get water for irrigating.  They had no way to open the valve, without getting someone to dive down the twenty feet or so, and place a charge of explosives on the valve and blow it open.  They found a young man from Burley, Idaho, who was willing to do this.  The kids sat on the hillside while Jake Hodge performed this feat.  Jake had been trained as a Frogman by the U.S. Navy during World War II.  When  Jake surfaced and came out of the water, the fuse was lit and we waited.  After what seemed an eternity, there was an explosion and water flew many feet into the air.  Water started going through the outlet into the headgate and out into the ditches.  All that Dad and his brothers could do was irrigate until the water in the reservoir was gone.  After the reservoir was empty, they had to put in a new valve.  A bunch of us kids were up to the reservoir one day while the men were working on the new valve.  We were playing down by the headgate, all at once this loud booming voice came through the outlet pipe it said, “This is Nikken, get away from the headgate or I will come and get you.”  We dispersed very quickly and stayed away from there so Nikken would not get us.  Nikken’s voice that day we learned later was Uncle Raymond.

I can remember as a youngster going out into the field and running as fast as I could to get over the bridge that crossed the creek.  I was sure that Nikken would grab me.  I believe that if grandchildren of John and Emma could be asked today, most of them would remember the story of Nikken.  I also believe that the story may have been passed on to the third generation and maybe even farther.

As a note of interest, Jake Hodge’s daughter Patsy married my brother Dwain’s son Jeffrey, they have been blessed with four children two girls and two boys.