Wallace, Idaho

There's a historic little mining town just east of our campground with lots of antique shops, breweries and restaurants that we decided to explore today. The town's name is Wallace, Idaho and is a diamond in the rough! It's widely known as "The Silver Capitol of the World" due to the extensive mining of silver in the area. Reportedly, there have been over one billion ounces of silver mined here since the 1800's, and is still being mined today. This town with a population of less than a thousand, is also well known for taking on big government in Washington, DC and winning.The Federal Highway Administration and The Idaho Transportation Department planned to route Interstate 90 right through the middle of Wallace which would mean the majority of the town would be bulldozed. A local business leader by the name of Harry Magnuson sued the FHA and the ITD alleging  they had failed to file an environmental impact study and a federal judge agreed, thus stopping the plan. Harry then secured placement of the entire town of Wallace on the National Register of Historic Places thus killing the plan to route I-90 through the town. As a result of Harry's efforts, a compromise was struck whereby the Interstate would be built overhead as a causeway or viaduct ,thereby preserving the entire town of Wallace. Photos of the causeway are below.

We are pulling out of Osburn, Idaho  tomorrow (Sunday)  headed for Wild Rose RV Park in Colbert, Washington. Colbert is near the town of Spokane, Washington. The owners of the park grow a vegetable garden for the guests to partake of, and we are definitely looking forward to that!

The upstairs of this building is the Masonic Lodge

Actual mining car used in one of the silver mines

Interesting Name

Zip Line company van with autographs of their clientele on the van.

Some really cool architecture in the old buidings

The I-90 Viaduct

Shoshone County Court House

The railway depot museum. Viaduct can be seen in the background.

Plaque honoring Harry Magnuson

Bordello Museum Sign

Bordello Museum. Hotel was next door.