Idaho City has a rich history, both figuratively and in actuality. The 1862 gold rush brought thousands of westward settlers racing into the Boise Basin. While the Civil War raged in the Eastern United States, the Idaho territory saw the most productive gold rush in American history. The flood of new miners led to Idaho City becoming the largest city in the Pacific Northwest at the time. It made Seattle and Portland look like nothing more than fancy campsites.
The first miners were tipped off by a Native American who spoke of the yellow metal. When the group of twelve went out to explore, and while they were successful in finding gold, they were not welcome. Indians attacked the group killing their leader, George Grimes. Word spread of what they had discovered and greed outweighed fear in the minds of 20,000 people who would come to inhabit the area during the gold rush.
Today, with just under 500 inhabitants, Idaho City is a lot quieter. But as small as it is, the history still flourishes, and a visit here can drop you right into the 1800s. From Boise, you can be in the former prospecting town in under an hour. This day trip to the happenings of yesteryear is a must for curious minds and history lovers.
A Walking Tour of Idaho City
Start your walking tour at the Visitor Center. It’s the first building on the right as you turn onto Main Street. You can’t miss it. Talk to the friendly man behind the register, and he will give you a map.
George Kettler’s Blacksmith Shop
Right beside the Visitor Center is George Kettler’s Blacksmith shop. I was happy to find out this is the original building from 1889. You’ll find that most buildings had been used for various purposes throughout their lifetime. Built as a blacksmith shop specializing in horseshoes, it eventually became the home of the town’s newspaper.
St Joseph’s Catholic Church
Turn Right at the Blacksmiths shop and head up the hill towards the picturesque white church on top of the hill. St Joseph’s was the only church in Idaho City. It was also the first Catholic Church in all of Idaho at the time. Many of the city’s miners were Irish Catholic and frequented the church dropping newly found gold nuggets in its collection plates. Unfortunately, Idaho City has a history of being a tinder pile. Fires were quite common, and while citizens saved the church during the city-wide fire in 1865, the church would burn down two years later in yet another city-wide blaze. The church you are looking at now was rebuilt a month after that last fire.
Pioneer Lodge
This building threw me for a little loop. This lodge belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. I have never heard of this organization before but immediately got visions of Illuminati and secret cloaked rituals. After doing a little research, I still have no idea what goes on in this organization, but they seem decent, although mysterious. According to their website, Oddfellow “activities aim to improve and elevate every person to a higher, nobler plane; to extend sympathy and aid to those in need, making their burdens lighter, relieving the darkness of despair; to war against vice in every form, and to be a great moral power and influence for the good of humanity.” (Maybe I am reading into it a little too much, but that definitely seems like some Freemason, Davinci Code lingo.) Whether a secret society or just a friendly club, this Pioneer lodge holds significance as it was their first chapter in Idaho.
The Idaho World Newspaper
Head back down the hill and head up Main Street. The red-colored brick buildings have been beautifully restored. One of the most significant buildings of the bunch was home to Idaho’s oldest newspaper, the Idaho World. The paper started in 1863 and was distributed every Saturday Evening. The newspaper became a critical news source for the townspeople, miners, and travelers. Its colorful descriptions gave us insight into how wild this western town was. Life was not all culture in the Basin’s early days. Take a read about a wild Tuesday night in the cities hay day: “Several parties were found in the streets on Tuesday morning. Some with fractured skulls; some with bunged eyes and swollen faces, indicating very clearly that there had been a muss somewhere during the night. Blood was freely sprinkled about the town on woodpiles and sidewalks. As the puddles of blood were distributed over a large district, it was impossible to locate the fight.”
Miners Exchange
Next to the Idaho World Building is the Miner’s Exchange, the equivalent of a modern-day strip mall. It was part saloon, part hotel, and part general store.
Boise County Courthouse
Across from The Miners Exchange is the Courthouse. It wasn’t always a place of justice. It was initially built to be a General Store. Before it was a courthouse, it was a Tin Shop, Hardware store, Trinket Shop, and a Hotel.
The iron doors you see in front of the white wooden doors and windowpanes were added to the building as a fire precaution. Those doors were shipped up from San Fransico via the Columbia River and then horsed into Idaho city. Each of those doors weighs half a ton. Transporting something of that weight would’ve been an enormous hassle and cost the county a pretty penny. But it was said that this building was one of “the most commodious fire-proof buildings to be found this side of Portland.”
The building is still functioning as the Boise County courthouse today.
Boise Basin Museum
Turn left and head down the northside of the courthouse. The first building you’ll notice is the Boise Basin Museum. The former post office and bookstore, now contains the past items of Idaho City’s gold rush, including equipment used by the miners and loggers in the area.
Gailbreaith House
After visiting the museum, head right up the boardwalk. The building next door to the museum is the Gailbreaith House, the oldest residential structure in Idaho City. The house is typical of homes in the township during the late 1800s. Just to warn you, there are some super creepy dolls and mannequins positioned throughout this old home. Im just trying to save you from a heart-attack we almost had when we found someone curled up in the bed.
The Old Idaho City Blacksmith Shop
One of the most visually fascinating buildings in the city is the Old Blacksmith Shop. Hundreds of antique tools are scattered all over the shop. It looks like it hasn’t been touched since the last iron was struck. It’s almost as if the Blacksmith just suddenly disappeared in a flash, leaving everything frozen in time. I sense the start of a ghost story here.
Idaho City Pest House and County Jail
Speaking of Ghost Stories, next to the Blacksmith is the creepiest building in town. The Pest House was a hospital for people suffering from infectious diseases. It also doubled as a jail. It tells you how little the city cared for the health of outlaws.
If haunted jails pique your interest, check out one of America’s most haunted prisons in America.
Idaho Territorial Penitentiary
The last stop on our Idaho City walking tour is the Idaho Territorial Penitentiary. To get there, head back towards the museum and turn right.
Two jails were built when Idaho became a territory, one in Lewiston and the other in Idaho City (which replaced holding prisoners next to infectious patients). This new jail would hold the majority of inmates caught in Idaho’s dominion. It may look small now, but it was much more extensive when it was first built. According to Idaho’s Department of Corrections, “Much of the original Idaho City territorial prison fell into Elk Creek when gold diggers undermined the area in the early 1900s.” You read that right. Miners were so desperate to strike it rich, that they were tunneling under their city. The jail wasn’t the only building in town to suffer collapse due to greedy miners. Gold is a hell of a drug.
Once the federal government witnessed how easily their makeshift prison fell apart, they began construction on a more permanent structure in Boise, which would become the Old Idaho Penitentiary.
Final Thoughts on Idaho City
Idaho City played a critical role in the development of life as we know it in modern-day Idaho. Living in the wild west town of Idaho City during the nineteenth century could not have been easy. Miners and prospectors who gambled their lives to chase their dream of being wealthy, despite all the risks and hardships of pioneer life. Idaho city has been so well preserved after its rise to prominence over 100 years ago. We hope you can really get a sense of the history on this walking tour and feel the triumphs and tribulations the spirit of the gold rush miners left behind in this town.
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.
