Old Idaho is Fading Away and Will Soon be Gone

If you haven’t seen old Idaho, see it now. It won’t be here in 15 years.

I went for a long drive. It had been a long time since I got out of the house. As part of my recovery from a medical procedure, I had been staying close to home. On Saturday, I drove to Horseshoe Bend. There’s a restaurant there that I had heard about. Good reviews. It’s where I had lunch. Then I turned around and headed home.

Horseshoe Bend is less than 25 miles away from Boise. It’s also a world apart. I would call it old Idaho. Rustic would be a good description. Aside from some mansions on top of the mountain, the place still has a small-town character.

That changes on the Boise side of the mountain. There are several planned communities in various stages of construction. Some are complete with parks, ponds, stores, and community centers. The mansions in Horseshoe Bend may be a preview of what’s coming.

In one of the new communities, the homes are jammed on small lots and you could almost reach from an open window and touch the next building. Knowing how dry the area is, I would be fearful of wildfire. It looks like it could take out the neighborhood. Something like that happened a few years ago in the Boise Foothills. Some clown shooting off fireworks took out several homes. Idaho’s House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel told me a few months ago that took place where she lived. Her home was spared.

Put aside firefighting for a moment. Where is the drinking water going to come from in 15 years?

The character of old Idaho is under assault. Credit Bill Colley.

Wide open spaces threatened. Credit Bill Colley.

A bit of Horseshoe Bend history. Credit Bill Colley.

Coming to a town near you. Credit Bill Colley.

You can hear a neighbor cough. Credit Bill Colley.

The self-contained town. Credit Bill Colley.

They keep coming. Credit Bill Colley.