by Monika Johnson

Created on: February 23, 2010

Located on the Boise River in Ada County in the southwestern part of Idaho, Boise is the state capital as well as the county seat.

Originally, the area was inhabited by the Bannock and Shoshone tribes. The Spaniards explored the area around the year 1592, but did not settle there. In the early 19th century, French Canadian fur trappers began to frequent the area, because they appreciated the trees and verdant vegetation after the hardships of traveling through the barren Snake River plain. They called the area simply Les Bois (the woods).

Since the Oregon Trail passed through the area, the Hudson Bay Company set up a trading post in 1834, located about forty miles northwest of Boise’s present position. Thousands of settlers passed through the area on their way to Oregon.

In 1862, gold was discovered in the area, which brought many prospectors who used the trading post to purchase supplies. When the US Army established Fort Boise in 1863, the combination of gold and military presence, as well as the commerce generated from the Oregon Trail, caused a prospering town to grow next to the fort.

In 1864, Boise was incorporated as a city. That same year, the capital of the Idaho Territory was moved from Lewiston to Boise. Over the following years, the city continued to grow. By 1868, Boise could boast over four hundred permanent buildings, among them the Idaho Penitentiary, which was completed in 1870.

When the goldmines ran dry, the city was in danger of becoming depopulated. To avoid this, inhabitants constructed an irrigation system to allow farming and planned their city’s growth along the Boise River. The efforts of its citizens allowed Boise to prosper.

In 1890, Idaho joined the Union, and Boise became state capital. By that time, the city’s population had grown to approximately 88,000. The following years saw further growth. A streetcar system was developed, the State Capitol was constructed, an airport was built, and in 1925, railway service arrived with the construction of the Union Pacific Depot. Reservoirs and dams, including Arrowrock Dam, greatly improved water and power supply to the city, and provided farmers with much needed water for their crops.

Boise’s Gowen Field became a training base for the Army Air Corps during World War II. Here pilots and crews of B-17s and B-24s were prepared for their missions.

By the year 2000, Boise’s population had grown to be over 185,000. This was partially achieved through annexation of surrounding communities. Today Boise continues to thrive, partially due to favorable conditions for businesses, a central location, and a high quality of life.

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