Wallace
Wallace is a historic mining city in North Idaho in the United States. It is the principal city of the Silver Valley, which for many decades was the most productive silver mining region in the world. The entire city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it claims to be the only city in the U.S. listed in whole.
Understand
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This mining town fought for its survival on several occasions:
The Mining Wars: twice in the 1890s civilian rule was suspended in Wallace. Army troops enforced martial law, locking up every man 15 years of age and older in internment camps because striking miners blew up two mills (1892, 1899) a train (1899) and the Governor of Idaho (1905). The assassin, former Wallace area miner Harry Orchard, spent the rest of his life in prison. The men who allegedly hired him, union bosses with the Western Federation of Miners, also hired famed attorney Clarence Darrow and were acquitted for the conspiracy to murder the Governor.
The Fire: five years after the governor was blown up, the mountains blew up. Wallace was in the crosshairs of America's largest ever wild land fire, the Big Burn of 1910. 30 million acres, an area the size of Connecticut, were incinerated in a weekend. One-third to a half of Wallace burned, but these feisty folks lit four back-burns, put out falling embers the size of trees and battled fire tornadoes to survive. That catastrophe changed the way America fought fires and manages forest.
The Freeway: in 1967 the federal highway department announced plans to build Interstate 90 through Wallace, which would have led to the demolition of its downtown corridor and most of its residential area. The town fought back, holding up completion of project in court for nearly 20 years. In that time while city fathers sued, the ladies of the Wallace Historic Preservation Society -- mostly grandmothers -- went to every downtown building, filed reams of paperwork, hired historic architects and got every building, then the entire town placed on the National Register -- so the feds couldn't touch a brick. Wallace was saved and the highway department was forced to build a $43-million bypass.
Get in
[edit]Interstate 90 passes through town, Exit 61 at the west edge and Exit 62 at the east edge.
Get around
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Most businesses and museums are within a block of either Bank St or Sixth St. It's only about 0.5 mi (0.80 km) from one end of town to the other.
See
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- 1 Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum, 219 Sixth St, ☏ +1 208 752-0111. This two-story museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was relocated across the river when the I-90 overpass was being constructed. Colonel Wallace's gravestone can be seen at the lower right by the entrance, though his remains are in California.
- 2 Oasis Bordello Museum, 605 Cedar St, ☏ +1 208-753-0801. Summer season: daily 10AM-5PM. Tours start on the half hour. When the final occupants of the Oasis Rooms left in January 1988 (the last recorded date in the "hotel" registry), they seemed to have left in a hurry. Clothing, makeup, toiletries, food and personal items were all left behind. An accurate and tastefully-presented twenty-minute tour of the upper rooms explains the mystery of the ladies' hasty departure and gives a glimpse into the town's bawdy past with details that range from poignant to hilarious. The main floor is an unusual gift shop adorned with Robert Thomas murals that depict the realities of mining in an earlier era. The two-story brick building began its existence in 1895 as a hotel and saloon, and is one of the few structures in Wallace to survive the famous 1910 fire. At that time, Wallace men outnumbered women by nearly 200 to 1. The Oasis was one of five brothels operating without hindrance on Wallace's main street until 1973. $5/person.
- 3 Sierra Silver Mine Tour, 420 Fifth St, ☏ +1 208-752-5151. This is the only tour of its kind in the Northwest. You can experience the underground world of mining in the richest silver district on earth. The tour begins by boarding a 16-passenger trolley. On the short trip to and from the mine portal, a narrated tour is given of Historic Wallace. Hard hats are issued at the portal and an experienced miner is your guide as you walk through the main drift of the mine. Displays and exhibits are explained so people of all ages may safely observe equipment in operation and see modern and historical techniques used to mine silver, lead and zinc.
- 4 Silver History Site (Wallace Chamber of Commerce), 10 River St (at Exit 61). The open grounds surrounding the Chamber of Commerce has an interpretive walkway littered with brightly-painted historic mining equipment, leading to a restored machine house. There's also a large parking area and public restroom, making it a great rest stop after getting off the freeway. Free.
- 5 Wallace District Mining Museum, 509 Bank St, ☏ +1 208-556-1592. This museum documents the mining history of the Silver Valley, the richest silver mining region in the world. Artifacts and exhibits portray life during the heydays of the 1890s and early 1900s, and a walk-in "mine" exhibit demonstrates how all the various equipment was used. Videos are shown daily in the 30-seat theater. $5.
- Burke Road ghost towns (From I-90, get off at Exit 62, and turn left on to Burke Road; from Bank St, go east until you see a cross road, then go straight). A 5-mile drive or walk along Burke Road takes you through a collection of ghost towns - 1 Gem, 2 Frisco, 3 Black Bear, 4 Cornwall, 5 Mace, and 6 Burke. Many of the town sites have been cleaned up, so many of the buildings and houses are no longer standing. Visiting the Mining Museum in Wallace prior to this self-guided tour will prepare you to understand the life of the men and women who endured the hardships of a mining town, and show you some of the images and artifacts of the Burke area. Burke Road has no cellphone service, so bring a map.
Do
[edit]- 1 Sixth Street Melodrama, 212 Sixth St. Local actors and playwrights exercise their trade.
Outdoors
[edit]- Historic stairs. Wallace neighborhoods are built on a steep hill. The historic stairs have been restored and are a great way to adventure through the town.
- 2 Pulaski Tunnel Trail, FS Rd 456/Moon Pass Rd (From King St, continue about 1 mi to the well-marked parking area). Hike 4 mi (6.4 km) round-trip with 550 ft (170 m) gain along Placer Creek to the mine where firefighter Ed Pulaski saved 40 men from the 1910 Big Burn. Signage along the way tells the story, one of the most celebrated acts in the history of the U.S. Forest Service.
- 3 Silver Streak Zipline Tours (Zip Wallace), 315 5th St. 12 ziplines overlooking the picturesque Silver Valley, up to 60 mph
- Route of the Hiawatha Bike Trail. A 15-mile bike trail with a 1.6% gentle downhill grade, 10 tunnels (one is 2 miles long), and 7 railroad trestles.
- Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. 70 miles of rails-to-trails with full services along the way.
- 4 Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area, I-90 Exit 0, ☏ +1 208 744-1301, Info@SkiLookout.com. Voted most family-friendly ski area in the Pacific Northwest. Soft opening in November moving to being open daily. Season usually ends by April. Ticketed summer lift rides with free disc golf course at the summit, or huckleberry picking in August.
Festivals and events
[edit]- Extreme SkiJor & Snow Machine Grand Prix. February. Ski jump race in downtown Wallace, how cool.
- Wallace Craft Beer Pub Crawl. April. Microbrews descend on the 13 or more bars in Wallace.
- Depot Day. Early May. The town celebrates its railroad depot in conjunction with a Classic Car Show with entries from throughout the inland northwest.
- Gyro Days and Lead Creek Derby. June. Gyro Friendship club's primary fundraiser for scholarships. Follow the Gyro ball from Mullan to Wallace. Winning time wins the pot.
- Silver Valley Jeep Jamboree. June. Strut your Jeep. Guided Jeep runs and local Jeep competitions
- Statehood Day Parade. July 3. Celebrate the creation of Idaho
- Huckleberry Festival & Fun Run. August. Celebrate the unique berry with all sorts of delicacies.
- CDA Mining District Contest. August. Watch hard rock miners show off their skills
- Under the Freeway Flea Market. Labor Day Weekend (Aug-Sep). Find that cool old thing you didn't know you needed.
- Center of the Universe Re-Dedication. September. Wallace will be the center of the universe until you can prove otherwise. Ask the EPA!
- Fall for History Festival. Sep-Oct. Historical tours, lectures, exhibits all through town.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Idaho Silver Shop, 606 Bank St, ☏ +1 208-556-1171. Silver jewelry.
- 2 The Fox & The Hare Mountain Wear, 417 Sixth St. Outdoor wear.
- 3 North Idaho Trading Company, 504 Bank St, ☏ +1 208-753-2911. Antiques, collectables, curiosities.
- 4 The Woodland Market, 513 Bank St. Art and gifts.
- 5 Johnson's Gems, 605 Bank St, ☏ +1 208-556-0983. Gemstones, jewelry and collectables.
Eat
[edit]- 1 1313 Club, 608 Bank St, ☏ +1 208-752-9391. An historic saloon.
- 2 Blackboard Cafe, 517½ Bank St, ☏ +1 208-512-7553. Fresh, homemade dishes.
Drink
[edit]- 1 City Limits Brew Pub, 108 Nine Mile Rd. Home of North Idaho Mountain Brew, provides a full unique pub-fare menu including gluten-free and vegetarian options.
- 2 Cogs Gastropub, 424 6th St. Craft beers, cocktails and light fare, including BBQ and California Street Tacos. They also have a fully stocked cigar humidor.
- 3 The Fainting Goat Wine Bar and Tap Room, 516 Bank St.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Ryan Hotel, 608 Cedar St, ☏ +1 208-753-6001.
- 2 Wallace Inn, 100 Front St (off Exit 61), ☏ +1 208-752-1252.
- 3 Wallace RV Park, 108 Nine Mile Rd, ☏ +1 208-753-7121.
Go next
[edit]- Kellogg is a nearby mining town with a gold mine tour, a mining disaster memorial, and a variety of fun metal sculptures.
- Missoula
| Routes through Wallace |
| Spokane ← Coeur d'Alene ← | W  E |
→ Superior → Missoula |