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Boise History: The 1967 Airport Bond

6/6/2023

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NOTE: This post was written by Tommy Dickey. Tommy was my spring intern from the Boise State University Department of History. He assisted me in researching stories for my blog.
 
By Tommy Dickey
 
Boise’s first airport was built in 1926, where Boise State University is today.  The city began purchasing land at the current location in 1936. By 1938, it boasted the world’s longest runway at 8,000 feet.
 
In 1961 the number of enplaned passengers was 86,000. That number reached 148,000 by 1966.
 
The City of Boise ran a general obligation bond election in 1967 to enlarge and remodel the airport terminal, providing better passenger services and more access for automobiles and parking. Don Duvall and the five-man Airport Commission advocated for the bond by speaking at forums to businessmen, ladies’ luncheons, and late-evening community gatherings. The bond issue passed with an overwhelming 75 percent voting in favor. It cost roughly $1.5 million.

The Boise airport has continued to adapt. The terminal has undergone several major remodels since the 1967 vote. In 2022 the Boise Airport reached almost 4.5 million passengers and is currently home to eight airlines.

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Map from a 1967 brochure showing "Boise's Strategic Location."
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    Author, Speaker

    Rick Just has been writing about Idaho history since 1989 when he wrote and recorded scripts for the Idaho Centennial Commission’s daily radio program, Idaho Snapshots. One of his Idaho books explores the history of Idaho's state parks: Images of America, Idaho State Parks. Rick also writes a regular column for Boise Weekly.

    Rick does public presentations on Idaho's state park history and the history of the Morrisite war for the Idaho Humanities Council's Speakers Bureau.idahohumanities.org/programs/inquiring-idaho/
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    Check out Rick's history of Idaho State Parks.

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