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History
Nestled on a high desert plain in the shadow of the
Rocky Mountains with a pristine river flowing through
its center, Boise has its roots in the gold rush days
of the 1800's.
In 1834 Fort Boise, owned by the Hudson Bay Company,
was established by British fur traders. The fort,
now known as Old Fort Boise, was located at the mouth
of the Boise River, 40 miles from present day Boise.
In 1854, due to frequent Indian raids, the fort was
abandoned. Despite this, the military desired to build
another fort in the area but before this plan could
go into effect, gold was discovered in the Boise Basin
in 1862. It was now necessary, more than ever, to
protect the vast number of travelers coming to the
area.
On July 4th, 1863, the military chose a location
for the new Fort Boise and construction began soon
afterward. A townsite was located next to the fort
and with the protection of the military, the town
grew quickly. A major reason for this growth, other
than the gold rush, was its location along the Oregon
Trail.
The Oregon Trail was a thoroughfare for thousands
of travelers heading for the Oregon Territory. Of
all the western roads, the Oregon Trail was the longest
at 2,020 miles. It began in Independence, Missouri
and ended at Oregon City, Oregon. Its route in Idaho
began at the Idaho-Wyoming border, crossed through
Bear Valley, turned north toward Fort Hall and followed
the Snake River until reaching the Boise River. It
followed the south side of the river winding through
what is now the southern part of Boise. To this day,
wheel ruts can still be seen along various spots of
its path.
Adding to this major thoroughfare were the routes
to the Boise Basin and Owyhee mines. These routes
cross the Oregon Trail at the Fort Boise location.
Because it was located at these major crossroads,
Boise became a prosperous commercial center.
In 1864, when the territorial legislature held its
second session in Lewiston, Boise was incorporated
as a city and proclaimed the capital of the Idaho
Territory. This same year on July 26, the Idaho Statesman
newspaper produced its first publication and became
the second newspaper in Idaho.
After the gold rush, Boise's population declined
from 1,658 citizens in 1864 to 995 in 1870. With new
construction like the territorial prison in 1869 and
the United States Assay Office in 1872, Boise began
to grow again. The Capitol Building was completed
in 1886 and in 1887 Boise built a street car system.
In 1890 Idaho became a state.
In the early 1900's, Boise once again enjoyed rapid
growth. This growth came with the expansion of irrigation
in the valley in 1902. This led to the construction
of Arrowrock Dam which was the tallest dam in the
world from 1915 to 1932.
In the late 1930's Boise saw a large migration of
Basques from their native home in the Western Pyrenees
Mountains. These proud people became our primary sheep
herders, a large industry at the time, and gradually
moved into the mainstream of city life in Boise bringing
their colorful culture with them.
As the Great Depression ravaged a majority of the
cities in the United States, Boise enjoyed growth.
And during World War II, multitudes of airmen trained
at Gowen Field, Boise's major airbase.
Today, Boise is still the largest metropolitan community
in the state. Numerous world, national, regional and
state corporations have their headquarters in Boise.
These headquarters include Hewlett-Packard, Boise
Cascade, Simplot Corporation, Albertsons, Micron Technology,
and Morrison-Knudsen. Boise is the hub of commerce,
banking and government for the state and is located
mid-way between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland,
Oregon.
Because of its location and elevation (2,842 ft.
above sea level), Boise's moderate climate adds to
its quality. During the winter snow storms may blanket
the nearby mountains but bring only rain to the valley.
Snow does enter the valley but the typical winter
day is cold with blue skies. Summer raises the temperature
into the mid 90's. The average summer temperature
is 90.6 degrees Fahrenheit, while winter temperatures
average 29.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
The city has grown to an approximate population of
168,300. Boise has 34 elementary schools, nine junior
high/middle schools and five high schools. It is also
home to the state's largest university, Boise State
University. The university, with enrollment over 15,000,
became a part of the State System of Higher Education
in 1969 and offers six schools of instruction.
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