Flashback
Page 16 CALDWELL PERSPECTIVE
Caldwell’s Early “Light Rail” System (Part 1)
December 2016 by Madeline Buckendorf (with assistance from Chuck Randolph & Jan Boles)
Snowbound Streetcar (far left): c. 1912, courtesy of the Robert E. Smylie Archives, C of I
Dug up Streetcar Tracks: Cleveland Blvd. 2010, courtesy of Madeline Buckendorf
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THE STRENGTH TO
REBUILD & RECOVER
Did you know that Caldwell had an early version of a “light rail service” over 100 years ago? In 1912, electrified streetcars made a “loop” on tracks running from Boise to Caldwell and back. Leaders in both towns recognized the wisdom and profit of connecting to each other with a quick and affordable mode of transportation. Local investors had seen successful development of electric streetcars systems in major U.S. cities. Streetcar service in downtown Boise began as early as 1891 and it soon spread to new suburbs, such as Collister and Pierce Park. The streetcar operation in Boise developed into the “Boise and Interurban Railroad Company.” The company expanded its line west on present-day State Street to Eagle, Star, Middleton, and reached Caldwell by 1907. They soon had competition--The Boise Valley Railway Company, started by Doctor H.P. Ustick. Its line extended along the south side of the Boise River to the small village of Ustick and eventually to Meridian. These two companies consolidated and became the Idaho Traction Company by 1912. The valley-wide streetcar “loop,” a portion of which ran from Nampa along present-day Caldwell Boulevard, was completed to downtown Caldwell in December 1912. Caldwell city leaders and businessmen celebrated the first excursion on “The Loop” in a big way. The Caldwell Tribune reported on these festivities: “About 60 citizens joined the excursion and when the city of Nampa was reached, a big parade, headed by a great banner calling attention to ‘Caldwell, the Interurban Center,’ marched up and down and the streets, paying a brief visit to the brewery.” The party continued on to Meridian, and then to the streets of Boise: “Upon arriving at the Capital city, the boys formed in parade once more, headed by the big Caldwell banner, and accompanied by a perfect bedlam of horns, whistles, cymbals and drums….” They specifically marched by the office of the Statesman newspaper, which had belittled Caldwell and Canyon County in several editorials over the years. The excursion returned to Caldwell on the 10 p.m. streetcar, celebrating loudly all the way back. Farmers made use of streetcar lines to transport dairy, poultry, and produce to local markets. Some rural families used the Interurban system to carry students to high schools and sporting events adjacent to the tracks. Young scholars from Boise City and the surrounding area commuted to the College of Idaho’s campus on Cleveland Boulevard. Others planned sightseeing tours on the weekends along the route, stopping often at Caldwell’s Curtis Park for a picnic. On a good day, “looping the loop” could be completed in less than two hours. By the mid-1920s, new and affordable transportation technology spelled the end for electric railroad lines in the Boise Valley. Mass production made the automobile available to more people, and trucks took over the business of hauling freight. The financially struggling Idaho Traction Company ended electric rail service on the valley “Loop” in 1928. Motorized buses began to provide public transportation both locally and interstate. In 2010, streetcar rails buried under the pavement were finally removed from Cleveland Boulevard. There are still are three buildings or structures related to the Interurban streetcar line that remain in Caldwell: “The Hat” railway shelter on Cleveland Boulevard in front of the C of I campus, a streetcar storage shed on S. 5th Ave. near Blaine Street, and the former Idaho Railway Light & Power building presently housing the U of I Extension offices by Johnny on the Spot on the corner of 5th and Main streets. Who knows—perhaps a modern light rail system will once again serve Caldwell and the Boise Valley in the future.
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