On Christmas Eve, 1914, Boise charities continued a tradition of giving presents to orphans and other underprivileged poor children. That year, “batchelor boys and girls” were talked into devoting their energies toward making a great celebration, as The Statesman noted: “Somebody pressed … Continue reading →
Residents in east Boise got an early start to their day on August 20, 1959 as loudspeakers on fire trucks gave warnings of a flash flood on Cottonwood Creek. Everyone escaped safely, but the stream filled basements with water and … Continue reading →
An odd feature of town life in Idaho a century ago was that in some areas people had gone directly from travel on horseback to the use of mass transit. Boise got its first electric streetcars in 1891, years before … Continue reading →
Dr. Peter D. Rothwell, who taught St. Michael’s Parish school in Boise from 1871 to 1876, and who later taught in Baker City, Oregon, Idaho City, and Placerville, visited the scene of his educational endeavors in 1916 and was interviewed … Continue reading →
Christ Chapel, on the northeast corner of the Boise State University campus, was part of pioneer Boise. It was built in 1866 at 7th and Bannock as an Episcopal church. It does not look like it could accommodate a teacher … Continue reading →
During the winter of 1864-65 the vigilantes of Payette Valley had success in ending thefts in their area, but the Pickett Corral Gang was still in business. The gang continued to steal horses–it just avoided taking them from its neighbors … Continue reading →
“The news of the organization of a vigilance committee and its prompt action in suppressing the traffic in bogus gold dust created consternation in some quarters and indignation in others; among the latter were the owners of the Washoe Ferry, … Continue reading →
The hard-working folk of Payette Valley, Idaho in 1864 were tired of being victimized by criminals who stole horses, rustled cattle and passed fake gold dust. A determined effort by the Payette Valley, Idaho Vigilantes put the scoundrels on the run within … Continue reading →
Business was good for the early-day ranchers and farmers of the Payette Valley. They worked as hard as the gold miners who bought their vegetables and beef. Though their pay was lower, it was also more predictable—except for the occasional … Continue reading →
The rough and tumble mining camps of the Boise Basin gave an ambitious young man named William McConnell a chance to build his fortune as a farmer. Later McConnell became one of Idaho’s early governors and wrote a book about … Continue reading →