River Street Neighborhood Community Center, Cherie Buckner-Webb Family Collection, MS081, Boise City Archives
Voices of River Street: A History of Urban Change and Community Strength, 1940-1972
August 29, 2024 - March 2025
Through the lens of work, play, social engagement, and celebrations, this exhibition explores the dynamic experiences of a variety of neighborhood residents who lived there between 1940 and 1972. Collections of photographs, oral history interviews and archaeological artifacts offer a glimpse into the personal experiences and memories of those who cherished this neighborhood as their home.
Aerial view of the River Street Neighborhood captured by Captain A.W. Stevens of the Army Air Corps, 1923
Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Downtown Boise area (1912), Library of Congress
1940s River Street: Expansion and Change
"We do not cater to colored persons." That was on the Greyhound Bus. Going from Pocatello to Grand Coulee, Washington and I got off -- I used to be crazy about a ham and egg sandwich and it choked me to death when I happened to look up and see – I couldn't eat another bite because that sign right there -- it was just choking me -- I couldn't eat no more. I went and got back on the bus. But they had service -- they couldn't refuse the service because I was Black.” - Rosa Tigner
The Great Depression severely disrupted life across Boise, leading to widespread unemployment, poverty, and collapse of local businesses. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933, he implemented federal recovery and relief initiatives aimed at addressing unemployment. These “New Deal” programs included the Works Progress Administration (WPA), National Youth Administration (NYA), and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). After a decade-long economic depression and with war looming on the horizon, Boise’s River Street Neighborhood was on the brink of significant change.
According to the 1940 census, nearly 20 percent of households in the River Street Neighborhood relied on New Deal agencies for employment. Jobs ranged from domestic work like sewing, canning food, and mattress-making to irrigation, farm labor, forestry, and road construction. Compared to the rest of Boise, more people in River Street benefited from federal relief programs and employment than other neighborhoods in the city. The area was predominately working class, with white, Black, and immigrant families.
During World War II, Gowen Field and Mountain Home Air Force operations brought an influx of servicemen. For Black servicemen and their families, racial covenants across Boise restricted their housing options to the River Street neighborhood. The inpouring of these families strained available space and drove rental prices up. Resident Bessie Steward recalled, “They just lived in every little hole they could...a lot of people made their garages into a little dwelling.”
During the 1940s and 1950s, Boise’s Black population nearly doubled, leading to hardened segregation throughout the city, and a rising stigma against the River Street Neighborhood.
Terrell family in living room, Connie (Terrell) Belle Family Collection, MS082; Boise City Archives
Nativity Scene, Richard “Dick” Madry Family Collection, MS083; Boise City Archives
Protest at the Idaho Capitol Building, Cherie Buckner-Webb Family Collection MS081; Boise City Archives
USO Group Photo, Connie (Terrell) Belle Family Collection, MS082; Boise City Archives
Sustaining Community
“Lee Street has not had many Black people period. I’d have to think about it, I can’t be sure, but it was a heck of a long time. And it wasn’t, you know, a special neighborhood or anything. The houses were no more unique than any place else. It just depended on the landlord. And Ben Thomas owned a lot of property down here and Ben Thomas was a Mr. Son-of-a-bitch also, you know.” - Dorothy Buckner
Many communities of people built the culture of the River Street Neighborhood -- communities of faith, culture, identity, and activism. Neighbors, friends, and family enjoyed life and making memories together within their different circles, to support and sustain each other.
Religion
Shared faith not only offered people a place for worship but also fostered a collective identity that transcended religious rituals. Church services, Sunday schools, and social gatherings played a significant role in daily life on River Street. Residents belonged to various congregations, including Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, and other assemblies. Local churches often held picnics, dances, and activities open to all denominations, or in partnership with each other. Congregation members hosted food pantries and supported new residents or neighbors who needed extra care.
Attending church enabled people to address local concerns and contemplate national questions that affected their local lives, although the churches themselves remained primarily sites of worship and not activism. Reverend James Hubbard of St. Paul Baptist Church actively pursued civil rights reforms as an individual and served as the vice president of the Boise chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
To support the church’s social mission, Hubbard also worked with youth and expanded educational opportunities for adult minorities. By 1970, approximately 20 percent of Boise’s Black population was affiliated with St. Paul Baptist Church. Today, St. Paul’s continues to serve Boise’s Black community as it has for more than a century. During the 1990s, the congregation moved from its original building to a new home, and the original frame church was relocated to Julia Davis Park where it now houses the Idaho Black History Museum.
Civil Rights in Boise
Like nearly every community across the United States, Boise employed its share of harmful discriminatory practices and laws, each focused on different cultural communities. Before World War II, Chinese and Chinese-American people in Boise suffered the effects of ordinances that targeted their businesses, and during the war, Japanese and Japanese-American residents endured racist threats against their safety and patriotism. The increase in Boise’s Black population during the 1940s and 1950s prompted landlords and business owners to segregate through social practice and institutionalized practices known as “de facto segregation.” Real estate agents quietly withdrew properties from the market to prevent Black buyers from purchasing anything outside of the River Street Neighborhood. Restaurant owners and shopkeepers quietly refused service to Black patrons.
River Street residents described “subtle” or “cryptic” racism at play in Boise, and this sparked an internal debate within the neighborhood. Compared to the states of the Deep South, where lynchings occurred regularly and segregation was the law, Boise was safer and more tolerable. Some argued that protests or discontent in Boise would endanger this relative safety. Others believed discrimination in any form should be contested, no matter how it compared to the South. Furthermore, racism in Boise was not always “subtle” – when the Buckner family moved out of River Street to the North End, racists burned a cross in the front yard of their new home.
“We were having dinner. My mom gets up in the middle of dinner, which we never did, because she had a feeling. She opened the front door and could see this fire in the neighbor’s yard. Actually, it wasn’t in their yard, we could see it from the window. It was in our yard. And that’s how we were welcomed. My father was in a hurry to put it out and put it in the trash. But my mom said, “They’re late, we’ve been here a year.” Actually, “the sons of b****** are late,” is what she said.” - Cherie Buckner Webb
Individuals often chose to take action and found community there. Dorothy Bucker lobbied the state legislature to pass Idaho’s first civil rights bill in 1961, making public accommodation discrimination a misdemeanor. Just a few years later, Black (and white) residents of Boise held the first civil rights rally in at the Capitol following the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After the rally, activists formed the Citizens for Civic Unity.
This group, which met in Dorothy Buckner’s home, pushed the state to pass a stronger civil and human rights bill that would bring Idaho in line with the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act and create an Idaho Human Rights Commission for enforcement of the law. As time passed and laws like the 1968 Fair Housing Act were enacted even in the face of opposition from the Boise Board of Realtors, Black Boiseans were no longer confined to River Street. However, debates between confronting and tolerating discrimination continued, especially in the face of organized white supremacy groups in Idaho, most dominantly the Aryan Nations. This group operated from a compound in North Idaho for more than two decades starting in the late 1970s.
Young and McClendon children, Jeanne Madry-Young Family Collection, MS078; Boise City Archives
Youth Choir, John Hardy Family Collection, MS084; Boise City Archives
River Street Neighborhood Community Center, Cherie Buckner-Webb Family Collection MS081; Boise City Archives
Laughter and Liberty: Childhood in River Street
“The neighborhood was very good for kids. You know, there was a lot of places to play, a lot of things to do down there, and so, it was, it was really a pretty good place to grow up.” – Richard “Dick” Madry
Residents who grew up in River Street remember a strong sense of community and outdoor play. The small neighborhood contained a wide world to explore and enjoy. From 1912 to 1970 neighborhood children lacked access to any nearby municipal park. Instead, they utilized empty grassy fields near Ninth Street, which hosted baseball teams from across the city. Families frequently walked to the fields to enjoy long games, and as one resident put it, “When they weren’t playing games over there well they were over there practicing.”
The Boise River was a favorite haunt for children of all ages. Kids learned to swim, fish, and paddle around on the water. The overgrown banks were perfect hiding spots, and before the 1950s development of Ann Morrison Park across the river, kids roamed the fields and ran through the herds of Angus cows grazing in the pastures. Thanks to children’s imagination and creativity, even the “undesirable” features of their neighborhood were a wealth of possibility. Gravel pits, train tracks, construction zones – each offered their own game and adventure.
While the adults in the neighborhood encouraged play, they also expected the children to engage with their community and the needs of others while living in River Street. Church socials, family dinners, and school activities played an enormous role in daily life, particularly for the Black residents.
One resident, Dorothy Buckner, established a neighborhood community center in 1970 where families and young people could spend time together, discuss local issues, and work together to solve problems. The community center offered a place for Black (and all) children to learn about and celebrate Black culture and history, and where Black cultural resources and activities – missing from the school curriculums – could be found. “Families” were large and contained relatives and close friends alike. Grown-ups looked out for kids in need of care and attention, and children had many homes and safe spaces throughout the neighborhood.
Within the River Street Neighborhood, barriers between children often fell away. Many residents remember white, Black, and immigrant children playing together across the streets. The norms were less fluid for the adults, for whom relations were friendly but rarely went deeper than the informality of neighborliness. It is clear that any expectations and social norms that were loose in the River Street Neighborhood changed when people crossed the boundaries and ventured into different parts of Boise.
Dinner Party, Connie (Terrell) Belle Family Collection, MS082; Boise City Archives
Front view of Pearl Grocery Store, Image donated to Boise City Department of Arts and History courtesy of John Bertram
A Close Neighborhood
As Boise grew, the River Street Neighborhood became isolated due to physical boundaries like freight warehouses, the railroad yard, and the Boise River. Working-class, immigrant, and diverse residents faced stigmas influenced by national stereotypes, contributing to systemic barriers that dictated movement and behavior within the neighborhood.
In the face of these strict boundaries, a close-knit community grew within the River Street Neighborhood. Residents cultivated a network of small businesses, communal gathering spaces, and mutual support among families, friends, and neighbors. Despite outsider perceptions of River Street, those within the neighborhood remember their community with pride and affection.
Residents displayed self-sufficiency and independence from the rest of Boise, relying on local grocers like Zurchers, Grand Avenue Market, and Pearl Grocery for their needs. Oral histories recount how neighbors supported each other, preparing food and checking in on those facing hardship. Children played freely, and families frequently gathered for celebrations.
During World War II, segregationist and racist norms confined Black families to River Street. Dorothy Buckner recalled how they helped newcomers find housing and work and shared resources during lean times. Discriminatory practices in Boise fostered an environment where interracial friendships and bonds developed within the neighborhood, particularly among children. However, these bonds were confined to the neighborhood, as one resident noted, “It wasn’t until you crossed the tracks that it was different.”
Dorthea and co-workers at Gon Lim Chinese restaurant, Jerry Bridges Family Collection, MS085; Boise City Archives
Working-Class Identity in River Street
For much of its history, River Street residents found solidarity in their work-life relationships. They understood each other’s needs and the hardship of making ends meet. Frugality dictated a certain amount of self-sufficiency; fruit trees bloomed across the neighborhood, and many River Street residents cultivated produce gardens on small plots and patches of land. Canning fruits and vegetables allowed people to store foodstuffs for lean times. Some residents raised chickens for eggs and meat, and family members took on work to help supplement household income.
In the 1940s, River Street was primarily a working-class neighborhood. People worked for the nearby railroad or in service jobs in downtown Boise hotels, shops, restaurants, and garages. As decades went by, wages and opportunities improved, but, as one resident recalled, Black workers were kept in low-wage positions and forced to stay within River Street and their economic class. Research suggests that Black women had a slightly better chance of finding service work than men. Still, they predominantly worked in domestic service jobs such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare.
Demolition, MS097, Capital City Development Corporation Collection, Boise City Archives
The 1970s: Urban Renewal on the Doorstep of River Street
River Street Neighborhood residents formed a tight-knit community in the mid-20th century despite facing disinvestment and isolation. By the 1960s, the neighborhood declined further due to white flight to suburban areas.
Before the 1968 Fair Housing Act, Black residents were confined to River Street by institutionalized discrimination and racially restrictive covenants. The area suffered from crumbling housing, weed-cracked sidewalks, and a lack of playgrounds, reflecting the broader urban decay as middle classes moved to new suburban subdivisions. The 1968 zoning code designated the neighborhood as “industrial,” accelerating its decline.
In 1964, the City of Boise established the Boise Redevelopment Agency (BRA) to address inner-city challenges. In 1972, BRA received a federal Neighborhood Development Program (NRP) grant to tackle River Street’s “blight.” The plan included rehabilitating some structures, demolishing others, extending streets, and removing unused railroad tracks. The Project Area Committee (PAC) was mostly composed of commercial and business owners, with few seats for neighborhood residents, many of whom were Black.
Resident activist John Bertram criticized the committee as “undemocratic,” claiming residents had lost control over their neighborhood. Although a plan was published in 1972, changing federal grant programs halted its implementation, and efforts to revive the neighborhood withered. At least some residents were disappointed. Rosa Tigner, who lived at 1317 River Street, exclaimed that, “we’ve been promised the sun, moon and stars and the great milky white way…are we to die again?”
Since 1972, the River Street Neighborhood has changed significantly, often without considering resident needs. New developments have displaced historic structures, and the area now includes a mix of commercial, light industrial, and residential uses. The Capitol City Development Corporation, BRA’s successor, purchased the Erma Hayman House in 2016 and donated it to City of Boise in 2020 to preserve and interpret the neighborhood’s history.
Erma Hayman House archaeological dig. Image courtesy Mark Werner.
River Street Public Archaeology Project
Nearly 45 years after university anthropologists conducted the first major archaeological dig on an African-American heritage site in Georgia, dozens of students, volunteers, and a team of archaeologists gathered in 2015 to excavate portions of the Erma Hayman House property. The Georgia excavation of a former slave cabin marked an important shift in archaeology, leading the field to uncover stories and experiences that are otherwise underrepresented in archives and cultural centers. The Hayman House dig was the first archaeology project dedicated to Black history in Boise, and sparked conversations about segregation practices, preservation work, and the many rich stories of the River Street Neighborhood.
The Erma Hayman House excavation findings added to existing scholarly research about Boise’s Black history and to Boise’s understanding of its Black and immigrant residents. Designed and led by Dr. William White III, this archaeology project included close collaboration with neighborhood residents and their descendants. Gradually, stories that emerged from this dig are complementing (and complicating) the better-known historical narrative of Boise’s place in Oregon Trail and homesteading history. Still, the stories of Boise’s Black and immigrant communities remain underrepresented in the city’s wider history and are narrowly understood today.
