Pocatello in Bannock County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)

Simplot Square

1989

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

1. Simplot Square Marker

Inscription.
Welcome to this gathering place built for the enjoyment of our citizens and visiting friends.

Many individuals volunteered the vision, skills and hard work needed to create the Square. It is a symbol of the future we all may share through a positive attitude and a cooperative spirit.

A Leadership Pocatello Project
Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce
and the City of Pocatello.

Land donated by the J.R. Simplot Family.

Erected 1989 by Leadership Pocatello, Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Pocatello.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1989.

Location. 42° 51.677′ N, 112° 27.099′ W. Marker is in Pocatello, Idaho, in Bannock County. It is at the intersection of South Arthur Avenue and Center Street, on the right when traveling south on South Arthur Avenue. The marker is mounted on a low stone at the north corner of Simplot Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 155 South Arthur Avenue, Pocatello ID 83204, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Idaho’s Bear River Country. 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 walking distance of this marker: The Great Bonneville Flood (a few steps from this marker); Volcanic Activity Near Pocatello

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(a few steps from this marker); Pocatello — Area Geology (a few steps from this marker); Nearby Historic Buildings (within shouting distance of this marker); The Bannock Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); American Indian Heritage (within shouting distance of this marker); Simplot (within shouting distance of this marker); Pocatello History (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pocatello.

Also see . . . Did You Know? Simplot Square (Idaho State University).

(by Arlen Walker) Excerpt: Simplot Square was once the site of the Hotel Bannock, one of the tallest buildings in the city. The original Bannock Hotel building, built in the mid-1890s, was first called the Hanks Hotel. In 1902 it changed owners, was renamed The Bannock, and was later purchased by W. F. Kasiska, founder of the fortune behind the Kasiska Foundation which has been a major supporter of scholarships and medical programs at ISU since 1987. Considered the finest hotel in the city, it hosted a breakfast for President W. H. Taft during
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

2. Simplot Square Marker
Looking south through Simplot Square. The marker is in the foreground at the foot of the walkway.
his visit to Pocatello in October of 1911.
A planned construction of three seven-story towers was begun in 1919 to replace the original building and fill the entire corner lot. The first one on the south side of the original building was competed in 1921, but the others were never constructed. The 88-foot-tall building in Italian Renaissance style, eventually owned by the J.R Simplot Company, remained an icon in the city until it was demolished in 1982. Simplot donated the land to the city and by 1989 Simplot Square was completed.

(Submitted on March 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 10, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 142 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.