COURTESY of WWW.CITYOFNAMPA.US mining man, Colonel W.H. Dewey, became interested in Nampa. He built the Boise, Nampa and Owyhee railroad from Nampa to Murphy, Idaho. Dewey also promoted another railroad that was built from Nampa to Emmett and eventually to Lakeport, now McCall, Idaho. With Nampa the junction for four railroads, Dewey decided an elegant hotel was needed in the area. So in 1902, Dewey built the Dewey Palace Hotel. At that time, the Dewey Palace Hotel was considered one of the finest hotels in the West.
The Snake River Stampede In 1908, a group of Christian women organized a street fair. This street fair led to a popular annual event called the “Harvest Festival” where local farmers brought their fruits, vegetables, poultry and other goods to sell in downtown Nampa. In 1913, a bronco booking contest was added.
Over the years, the Harvest Festival faded away, but the rodeo portion of the festival, the Snake River Stampede, has continued to this day. Now, the Snake River Stampede is one of the top 10 rodeos in the prorodeo circuits. The Harvest Festival was revived in 2015 With so much passenger train for the 100th anniversary of the Stampede. traffic, Nampa needed a larger train station. In September of Nampa Today 1903, a new passenger station Agriculture has been and remains a key element of was completed. This train Nampa’s economy. Because of cultivation, agricultural station now houses the Canyon businesses have grown in Nampa. Currently Nampa is the County Historical Society home of the Amalgamated Sugar Factory, the Sorrento Museum on 1200 Front St. in Lactalis cheese factory and many others. Nampa. Although passenger train service was discontinued in Idaho in 1997 due to lack of funding and use, Nampa continues to be an important part of the Union Pacific mainline operations both now and in the foreseeable Downtown Fire future. On July 3, 1909, the entire downtown Nampa block between 12th and 13th avenues and First and Front streets was destroyed when a firecracker exploded in a wooden frame cigar store. This fire forced the residents of Nampa to rebuild a large part of the downtown area.
2021 VISITORS’ GUIDE
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