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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1885)
298 THE WEST SHORE. BOISE CITY AND VALLEY. fHR teal of the Territorial jwernment of Idaho is 1 Boise! City, the county seat of Adit County mid l-nl-iiitf commercial centre if the Territory. In tl.n year lKIt.l the Hudnon's Hay Company established Fort Boise' nH a fur trailing xwt, in opixmition to Fort Mull, which had len founded nonr Hnake Kiver the your lieforo liy Nathaniel J. Wyeth, a representative of a Boston trad ing compiiny. Thin xmt wbs located at the mouth of Boiaa River, from which it derived its nniiip. In tlie language of the French half-breeds, who composed the majority of the company' servant, Boise means " wtxxly," and the name wan applied to tlin stream lie caiwe, in oornpnriHoii with others of Hint region, it had an ontiMial growth of timber along it bunks. Fremont rcmarke 1 thia when eight yean later he wrote in hit) jour nal: "Huch a stream had become quite a novelty in this country, and we were delighted thia afternoon to make a pleasant camp nmler fine old tree again." Fort Boise continued a xat of the great fur coinaiiy for many year, mul wan an iinNrtant xint on the line of overland emigration to Oregon in the early days. It wan aban doned by the com any when compelled to withdraw from United Ktatea territory. Following the rush of miner into Malm in lSCO 1 2, it was divided U. eitlabliHh a military post in that region, and iu IHIKJ the prewnt Fort Boise (now officially dehig liaM a "In.iHe Barrack") waa founded, fifty miles aUtve the sit of the old fort A a natural consequence ft town begun to grow up almut the fort, a townsite com jwny aa organiwd, and the new candidate for commer cial honor waa christened " Boise City" in honor of the fori and river. Though there waa little in the barien U.wn-aiUi at that time to suggest audi a title aa an orig. inal out, stranger who now aeea it buried beneath a iiiiuta of iuohI iimguificeut ahade tne could suggest no apHIatiou mom appropriate than that of "the wooded city " which it Ix-ar. The excitement attending the dia every of gold in Boise ltaaiu brought thousand of miner. to thia wrt of Idaho, and Boise City la-came at once a m.mt imporUut place. Following thia came iU .lection aa the capital of the uewly-created Territory, since which time it has grown ateadily iu weHltli aud iniorUnoA Boiae City aUntU on the north aide of the river, aome fifty mile above iU confluence with the Suake, and iu a CMumaudiug oition both aa ri'garda tho large and fcr ld talley in which it ia ituatd and the rich mineral legion in the mounUiiia U.you.L Here, for from the main lines of travel (until lSKt, n miln from the near .t railnwd communication), aoceaaible from the great w,M-d ouUide only by long and tcdiou journeya by atage f teams for tlaya and nighta, over forbidding, deaolnU' and uuiuhahited stretches of aage brush desert ami alkali plains, in what waa o U.ng considered aa fr-olT corner of tlie oountry, the piouers snd settlers of Idalio have built their little city, fouud.nl their home, and estab lished their place uf trade and business. hy the onnaua of 1880 the popUudion u fixed n 1,809, but the vote of the Inst general election indicates a present population of fully 3,000. This growth ia the natural result of the opening of this region by the Ore gon Short Line. It is not the work of pystemntic "boom ing," but the nittnrnl growth of n commercial centre fol lowing closely after the development of the country.' Such leiiig the ense, n still greater growth may be looked for during the next five years, since Southern Idaho mutt develop even faster than during the lust half decade. But two yenrs have elnpsed since that region was first penetrated by rnilronds, and the tide of immigration haa but just begun to sot in toward that comparatively un known country. The number of immigrants is largely increasing annually, and will continue to increase as the resources, both agricultural and miueral, became better known. The natural result will be enhanced wealth, Mpulation and business for Boise City, which already has an assessment roll aggregating tl,000,0000. The business part of the town is substantially built of brick aud stone, a city ordinance prohibiting the erec tion of frame or wcxxlon buMdings within certain limits. Tho streets are wido, clean and sh'idy, crossing each other at right angles, the blocks intersected lengthwise by convenient alleyways. There aro mauy handsome two and three story frame and brick dwellings that would reflect credit upon a much older and larger town. The town was incorporated January 11, 18CC, and as the citi zens have always taken special painB to elect responsible business men for its officials, the government has in gen eral been wisely administered. There is a regularly organized fire department, with a Silaby steamer, three hose carts, hook and ladder upparatua and 1,500 feet of hose. There are two companies Boise! Engine, No. 1, and Ada Hook and Ladder, No. 1. Tho city haa recently erecUnl a jwat two-story brick engine house at a coat of 1,000. Mountain water is introduced into town through a complete system of water workB. There are three excellent hotels the Overland, Cen tral and Western. There are about a dozon goneral mer chandise stores, besides a number of dealers in special merchandise, such aa stationery, drugs, jewelry, furni ture, etc. The aggregate amount of business done by the merchant monthly is about rJOO.OOO cash sales. All professions and mechanical trades are well represented. Besides the branches of industry common to a town of this sort, there are several flour, grist, planing and lum Ur mills, two breweries, a distillery aud brick and mar ble works. The First National Bank haa an authorized capital of toOO.000; present capital, 100,000. A tele phone exchange haa been established between the lead ing business houses, hotels and public buildings. A Board of Trado has recoutly beeu organized, which haa rendered valuable service to the business interest of the city. There are three papora-,S7iMin (tri-weekly), Ih-mocmt (semi-weekly) and Krpnblican (waekly). The public buildings located in the city are numerous aud some of them imposing and ornnmental structure. In the past the Uuited States Assay Office has absorbed 11 the honors. It ia a substantial stone edifice, sixty