Boise: A City Along the Trail

Boise: A City Along the Trail. . Emigrants on the Oregon Trail passed through Boise Valley beginning in the 1840’s. After Boise was founded in the summer of 1863, wagon trains came down off the bench to the south and forded the Boise River east of town. From then on, Boise’s Main Street was a part of the Oregon Trail., The trail later crossed the Boise River below what is now 9th Street where “Uncle John” McClellan operated a ferry boat., The discovery of gold in the Boise Basin in 1862 created a major gold rush into the area in the spring of 1863. To protect the miners and settlers on the trail, the United State established a military post, “Fort Boise,” on July 3, 1863. (An earlier 1834 Hudson Bay trading post called Fort Boise, at the mouth of the Boise River, near Parma, had been abandoned in 1856.) Major Pinckney Lugenbeel was dispatched on June 1, 1863, to find a suitable location., Major Lugenbeel selected this place at the river crossing of the Oregon Trail and the trail up Cottonwood Creek and along Robie Creek into the Boise Basin mining area., The army arrived here on July 3rd and began construction of the new Fort Boise on July 6, 1863. Its buildings were located on the low foothills facing the River at the mouth of Cottonwood Creek, with a commanding view of the new settlement created by the Fort’s location. The site of the Fort is now the location of the Veteran’s Hospital. , The settlement was organized as Boise City in a town meeting held on July 7, 1863. Shortly thereafter, a group of pioneer businessmen including Henry C. Riggs, J.M. McClellan, C.W. Moore and Tom Davis met at Tom Davis’ cabin, and plotted the original town site parallel to the river. The plot had ten blocks, five on each side of what is now Main Street between 5th and 10th Streets. The land was divided among the original subscribers. The City would grow outward from these original ten blocks., Early City Founders , The city founders of 1863 included Cy Jacobs, a merchant, who arrived to provide supplies to the mining camps in the Boise Basin, but was persuaded to stay in Boise. His brick home built in 1864, is still standing on Grove Street. , Henry C. Riggs helped plat the city and was instrumental in having the Territorial Capitol moved from Lewiston to Boise in 1864. The county in which Boise lies was named for his daughter, Ada., Henry Prickett was elected as Boise’s first Mayor in 1867. , The City , In 1864, Boise’s population reached [illegible] Most of the structures were made of lumber interspersed with [illegible] or logs. , Aside from residences, Boise had 9 stores for general merchandise, 2 livery stables, 2 breweries, 1 butcher shop, 2 blacksmiths, a lumberyard, a tin store, a bootmaker, 5 saloons, 3 doctors and a lawyer., By 1867, the City’s growth required the surveying and layout of a new plan. What is now known as the Boise City Original Townsite is the core area of 140 blocks from Front to Fort, between 1st and 16th streets., Albert Robie's mill furnished sawn lumber to the valley by 1864 and provided lumber for the O’Farrell Cabin. By 1868 Boise had grown into a permanent settlement with about 400 buildings and 350 private homes. Unlike nearby mining towns comprised of single men, Boise was a city of families who came to settle permanently., 1n 1860, 200 children were enrolled in 1 elementary and 3 private schools. Higher education was limited to dance school and music courses. , Boise continues to be a family town...