The descent into Idaho from the Montana border down Lookout Pass on Interstate 90 largely follows the trail Capt. John Mullan blazed over 150 years ago. The Silver Valley is home to Shoshone County’s seat, the historic silver-mining city of Wallace, which has been something of a phoenix rising out of the ashes of two great fires.
Along with Wallace, the valley encompasses many other small mining towns, such as Mullan, Silverton, Osburn, Kellogg, Smelterville, Pinehurst, and Kingston, with diverse histories that are both humorous and heartbreaking. It also surrounds the Cataldo Mission, Idaho’s oldest standing building, built by the Jesuits and the Coeur d’Alene tribe in 1848.

In 2010, we put together a photo book on the Silver Valley, which you may order here.

Borrowing an idea from celebrated Idaho historian Merle W. Wells (1918-2000)–an idea Wells developed over many years at the Idaho State Historical Society–this webpage offers a chronologically ordered and evolving series of links to brief articles about Wallace, Idaho’s colorful history and, sometimes, related history in Shoshone County and beyond.  It’s a work in progress.  (Submissions welcome–send to ronroizen@frontier.com.)

Note:  Looking for a deeper introduction to Wallace’s storied history?  You might find what you’re looking for in “Wallace, Idaho’s basic bibliography.”

Whether you’re researching family history, planning a restoration project, or interested in volunteering, we’re here to help. Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers can connect you with resources, answer questions about Wallace’s historic properties, and guide you through preservation best practices.