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