The December 30, 1906, edition of the Idaho Statesman described a new park that was to be built as a destination site along the Boise and Interurban Railway. “Here will be a beautiful artificial lake, plenty of shade and a beautiful resort will be made of the 126 acres set aside for the purposes. Among the plans for this resort are roller coasters, loop-the-loops, merry-go-rounds, a summer theatre and there is also talk of establishing a country club house here, with golf links, etc.”
Pierce Park was named for its developer and one-time Boise Mayor, W.E. Pierce. The park cost $100,000 to build, which would be about $2.5 million in today’s dollars. It was an integral part of the Interurban system. Pierce was the company's president then and saw the need for a destination attraction to raise interest in the new Boise and Interurban Railway. In addition to the above-mentioned temptations, the park offered row boating, a dance pavilion, croquet plots, tennis courts, a bandstand, and refreshment stands, all for one low price. Nothing. Well, that was the price in the first few months of its operation. It wasn’t a complete giveaway, though. You had to pay a dime to get there on the Interurban.
On the opening day of the park, Labor Day 1907, there was a parade of unions. If that seems trivial in today’s right-to-work Idaho, just look at the participant list. There were the Typographical, Retail Clerks, Master Horse Shoers, Journeymen Horse Shoers, Barbers, Federal Labor, Teamsters, Tailors, Street Railway Employees, Meat Cutters, Stage Employees, Brewery Workers, Carpenters, Painters, Stone Cutters, Electrical Workers, Brick Layers, Hod Carriers, Plumbers, and Latherers unions.
In the days before the opening, the Statesman reported that “The members of each union will be in costume, which will add much to the effectiveness of the pageant. The painters’ float and the three floats by the stone cutters promise to be the most effective ever seen in the city. A novelty feature of the parade will be the initial appearance of the Scottish bagpipers, who will appear in costume.”
The parade boasted 1,000 men in line, viewed by some 6,000. The paper reported that “It was the unanimous verdict of the great audience which was assembled to witness the big Labor Day parade… that it was the finest ever seen in the city.”
Pierce Park operated from 1907 to 1928. Idaho Power later purchased the Boise and Interurban Railway. The Plantation Company eventually purchased the park, which is a big clue to its location. Pierce Park exists today as a Boise neighborhood, and the Plantation Golf Course is where the park once was.
Pierce Park was named for its developer and one-time Boise Mayor, W.E. Pierce. The park cost $100,000 to build, which would be about $2.5 million in today’s dollars. It was an integral part of the Interurban system. Pierce was the company's president then and saw the need for a destination attraction to raise interest in the new Boise and Interurban Railway. In addition to the above-mentioned temptations, the park offered row boating, a dance pavilion, croquet plots, tennis courts, a bandstand, and refreshment stands, all for one low price. Nothing. Well, that was the price in the first few months of its operation. It wasn’t a complete giveaway, though. You had to pay a dime to get there on the Interurban.
On the opening day of the park, Labor Day 1907, there was a parade of unions. If that seems trivial in today’s right-to-work Idaho, just look at the participant list. There were the Typographical, Retail Clerks, Master Horse Shoers, Journeymen Horse Shoers, Barbers, Federal Labor, Teamsters, Tailors, Street Railway Employees, Meat Cutters, Stage Employees, Brewery Workers, Carpenters, Painters, Stone Cutters, Electrical Workers, Brick Layers, Hod Carriers, Plumbers, and Latherers unions.
In the days before the opening, the Statesman reported that “The members of each union will be in costume, which will add much to the effectiveness of the pageant. The painters’ float and the three floats by the stone cutters promise to be the most effective ever seen in the city. A novelty feature of the parade will be the initial appearance of the Scottish bagpipers, who will appear in costume.”
The parade boasted 1,000 men in line, viewed by some 6,000. The paper reported that “It was the unanimous verdict of the great audience which was assembled to witness the big Labor Day parade… that it was the finest ever seen in the city.”
Pierce Park operated from 1907 to 1928. Idaho Power later purchased the Boise and Interurban Railway. The Plantation Company eventually purchased the park, which is a big clue to its location. Pierce Park exists today as a Boise neighborhood, and the Plantation Golf Course is where the park once was.
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