"Reflections"
Red Hat Funvention Boise
June 8,9,10 2018
"The City of Trees"
A verdant oasis in a dry landscape, "the City of Trees," got its name from the cottonwoods, birches and willows that line its namesake river. US Army Captain Bonneville with his French guide were standing on a point east of the city and when the guide looked down he yelled "Les Bois, Les Bois," French for "the woods, the woods!" establishing the cities' namesake "the City of Trees."
Trappers first came to the area, then gold was discovered and from 1860-1866 Idaho produced all the gold in the US. Eventually the gold dried up so irrigation systems were developed for farming. Boise Irrigation Project constructed Arrowrock Dam, the tallest dam in the world, as well as other Boise River dams.
Boise grew rapidly but the first territorial capital was located in Lewiston and not moved to Boise until 1890. Settlers were Irish, German, Chinese, and the Basque. The Boise area is home to the largest population of Basque in the US. Near the capital is the beautiful Basque block. Boise now has grown to a population of approximately 220,000 people.
The good times brought organized crime and petty criminals to Boise, so on July 4th, 1870 a necessary territorial prison was started, taking a decade to build. It closed in 1973 and now houses a museum, the beautiful Botanical Gardens and a concert area. This historical landmark is now open to the public and hosts many events.
During WW11 Gowen Field opened, employing many women during the war, some for "Rosie, the Riveter" type jobs. The first female pilot in the state of Idaho, Elaine McCalley, is a red hatter and belongs to the Vivacious Violets chapter in Mountain Home. She is an inspiration to everyone because although 98 years of age she rarely misses a meeting.
She still lives at home and has a drivers license.
Boise became home to many prominent companies: Morrison and Knudsen started an engineering, construction and manufacturing company helping construct Hoover Dam and the San Francisco Bay Bridge. In 1939 Joe Albertson opened his first store in Boise. JR Simplot opened his first potato processing plant in 1941. Hewlett Packard opened its division here in 1973, then Micron was founded in 1978 becoming the area's largest employer.
Boise is the state capital of Idaho and the capital building is located in the heart of the city. It is the only capital in the United States that is heated by geothermal energy. Another thing that makes Boise unique is the Boise River Greenbelt. In 1968, civic leaders directed a cleanup and renovation of the river corridor creating a series of parks linked by 19, miles of walking and bicycle paths. Boise State University is part of this downtown. Opening in 1932, it is on 175 acres with over 20,000 students. Varney Airlines, which later became United Airline, had an airstrip on what is now the BSU campus. Other attractions are the Morrison Theatre of Performing Arts, Albertson Stadium, the old Penitentiary, Idaho Botanical Gardens, Discovery Cener, Zoo Boise, Boise Train Station, and a large number of museums.
Welcome to our beautiful city of Boise. We invite you to explore and discover a city that has much to offer.
CREATE A FREE WEBSITE
POWERED BY
Red Hat Funvention Boise
June 8,9,10 2018
"The City of Trees"
A verdant oasis in a dry landscape, "the City of Trees," got its name from the cottonwoods, birches and willows that line its namesake river. US Army Captain Bonneville with his French guide were standing on a point east of the city and when the guide looked down he yelled "Les Bois, Les Bois," French for "the woods, the woods!" establishing the cities' namesake "the City of Trees."
Trappers first came to the area, then gold was discovered and from 1860-1866 Idaho produced all the gold in the US. Eventually the gold dried up so irrigation systems were developed for farming. Boise Irrigation Project constructed Arrowrock Dam, the tallest dam in the world, as well as other Boise River dams.
Boise grew rapidly but the first territorial capital was located in Lewiston and not moved to Boise until 1890. Settlers were Irish, German, Chinese, and the Basque. The Boise area is home to the largest population of Basque in the US. Near the capital is the beautiful Basque block. Boise now has grown to a population of approximately 220,000 people.
The good times brought organized crime and petty criminals to Boise, so on July 4th, 1870 a necessary territorial prison was started, taking a decade to build. It closed in 1973 and now houses a museum, the beautiful Botanical Gardens and a concert area. This historical landmark is now open to the public and hosts many events.
During WW11 Gowen Field opened, employing many women during the war, some for "Rosie, the Riveter" type jobs. The first female pilot in the state of Idaho, Elaine McCalley, is a red hatter and belongs to the Vivacious Violets chapter in Mountain Home. She is an inspiration to everyone because although 98 years of age she rarely misses a meeting.
She still lives at home and has a drivers license.
Boise became home to many prominent companies: Morrison and Knudsen started an engineering, construction and manufacturing company helping construct Hoover Dam and the San Francisco Bay Bridge. In 1939 Joe Albertson opened his first store in Boise. JR Simplot opened his first potato processing plant in 1941. Hewlett Packard opened its division here in 1973, then Micron was founded in 1978 becoming the area's largest employer.
Boise is the state capital of Idaho and the capital building is located in the heart of the city. It is the only capital in the United States that is heated by geothermal energy. Another thing that makes Boise unique is the Boise River Greenbelt. In 1968, civic leaders directed a cleanup and renovation of the river corridor creating a series of parks linked by 19, miles of walking and bicycle paths. Boise State University is part of this downtown. Opening in 1932, it is on 175 acres with over 20,000 students. Varney Airlines, which later became United Airline, had an airstrip on what is now the BSU campus. Other attractions are the Morrison Theatre of Performing Arts, Albertson Stadium, the old Penitentiary, Idaho Botanical Gardens, Discovery Cener, Zoo Boise, Boise Train Station, and a large number of museums.
Welcome to our beautiful city of Boise. We invite you to explore and discover a city that has much to offer.
CREATE A FREE WEBSITE
POWERED BY