In 1910 a lavish, modern hotel could be found standing in the middle of the southern Idaho desert near where the town of Jerome is today. Actually, it is exactly where the town of Jerome is, because the hotel had been built as a way to create Jerome and sell tracts of land newly opened for farming.
Jerome Kuhn and his brother W. H. were developers from Pittsburgh who had created the North Side Land and Water Company and the South Side Land and Water Company. The former was on the north side of the Snake River and the latter to the south. The millionaire brothers were exploiting the new Milner Dam which would bring water to the thirsty desert through a system of canals.
Why start with a fancy hotel? Because the potential buyers of said property would need a place to stay while examining the land.
Jerome Kuhn left his name on the town of Jerome and the county with the same name. Possibly. There is considerable confusion about that. It might have been named for Jerome Kuhn, Sr, Jerome Kuhn, Jr, or for Jerome Hill, a prominent investor in the projects. Wendell, Idaho, meanwhile, was named after the son of W.H. Kuhn. Unless his initials were W.S., of course. I’ve seen it both ways.
But the hotel.
The North Side Inn was a landmark in Jerome for 58 years before being torn down in 1968. It was much loved, and many residents hated to see it go. Some loved it so much that they built a replica of the hotel in 2009. It was meant to function as an office building but wasn’t immediately successful in the economic downturn taking place at the time. Called Heritage Plaza, the 14,000 sq ft building resembles the North Side Inn on the exterior but with less detail.
Jerome Kuhn and his brother W. H. were developers from Pittsburgh who had created the North Side Land and Water Company and the South Side Land and Water Company. The former was on the north side of the Snake River and the latter to the south. The millionaire brothers were exploiting the new Milner Dam which would bring water to the thirsty desert through a system of canals.
Why start with a fancy hotel? Because the potential buyers of said property would need a place to stay while examining the land.
Jerome Kuhn left his name on the town of Jerome and the county with the same name. Possibly. There is considerable confusion about that. It might have been named for Jerome Kuhn, Sr, Jerome Kuhn, Jr, or for Jerome Hill, a prominent investor in the projects. Wendell, Idaho, meanwhile, was named after the son of W.H. Kuhn. Unless his initials were W.S., of course. I’ve seen it both ways.
But the hotel.
The North Side Inn was a landmark in Jerome for 58 years before being torn down in 1968. It was much loved, and many residents hated to see it go. Some loved it so much that they built a replica of the hotel in 2009. It was meant to function as an office building but wasn’t immediately successful in the economic downturn taking place at the time. Called Heritage Plaza, the 14,000 sq ft building resembles the North Side Inn on the exterior but with less detail.
Postcard photo of the original Northside Inn.
Heritage Plaza is reminiscent of the Northside Inn.
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