After the 9th circuit command shut down the Boise Barracks in 1944, Fort Boise transitioned from military to civilian use, drastically changing the land. The post war economy was booming and suburbs in the surrounding area were growing rapidly. Fort Boise had the potential to be put to use by the city to provide greater recreation, education, and veteran services to the residents of Boise. From 1950-1975, a considerable amount of construction and repurposing transformed the area into an outlet for community involvement. The City of Boise acquired forty acres of Fort Boise in 1950 after the Defense Department declared the land a surplus. Seven of these acres were donated to the Idaho Elks Organization to construct the Elks Rehabilitation Center in 1956. The rest of the land was transformed into Fort Boise Park, offering recreational and educational opportunities to the community. The thirty-three acres of land home to the park initially held a polo field that was present during military use. Eventually this would be converted into a baseball field, softball fields, and open space. Utilized heavily by city leagues, local schools and civilians, the park became an important asset to the city.
During this time many construction projects took place and transformed the once military base to a functional park setting. The area become more functional as sections of land that once housed barracks and were used for target practice were transformed into paved roads and parking lots. Bathroom and picnic areas were set up, and many buildings were either put to use for different purposes or newly constructed all together. At this time, surrounding historical buildings were used by Veterans Affairs or sat vacant. Portions of land were also used for stockyards. The first Lincoln School, constructed in 1896 on our parcel, was closed in 1949 and reopened in a new building the following fall of 1950. The school was open to first through eighth grades and was considered a special education facility. The school would remain operational until the 1980’s. Boise Little Theatre was constructed in 1957 shortly after the Elks Rehabilitation Center. A community center, a senior citizens center, and veterans housing were also constructed during this time period.
Adjacent to the park lies a separate plot of land on our parcel that was granted to the City of Boise in 1956. 743 acres, much of which was used for military gunnery practice, had been set aside for wilderness and ecosystem preservation as well as different recreational purposes. While our parcel only holds a small portion of the Military Reserve, the land held a historic military cemetery and the beginnings of what today is a very popular trail system. Cottonwood Creek, a source of irrigation to the city and home to a rich assortment of plants and wildlife, flows through this piece of our parcel.
The realization of the environmental implications of years of military practice on the area led to the desire for stronger conservation measures. While the Ridge to Rivers trail system in Boise didn’t exist until 1992, early preservation efforts such as this were what initially laid the foundation. On August 20th, 1959, Cottonwood Creek experienced severe flooding; floodwaters carried over Aldape Summit and Shaw Mountain, covering the east end of Boise in a delta of mud. The military reserve and parts of Fort Boise Park were heavily affected. The flood happened in response to a man-made range fire above Lucky Peak that destroyed vegetation and ground cover, followed immediately by high intensity rain. Thousands of tons of debris were carried into the city, Reserve Street being one of the areas hit hardest. The flood caused damage to multiple buildings on our site at that time and wreaked havoc on the land. The flood caused damage to our parcel and all of the surrounding neighborhoods, and was a testament to man’s carelessness and a wake-up call to many.
In the mid 70’s, the Idaho State Historical Society performed an archaeological dig on a five-acre site at Fort Boise. The plot of land was supposedly a 113-year-old dumpsite and provided an interesting perspective into 19th century life. Our parcel of land functioned not only recreationally and for the community; it also provided the city of Boise with a window into our history. The land was a bridge between the past and the present. While nothing significant was expected to be found, archaeologists and the Idaho State Historical Society searched for bullets, buckles, bottles, and random debris and artifacts.
During this period of time rapid suburban development coupled with an increase in environmental awareness posed an interesting and important juxtaposition. The change in land use at Fort Boise demonstrated this very well. As suburbanization of the surrounding area continued, the need for a place of community involvement was growing. At the same time the desire for a refuge of nature and wildlife in the city grew. The park and surrounding military reserve provided both. The acknowledgement of the damage caused by suburban and urban development made the land set aside for wildlife important to the citizens of Boise, and the park became an area of enjoyment for the continuously increasing population.
Fort Boise was transformed into an area that satisfied the needs of many citizens of Boise. The shift to civilian land use provided the community with an area that held sentimental value and provided recreation, education, and preservation. The construction and transformation of land that went on during this period of time is largely what made Fort Boise what it is today. This was a pivotal and changing time in Boise (and United States) history, and in many ways our dynamic parcel reflects that.
Works Cited
United States Army Corps of Engineers. “Guide to Boise Barracks Ordnance Removal Report 1997-2002.” 1997-2002. Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives.
“Building & Site History.” Building & Site History. Accessed April 1, 2015.http://www.preservationidaho.org/advocacy/surgeons_quarters/building-site-history.
Ada History. Accessed March 31, 2015. https://adacounty.id.gov/Portals/0/DVS/Eng/Doc/AdaCountyFloodEvents.pdf.
“Boise Independent School District; Schools from the past.” Boise Schools. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://www.boiseschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=272127#lincoln.
Idaho Statesman, December 22, 1976, Life sec.
Idaho Statesman, June 22, 1979, Life sec.
Idaho Statesman, January 26, 1977. Life sec.
Idaho Statesman, August 25, 1977, Life sec.
Urban Environmental Boise 