History of Our Neighborhood

The Hillcrest Neighborhood is located on the "second bench" or "Airport Bench" in Boise. It is the traditional home of the Shoshone Bannock and Shoshone Paiute tribes.

Nearly 150 years of transportation, settlement, irrigation, subdivision of lands, and recreation help define the history of the Hillcrest Neighborhood. Stage roads and trolley lines served as transportation routes for people, goods, and services throughout the valley and beyond. Irrigation water supplied from the New York Canal through its numerous laterals made settlement on what was an arid desert above the Boise River Valley possible. Large tracts of the Hillcrest Neighborhood were homesteaded by would-be farmers as well as persons of some notoriety in Boise history only to be subdivided into smaller parcels during the depression. The history within the Hillcrest Neighborhood boundaries is rich and varied. A few of the highlights of this history are summarized below.

Transportation

Boise City and Owyhee Stage Road; 1864

The Boise City and Owyhee Stage Road was established in 1864 as a vital transportation route, facilitating the movement of gold and silver from the mines in Silver City and Ruby City to the assay office in Boise. In addition to transporting precious metals, the road also provided a means for moving people and supplies between Boise and the mining districts. The Barnes and Yates Stage Company initially operated the route, running up to three trips weekly between the Owyhee mines and Boise City. However, in December 1865, the company sold the stage line to Hill Beachy, who delegated its management to his brother-in-law, John Early (Idaho State Historical Society, 1971).

The stage road extended from Silver City, crossing the Owyhee Mountains to the Snake River near what is now Swan Falls Dam. From there, it traversed the desert flats, entering the Boise area near the abandoned town of Mora at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road and Kuna-Mora Road. Within the Hillcrest Neighborhood Association boundaries, the road entered near Curtis Road and Targee Street, passing through what are now open fields near Eagleson, Spaulding, and Phillippi. It crossed Phillippi Street and Overland Road before eventually descending the Bench into downtown Boise (GLO Original Cadastral Survey Plat, 1868).

Boise Valley Railway Company number 101. Hillcrest Loop. Fairview Avenue. Idaho State Archives, 2878.

Hillcrest Trolley Loop; Ca 1912-1928

Boise’s trolley system, first established in 1890, became an essential mode of transportation through the early 20th century. The city’s first trolley line connected downtown Boise’s Main Street to the Natatorium on Warm Springs Avenue. Over time, the system expanded, with interurban lines linking Middleton, Star, Eagle, and Nampa to Boise. In 1912, these lines were consolidated into the Interurban Loop, which provided regional service.

The Hillcrest Trolley Loop, operating as early as 1907, extended service to Boise’s Bench. Tracks for the Hillcrest Loop began in South Boise on Chamberlain Street, climbed to the Bench, and proceeded west along Targee Street before heading north on Roosevelt Street—a route that aligns with parts of the Hillcrest Neighborhood Association boundary. The line then turned north to Emerald Street, skirting Morris Hill Cemetery, before continuing west to Garden Street. From there, it rejoined the main line on Fairview Avenue, descending into Garden City.

While much of the Bench at that time was still covered in sagebrush, the trolley ride itself was a noteworthy experience for residents and visitors alike (The Bench Mirror, 1957a; Historical Map of Boise, 1907).

Irrigation

Irrigation in the Boise Valley began soon after the Boise Basin gold rush. Early efforts focused on building canals to divert water from the Boise River to the surrounding low-lying river bottoms. However, the upper benches above Boise remained dry and unsuitable for farming.

In 1882, New York investors recognized the potential for irrigating these dry benches and hired Arthur D. Foote, a skilled engineer and surveyor, to design a canal system. Foote's ambitious plans included a 75-mile canal south of the Boise River, along with 5,000 miles of lateral ditches to irrigate potential farmland above the river. His design called for a canal with a 27-foot-wide bottom, a 47-foot-wide top, and a depth of 17.5 feet—capable of carrying enough water to irrigate between 300,000 and 500,000 acres once a reservoir was constructed upstream.

Foote estimated it would take five years to build the canal, with water reaching new farming settlements on the Bench within two to three years. The promise of irrigation drew enthusiastic homesteaders to the Bench, anticipating an agricultural boom (Idaho Historical Society, 1972).

Despite the grand plans, the New York Mining and Irrigation Company—sponsor of the project—faced financial trouble. In 1884, a national financial panic caused the collapse of the Baltimore firm underwriting the venture. Without sufficient funding, Foote made only limited progress. By 1886, he hired a small crew to blast rock in the canyon, doing just enough to retain the canal’s water rights.

In 1888, the project was scaled back under a new chief engineer, W.C. Bradbury, who managed to complete six miles of canal by 1891. Still, the project remained unfinished. With the water rights set to expire in 1895, settlers on the Bench grew increasingly desperate for irrigation (Idaho Historical Society, 1972).

At this critical juncture, two groups stepped in to take over. One was led by Ern Eagleson, whose family owned large tracts of land on the west side of what is now the Hillcrest Neighborhood. Eagleson formed the Ada County Farmers' Irrigation Company in February 1896 and invited settlers to join the effort. Meanwhile, another group of settlers organized the Farmers' Canal Company of Ada County and undertook construction themselves. Conflict arose, and the Farmers’ Canal Company forcibly removed Eagleson’s group from part of the project.

The dispute reached the Supreme Court, which awarded Eagleson’s group control of the canyon segment of the canal and gave the rest of the system to the Farmers' Canal Company (Idaho Historical Society, 1972).

Construction resumed, and on June 20, 1900, water finally flowed through the New York Canal. The full system, including the Diversion Dam and Deer Flat Reservoir, was completed by 1909.

Two principal laterals—the Eagleson and the Penninger—were completed before 1915, delivering water throughout the Hillcrest Neighborhood. This irrigation system transformed the Bench, enabling agriculture and laying the foundation for future residential development (Ada County Assessor, 2007a).

New York Canal construction, 1910, Bureau of Reclamation, Water Archives.

1938 Metsker Map

Homesteading: 1892-1908

The Hillcrest Neighborhood Association lies within Township 3 North, Range 2 East, covering parts of Sections 20, 21, 28, and 29. Most of the neighborhood lies in Section 20.

The first Euro-American settler in this area was Arthur De Wint Foote, who purchased 160 acres in the northeast corner of Section 20 in January 1892. Today, this land includes much of the Hillcrest Country Club, Hillcrest Elementary School, and a portion of Hillcrest Drive.

Arthur lived there with his wife, Mary Hallock Foote, a celebrated author and illustrator. During their time in the area, Mary wrote two of her notable books: Edith Bonham and The Chosen Valley. Around the turn of the century, the Footes sold their property to Andrew Hervey Eagleson. The original house and outbuildings were later demolished.

In January 1896, John W. Eagleson, at just 26 years old, purchased 160 acres in the east half of Section 20 from the federal government. This area is now roughly bounded by Targee Street, Phillippi Street, I-84, and the New York Canal. John settled there with his wife, Effa, and their three children: Donald, Grace, and John Jr.

A few years later, in June 1905, John’s mother, Martha Ann (Kerr) Eagleson, was granted 320 acres in the west half of Section 20 under the Desert Land Act. At age 68, Martha shared the land with her husband, Andrew Hervey Eagleson. Their property is now bounded by Curtis Road to the west, Overland Road to the north, Orchard Street and Phillippi (south of the interstate) to the east, and a road leading to a gravel pit south of the interstate. The Eaglesons had also purchased the former Foote property.

In March 1908, Carrie Margaret Kerr purchased 80 acres in the southeast quarter of Section 20, adjoining John Eagleson’s land to the west. Today, this area includes much of the New York Canal and the western section of Pasadena Drive.

The Hillcrest Neighborhood Association also includes most of the southwest quarter of Section 21. This 160-acre section was originally granted to Ira Simpson in 1902 under the Desert Land Act. Simpson also received 80 additional acres in the north half of Section 28, a portion of which is now part of the neighborhood. Today, this land is bordered by Targee Street to the north, Owyhee Street to the east, I-84 to the south, and Roosevelt Street to the west.

Lastly, a small portion of the Hillcrest Neighborhood lies within the north half of Section 29. This land was granted to the State of Idaho in 1894 under a special grant. It is now bordered by Roosevelt Street to the east, Wright Road to the south, Orchard Street to the west, and a northern boundary that runs due east from the Orchard Street Interchange.

Hillcrest Country Club

In 1925, while Boise’s new depot and mainline rail service were under construction, John and Harry Eagleson proposed the creation of a new country club on the former Foote Ranch. By the 1920s, the property—located south of Overland Road and bordering Roosevelt Street—was known as the Eagleson Ranch.

During a meeting to discuss the project, prominent Boise advocate Peter E. Cavaney emphasized the need to promote the city, declaring:

“Boise has been nestled here by the hills for 50 years, and the world has been going by. We are the least advertised city in the Northwest. Tourists don’t know of Boise. The young men are not going to stay in a town that is not going ahead. The wealthy Easterners are coming west, and Boise is not getting any of them. We need to go out after these tourists and advertise.”

The proposed golf course was seen as a valuable addition to Boise—both as a recreational asset and as a means to attract tourism. The project garnered strong local support, and residents funded the new course through bond sales. Construction began in 1926, and the Idaho Country Club officially opened in June 1927. Its board included Harry Eagleson (president), John W. Eagleson (vice president), and George F. Hughes (secretary and treasurer).

After financial struggles during the Great Depression, the club reorganized in 1940 under new leadership, including C.J. Strike, A.J. Gamble, S.G. Moon, C.J. Westcott, and Virgil McGee. It was then renamed the Hillcrest Country Club.

The original course was designed by Portland native George H. Otten, considered at the time to be “the best landscape and golf course architect in the Pacific Northwest.” Otten described the Hillcrest property as “the finest site for a golf links and clubhouse” he had ever encountered. Later improvements included a 9-hole expansion by A. Vernon Macan in 1958 and a course renovation by Robert Muir Graves in 1968.

America's Finest Country Club advertisement, Idaho Statesman, 1925.

1938 Aerial of the Hillcrest area

Country Club Manor Subdivision and Hillcrest Golf Course back nine, 1958, courtesy of the Day Family.

Early Subdivisions

The majority of the land within today’s Hillcrest Neighborhood boundaries remained in the Eagleson family’s ownership until 1938. According to the Metsker’s Atlas of Ada County (1938), only the former Arthur Foote property and land owned by Ira Simpson had changed hands. Foote’s land, acquired for the Idaho (later Hillcrest) Country Club, was listed under the ownership of Ernie Day.

By 1958, all land within the Hillcrest Neighborhood Association boundaries had been subdivided. The following is a list of all subdivisions established by that time and the sections in which they are located (Ada County Assessor, 2007).

Section 20:
A) Country Club Heights

B) Hillcrest Terrace

C) Capital Site Subdivision

D) Independent School District

E) Hillcrest Terrace

F) Country Club Subdivision

G) Hillcrest Country Club

Section 21:

A) Rutledge Heights

B) V.A. Roberts/Donald M. Day

C) Country Club Manor Subdivision

Section 28:

A) V. A. Roberts/Donald Day

B) City of Boise

Section 29:

A) V.A. Roberts/Donald Day

B) Don E. Eagleson and Country Club Subdivision

Location, location, location...

Beginning in 1938, many landowners surrounding Hillcrest Country Club began subdividing their properties, primarily for single-family residential development. Most of the neighborhood’s growth occurred after World War II, accelerating in the mid-1950s, partly due to the efforts of Day Realty, led by Ernest Day.

Day successfully persuaded the Home Builders Association of Southwestern Idaho and the Snake River Valley Electrical Association to host the second and third annual "Parade of Homes" events in the Country Club Manor subdivisions in 1957 and 1958. These events attracted thousands of visitors interested in exploring new home designs, layouts, décor, and amenities.

Featured innovations included all-electric and all-gas homes, promoted by Idaho Power and Intermountain Gas Company. The homes were designed by prominent Treasure Valley architects and builders. Among them was the "Ming Joy," a standout design by the architectural firm Grider and LaMarche. This home gained national recognition and was featured in Architectural Record as a Record Home of 1959—an honor only once bestowed on an Idaho home.

A key selling point for the neighborhood was its proximity to Hillcrest Country Club—especially the newly completed back nine. Real estate firms frequently marketed the club as a premier amenity to attract prospective buyers. During the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, Hillcrest became home to many prominent Boise residents, including: Richard Wilcomb, Patricia Ann Jordan, J.L. Eberle, John Richard Jordan, Gordon and Barbara Brookover, E.F. Lessinger, William and Romaine Hon, Max Bell, Bill and Claire Chandler, Robert Copple, and Robert Hendren.

The neighborhood features one property listed in the National Register of Historic Places, J. Gordon and Barbara J. Brookover House.

Today, the Hillcrest Neighborhood Association remains largely composed of single-family residences built during the postwar era, reflecting the neighborhood’s origins in mid-20th-century suburban development.

Ground breaking for the 1957 Parade of Homes, Idaho Statesman, 1957.

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