Boise, ID

Calling all history buffs!
This evening my daughter and I walked down Capital Boulevard in Boise to read the streetlamps. Yes, streetlamps. History on the Lights is a public art project funded by the Boise City Arts Commission. Boise artist and preservationist Mark Baltes designed and constructed porcelain enamel plaques that are permanently attached to pretty, historical streetlamps that line the walking corridor of Capital Boulevard. Each plaque is at about eye level (for me, at 5’ 8”) and has a picture and interesting bit of Boise history.

The streetlamps are numbered 1 to 15 and begin on Julia Davis Drive right in front of the Boise Art Museum. The first plaque has a picture of how the museum looked when it was built, and you can turn right around and see how it looks now, based on the explanation on the plaque. The walk continues to just past Boise Avenue where University Drive meets Capital Boulevard—not quite a half-mile stroll.

Every plaque begins with the question Did You Know? and then proceeds to fill you in on what you probably didn’t know. Most of the plaques coincide with a building or marker you can reference. I learned the kind of historical information that might make me seem really well informed to the point of possibly being annoying. Things like, the bridge on Capital Boulevard that goes across the river is The Oregon Trail Memorial Bridge. Every time I’ve crossed it, I’ve failed to notice that. Things like, Capital Boulevard was designed to be the grand entryway into Boise. Well, it’s always seemed nice to me. According to streetlamp #7, Charles Lindbergh landed in Boise near that spot in 1927. Boise State, my Alma Mater, grew out of a private academy for girls. Seems like I should have known that. . . I think the whole point of the project is to help people slow down a little and pay attention to things they typically zip right past without thinking about.

At about streetlamp #10 we noticed and began talking about the Ginkgo trees that line the walk. Ginkgos were thought to be extinct for centuries and so are often thought of as a kind of fossil. If you look down at the sidewalk as you walk, you will see imprints of Ginkgo leaves that fell into the concrete when it was being poured. A kind of fossil of the fossil tree!

We had a good time reading the plaques, taking pictures, remarking at what we were learning, and enjoying a beautiful part of town and nice weather. This is a relaxing way to spend an afternoon or evening, especially with good company. If you want to catch a bite or get a drink when you get to the last streetlamp–#15, there are three places to satisfy your needs on the same side of the street. Supposedly there are 16 streetlamps but we couldn’t find the last one and so called #15 the end. We got some Chinese food and continued up the hill to Platt Gardens at the Boise Depot for a picnic dinner while looking back down at Boise’s grand entryway.

I don’t know that this is the best outing for little ones. Some parents might get nervous that the sidewalk on the bridge is close to fast moving traffic. Also, some little ones might not really care what happened in historic Boise. If you are interested though, this is a fun way to take a step back in time.