Abandoned Idaho

This is the companion web site for the series of books by Howard Frisk on abandoned places in Idaho, published by Sutton Publishing and distributed by Casemate Publishers. There are five books in the series, scheduled to be published in 2025. This web site serves two purposes: for those who have purchased the books, this web site provides additional photographs and information that were not included in the books. For those who have not purchased the books, this web site provides a sampling of the photographs and stories to be found in the books.

Abandoned Idaho

Abandoned Mines of Eastern Idaho

Abandoned Mines of Western Idaho

Ghost Towns of Eastern Idaho

Ghost Towns of Western Idaho

Ghost Towns
Idaho has dozens of ghost towns. They are mostly the result of the boom and bust nature of gold and silver mining in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Three of them are featured in this section: Bayhorse, Silver City, and May. The exception to the rule is the town of May, since it was founded as a farming town. The town's lifeline was an old highway that ran through Pashimeroi Valley. When the highway was eventually re-routed, bypassing the town, May never recovered and became a ghost town.

Abandoned Mines
The discovery of significant silver and lead deposits in the Burke area of the Idaho panhandle led to a period of rapid growth and prosperity. The Hecla Mining Company was founded in 1891 with the goal of developing and operating mines in the region. The Hecla Star Mine began production in 1887. When fully developed, the Hecla Star Mine reportedly reached a depth of 9,000 feet with 60 miles of tunnels, making it the deepest mine in North America. From 1895 to 1958, 13,371,423 metric tons of ore were mined, from which 830,514 metric tons of lead was recovered.

Abandoned Railroads
The Camas Prairie Railroad route required an elevation gain of over 2,500 feet, the excavation of 7 tunnels, and the construction of 45 wooden trestles. The railroad was nicknamed the "railroad on stilts". The tallest trestle of all was the Lawyers Canyon Bridge, one of the few bridges built of steel. It reached a height of 286 feet, equivalent to a 28-floor high-rise building. The most notable of the wooden trestles was the Half Moon Bridge, which formed a curve over 684 feet long with a height of 141 feet. Train engineers reported that the bridge would sway up to eight feet as their train crossed it.

Abandoned Schools
Harrison is a small community located on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene, with a current population of about 200 people, down from its peak of around 1,000 in the early 1900s. The first school building was erected in 1896, and by 1903, there were 59 students. The citizens of Harrison clearly had high hopes for the future growth of their town, which might explain the construction of the large, multi-story public school pictured here. This school must have been the pride of the town, elegantly designed with intricate inlaid brick accents above the windows. Schools in Humphrey, Leesburg, and Hazelton are included in this section.

Businesses
Magee’s Bar and Grill is located on the Snake River Plain in Bingham County, just off Highway 26 between Blackfoot and Arco—a place that can easily be described as the middle of nowhere. Situated in the high desert at an elevation of over 5,000 feet and near widespread ancient lava fields, the area was completely unsuitable for farming. Also included in this section is Hotel Bovill, built in 1907 by Hugh Bovill. He became Bovill's first postmaster, with the post office attached to his hotel. The huge abandoned sugar beet factory near Preston is also featured.

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