Wallace is located in Idaho’s panhandle near the Montana state line. It sprung to life during a silver mining boom in 1884. Within a few years Wallace was very prosperous and, with 2000 residents, the third largest town in the new state of Idaho.
The town persists today smaller than during its heyday, and the region is still an important mining hub with 1.2 billion ounces of silver having been produced in the county since silver was first discovered. Entering downtown Wallace is like going back in time a hundred years to it’s boom age as almost every building in its downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the picturesque one you see in this photo, the Northern Pacific Depot Museum, the old train station.
I love the beautiful setting of Wallace, nestled in a narrow valley framed by the Bitterroot mountains. I am reminded of the rapids of the South Fork of the Couer d’Alene River just behind the Depot and can almost hear them when studying this image…..
