Places in Idaho: Wallace

Basic Information

• Name: Wallace
• Population: 784
• Founded: 1884
• More Information: TripAdvisor

Directions

Wallace is easily accessed off of I-90 as it travels through the Idaho Panhandle.  It is about a 2 hour drive from Spokane.

Narrative

Along I-90 as it travels through the Idaho Panhandle there are various signs letting motorists know they are approaching the historic mining district of Wallace.  I have seen the signs before when driving on I-90 and decided to make a trip there one day with my family to check out the town.  I am glad we did because visiting Wallace made for a fun day out.

Wallace was founded in the spring of 1884, when Civil War veteran, Colonel William R. Wallace built a cabin in the middle of the established mining district.  Eventually more homes and business began to be built near Wallace’s original cabin.  Interestingly Wallace’s gravestone can be seen adjacent to the old railroad station in town:

Within a year after its founding in 1884, Wallace had a grocery store, general store, and other small businesses.  As profits from mining continued to grow so did the townsite.  Today the small business vibe of Wallace continues with many small shops catering to the tourists that visit the small historic town.  Most of the businesses are in beautifully preserved historic buildings:

One of the shops sits next to Wallace’s self proclaimed Center of the Universe:

Other small businesses are in buildings of a more recent vintage that have been converted to cater towards tourism:

One of the most well known small business operations today in Wallace is the Sierra Silver Mine Tours.  Their office is located in downtown Wallace and features a trolley that takes visitors to tour the mine.  My family and I did this tour and highly recommend it.

The small business success of Wallace today would not have been possible if it wasn’t for Mr. Harry Magnuson.  He was the man who fought to stop the construction of I-90 through downtown Wallace that would have required leveling most of the historic downtown area.  His legal fight delayed the construction of I-90 and caused Wallace to be the only location along the Interstate between Seattle to Boston that had a stoplight.  Eventually it was decided to spare the destruction of downtown and build the I-90 overpass around Wallace that exists today:

Next to the I-90 overpass is Wallace’s most visible building, the old Northern Pacific Railroad Station:

The station today is home to the Northern Pacific Railroad Museum which features free admission.  This definitely another place in town worth checking out.  Another museum in Wallace that seemed quite popular was the Oasis Bordello Museum.  I saw a lot of people going in and out of the Bordello Museum, but I did not think it would be appropriate to have my young kids visit:

Conclusion

The day my family and I spent in Wallace was quite enjoyable.  We had fun visiting the Sierra Silver Mine, exploring the train museum, and checking out the various shops downtown.  We also were able to get some awesome huckleberry shakes and eat dinner before heading back to Spokane.  For anyone looking for a nice day trip from the Spokane area or just a nice spot to break up a long drive on I-90, consider making a visit to Wallace, Idaho.