Shoshone Falls and Cities to the North

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Today we did a bit of backtracking heading 40 miles east from Twin Falls to take in the small town of Rupert, Idaho which was established in 1906.

Our information said that they had a very historic downtown which piqued our interest.  While we have seen many more interesting places, we did come upon the Wilson Theater on the historic town square that was built in 1920 and was the dream of a couple named Daniel Ward and Mennie Wilson who envisioned a beautiful and unique opera house.  The theater opened on August 25, 1920 and quickly became part of the Haris-Voeller Theater chain.

Wilson Theater 1920

It became listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the late 1990’s.  During its early history, the theater played host to vaudeville, musical performances and movies. 

Across the street from the theater I spied The Gathering Place which looked to be a quilt shop.  Entering the shop, I was completely surprised to find room after room of fabric, notions, quilts, etc.  Come to find out this is Idaho’s largest quilt shop with 14,000 (yes, that is the right number) bolts of fabric in every color and design you can imagine.  I could have spent all day in the shop but Ron was waiting in the car so I made a quick selection of fabric to go with some I bought in Salt Lake and quickly exited.  I wish I lived closer so I could return time again to this shop.  What a fabulous place.

Turning back toward Twin Falls, we make an interesting side trip to the town of Hansen to see Rock Creek Station (the first trading post along the Oregon Trail) and Stricker House. The Museum “covers the story of the Rock Creek areas from prehistoric times through the development of irrigation in the area with special emphasis on transportation themes and the story of the Herman and Lucy Stricker family who settled there in the 1870’s.”South Central Idaho became a major thoroughfare for emigrants on the way to Oregon between 1840 and 1860.  Rock Creek was just one of many stations along the way.

Across the road and up a path is the Stricker House which the caretaker opened for us explaining that there are two front doors to the house.  There is a private parlor and to the back of the room was the master bedroom of the house.  Entering through the main front door was the front room and to the far right was a bedroom behind which is the butlers pantry.  To the back of the room was the dining room and kitchen furnished with a table that sat 10 people and built in cabinet for dishes and linens.  The room was quite large and had large windows overlooking the yard beyond.  The stairway from the parlor area had very steep steps and was curved at the top.  Upstairs were 5 bedrooms each furnished with period furniture, bedding and clothing of the period.  The house was built around 1901 after a fire destroyed the original house.  All the woodwork in the home is made of ash and in the style seen in most homes of the same period.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Our first stop today was to the Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls located on the Snake River.  The Falls are called the Niagara Falls of the West as they tumble 212 feet to the canyon floor – more than 50 feet further than the famous falls on the New York-Ontario border.  The forces that created this area are eroded basalt cliffs which are relics of the Bonneville Flood, “a catastrophic torrent that ripped through the canyon about 15,000 years ago.”  (Boy, is that a long time ago.)  In  932 Richard J. and Martha Stone Adams donated the Shoshone Falls park to the city of Twin Falls with the stipulations that the land be maintained as a public park and for the benefit and use of all people.  The Falls are truly beautiful and take your breath away.  The best time to see them is in the spring as the water is diverted later in the year to produce hydroelectric power and irrigate Idaho’s very fertile farmlands. 

Looking west down the Snake River

In 1974 Daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon near the Falls in a rocket powered “motorcycle”.  Today the only evidence of that event is the dirt ramp which can only be seen from a distance.

Leaving the Falls area, we head north to the small town of Shoshone, a town which had long been considered the main railroad station in the Idaho Magic Valley region.  (More about the name “Magic Valley” later on.)  Apparently Twin Falls never developed a strong railroad presence due to the logistics presented by its location south of the Snake River Canyon.  For many years, Shoshone was the only Amtrak stop in this part of Idaho.

The town of Shoshone can be found with the railroad tracks dividing the main street of town.

Painted Mural on Side of Building                                                  Railroad Station

An old hotel and

Old Hotel

some old stores  are what constitute the main part of this old community.

On a back street we come across an old Masonic Hall as well as a couple of old homes and a quaint church.

Old Masonic Hall and side of building.  Note the unevenness of the bricks.

Turning back toward Twin Falls, we stop in the town of Jerome where we find a small town Museum and learn about the Japanese Internment Camp (Minidoka Relocation Center) which was located about 17 miles to the east.  We will travel to the site another day.  

For the benefit of those who want to know where the name “Magic Valley” came from (including me), here is the info from the internet.  “The name "Magic Valley" is a reference to the construction of Milner and Minidoka Dams and a series of irrigation canal systems on the Snake River during the first decade of the 20th century. In a short time these projects "magically" transformed what had been considered a nearly uninhabitable area into some of the most productive farmland in the northwestern U.S. Many cities and towns in the region were founded between 1900 and 1910 as a direct result of these projects.”

Signing Off Until tomorrow in Twin Falls