Boise, Idaho, 1882-1910
Prosperity in Isolation

While most western cities developed along main railroad lines, the remote community on the Boise River was bypassed. How did Boise survive? The answer lies in the unique prosperity of the city, based in mining, timber, and agriculture, and in the resourcefulness of individuals who were committed to the town and were willing to sponsor its development. Boise underwent incredible changes between 1882 and 1990. In the fourth state to grant women suffrage, this frontier town grew to become one of only ten cities in the nation with a streetcar system and built the first corporate geothermal project in the world. Carol MacGregor's comprehensive examination of Boise's beginnings starts with the removal of the Northern Shoshone and follows the progress of government, infrastructure, business, and social institutions. It also describes architecture, the arts, and culture in Boise, as well as changes in ethnic and religious makeup. Investigating everything from racism and prostitution to hospitals, hotels, and high society, MacGregor takes the reader on an in-depth tour of this distinctive western city.