Next to the Idaho State Historical Museum is a complex of historic buildings that allows visitors a glimpse into how Idaho families lived in the past:  Pioneer Village in Julia Davis Park.

COSTON CABIN
        Made from logs cut from nearby cottonwood trees that lined the river, the Coston Cabin was originally located east of town.  Built in 1863, the cabin’s full-dovetail joinery illustrates typical construction techniques long practiced in America.  Isaac Coston experimented with soil quality and climate conditions and reported that constant air currents on the sloping ground helped fruit trees withstand frost conditions.  Coston had five daughters.  Helen, who was born in the cabin in 1873, became the first female probation officer in Ada County.

MAYOR LOGAN ADOBE HOUSE
        Mayor Thomas E. Logan’s house is a rare survivor of Boise’s adobe period.   Sun-dried brick, made on site, was used in many buildings in Boise’s early days.  Unfortunately, adobe bricks were easily damaged by moisture, and all examples except this home crumbled away or were torn down.  One section of wall in the house reveals the adobe and mud construction.   The Logans applied a red oil-based paint to help prevent deterioration.  

        Logan bought the house in 1868 for $2000, three years after it was built.  Logan established himself in the general merchandise business, was Boise’s first postmaster, and served four terms as mayor. This small, one-story building with a porch was originally located on Sixth Street between Grove and Main.  Exhibits inside explain the history of Boise.  Look through the stereoscope and see a 3D image of Boise.  Ring the streetcar bell and imagine the traffic in early Boise.

RICHARD C. ADELMANN HOUSE
        Originally located at the corner of Third and Jefferson Streets, this house was owned by Richard C. Adelmann, a Boise businessman, a volunteer firefighter, and part-time miner. With a gable roof and wooden wrap-around porch, the exterior illustrates features that were popular between 1870 and 1890.  In this house, two small rooms sit side by side in front of a larger third room to create a “hall and parlor” floor plan.

        Richard C. Adelmann immigrated to the United States from Germany when he was 8 years old.  In 1872 Adelmann opened a saloon on Main Street.  Three years later, Adelmann married Emma Ostner, daughter of Charles Ostner, an artist, who carved the George Washington statue on exhibit in the Idaho State Capitol.  Richard and Emma had two sons. After Emma’s death, Richard married her sister Julia and had four more children. 

LEWIS AND CLARK DISCOVERY PAVILION 
        This Pavilion was contructed in 2004 with funds from the Governor’s Idaho Lewis and Clark Trail Committee and it serves as an outdoor classroom for visitors and school groups. In 2010 the Lewis and Clark Discovery Trail was added and offers hands-on activities and exhibits for kids.

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson appreciates the modern amenities and technology of her house, like heating and air conditioning and indoor plumbing and electric light and refrigeration, but admires the skill of homebuilders of the past.

Admission is free to the Pioneer Village.  Hours: 9am–4:30pm Tuesday–Saturday, 1–4:30pm on Sunday. For more information call the Idaho State Historical Museum, 332-2120.