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Idaho City and its Pioneer /Boot Hill Cemetery
Location:
Idaho City is in western Idaho, 45 miles
northeast of Boise on Highway 21. Boot Hill Cemetery is located just
northeast of town.
Description:
Once a booming gold rush city, is now
a small town of 300 residents, though there are also unseen residents
of the past hanging around various parts of town.
When gold was discovered in the
Boise basin in 1862, Idaho City was the destination of thousands of
prospectors as well as business people to provide services for the huge
crowd, ranging from groceries to prostitutes. At its peak, there were
more than 250 businesses at home in this town, including clothing and
food stores, barbershops, pool halls and a bowling alley. For the lucky
few who hit the mother lode, Operas and theaters offered entertainment
for these newly wealthy patrons of the arts.
This city was transformed into "a
bawdy, lusty town where whisky was cheaper that water." As law
and order was in a relaxed state, life was cheap too, and many a person
died in the frequent gun fights. When the gold was mined out, most of
the prospectors left, letting the town return to a normal existence.
The city, like many of the gold
towns, suffered a series of fires, which destroyed about 80% of the
original town. The wealthier residents were able to rebuild the city
to the liking of all concerned, leaving a nice town for generations
to enjoy. Visitors to Idaho City today enjoy this well-preserved gold
rush town, with its plank-covered board walks, the 19th century buildings
and the Pioneer & Boot Hill Cemeteries that are there to see and
explore, as they stimulate the local economy.
History of Manifestations: Many
people died during the town's violent past, which often happened during
the time period of the gold rush era. Besides the casualties of the
many gun fights, the fires, disease and death from child birth also
took their toll.
Manifestations:
A) Many ghosts, apparitions float, linger
and saunter through both of the town's Cemeteries, Boot Hill and Pioneer,
after the sun goes on.
1) Several pre-teen boys, while exploring
the Pioneer Cemetery, saw a foggy, misty apparition of an old prospector,
described as sporting a short beard, western clothes and a vest.
2) In the Chinese section of this
cemetery, a young chinese girl is seen standing by a grave.
B) The old grocery store seems to
have not only living clientele, but also an apparition shopper who likes
to walk through the store, peruse the merchandise, and then saunter
toward the back of the store where he /she vanishes into the back wall.
C) The town's oldest saloon, Diamond
Lil's, which was built in 1862, also is haunted by past customers, long
dead, who had many a good time at this favorite place of respite, where
they enjoyed a drink and perhaps a game of cards, after a hard day in
the mines.
Still Haunted?
Yes indeed.
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