Hailey in Blaine County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)
Bullion Block Site/Werthheimer Building
101 S. Main St.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 26, 2017
1. Bullion Block Site/Werthheimer Building Marker
Inscription.
Bullion Block Site/Werthheimer Building. 101 S. Main St.. The original building on this site, called the Bullion Block, was constructed in 1882. It was at this time that Hailey became the county seat of Alturas County after a bitterly fought election with Bellevue, and the existing county seat, Rocky Bar. The building was rented by the county from owners L.H. Wooden and Texas Angel to be used as the first County Court House, for $425 per month. The jail was located in the basement. The building served as the County Court House for 16 months until the present Court House on South 1st Ave. was completed in 1884. , Leopold Werthheimer, a German born clothing merchant, came to Hailey in 1884 with a stock of goods and opened a men's clothing and furnishings store in the Bullion Block. His business was successful, and in 1887 he was able to buy the building that housed his store. On July 2, 1889, a year and a day before Idaho was admitted to statehood, a disastrous fire destroyed virtually the entire business district of Hailey, including the Werthheimer's Bullion Block. The fire started under suspicious circumstances in a room above the Nevada Chop House located on Main Street. The rebuilding of the town began almost immediately. Werthheimer joined with local merchant J.C. Fox and the First National Bank to construct a block of four attached commercial buildings. Werthheimer located on the former site of the Bullion Block. He reopened his business three months after the fire and continued to operate at this location until his death in 1913. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has housed Mallory Clothing, Jacob Variety Store, the Vancil Grocery, the Sage Shop and North and Company.
The original building on this site, called the Bullion Block, was constructed in 1882. It was at this time that Hailey became the county seat of Alturas County after a bitterly fought election with Bellevue, and the existing county seat, Rocky Bar. The building was rented by the county from owners L.H. Wooden and Texas Angel to be used as the first County Court House, for $425 per month. The jail was located in the basement. The building served as the County Court House for 16 months until the present Court House on South 1st Ave. was completed in 1884.
Leopold Werthheimer, a German born clothing merchant, came to Hailey in 1884 with a stock of goods and opened a men's clothing and furnishings store in the Bullion Block. His business was successful, and in 1887 he was able to buy the building that housed his store. On July 2, 1889, a year and a day before Idaho was admitted to statehood, a disastrous fire destroyed virtually the entire business district of Hailey, including the Werthheimer's Bullion Block. The fire started under suspicious circumstances in a room above the Nevada Chop House located on Main Street. The rebuilding of the town began almost immediately. Werthheimer joined with local merchant J.C. Fox and the First National Bank to construct a block of four attached commercial buildings. Werthheimer located on the former
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site of the Bullion Block. He reopened his business three months after the fire and continued to operate at this location until his death in 1913. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has housed Mallory Clothing, Jacob Variety Store, the Vancil Grocery, the Sage Shop and North and Company.
Erected by Hailey Historic Preservation Commission.
Location. 43° 31.165′ N, 114° 18.926′ W. Marker is in Hailey, Idaho, in Blaine County. It is at the intersection of South Main Street and Bullion Street, on the left when traveling north on South Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 South Main Street, Hailey ID 83333, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Idaho Sawtooth Range. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: J.J. Tracy Building (within shouting distance of this marker); J.C. Fox Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Rialto Hotel (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); W.H. Watt Building (about 400 feet away); Wood River Mines (approx. 3½ miles away); Ketchum
Credits. This page was last revised on November 15, 2017. It was originally submitted on November 15, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 589 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 15, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
