FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 11, 2018 |
Contact: Kate McGwire Public Information Officer 208-287-7008 |
Ada County Historic Preservation Council Quarterly Article
The Ada County Historic Preservation Council has released a quarterly article. This article is all about the historic walking tours in downtown Meridian and was written by Kathryn Almberg, one of the Historic Preservation Council members. The article below is full interesting facts about the history of Meridian and two different self-guided tours.
The Ada County Historic Preservation Council’s purpose is to preserve Ada County’s heritage. This is done mainly by educating property owners and the general public of the economic and intrinsic value of preserving historic sites. The council is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers seeking to preserve and share the history of Ada County. The council serves in an advisory role to the Board of Ada County Commissioners.
Meridian Walking Tours
By: Kathryn Almberg
Old town Meridian is a great place to visit if you haven’t been there in a while. When a lot of us think of Meridian today we think of The Village or one of the many new subdivisions that have popped up over the past decade but Meridian actually has a significant place in the history of the Treasure Valley. The original Meridian town site was established in 1893 and then incorporated as a village in 1903 when it was a bustling town of approximately 200 people. The settlement was originally called Hunter before it was renamed Meridian in 1894. The center of activity was along the railroad and in 1897 a creamery was built serving the dairy businesses that populated the area. At the turn of the century Meridian was the dairy center for the state of Idaho.
Today Meridian has grown exponentially to a town of over 90,000 people but it still retains the charm of its early settlers. Great effort has been undertaken to preserve and protect its history by people like Lila Hill who volunteers at the Meridian History Center at Meridian City Hall. Lila was instrumental in the formation of the history center and co-wrote a book on Meridian history, “They Came to Build a Community: A History of Meridian, Idaho and The People Called Methodists” with Dr. Glen Davidson. She was also an organizer of the Meridian Historical Society in 1987.
A flagship attraction for the Historical Society and the Meridian Historic Preservation Commission are its two walking tours. They are self guided tours of Meridian’s history and take you back in time through the early business districts and residential areas. Booklets for the tours can be picked up at city hall and at Generations Plaza at Main and Idaho streets. Each tour encompasses approximately a five-block area and the booklets have interesting information as well as a QR code that can be scanned with your smart phone to access additional information and photos as well as video. I recently took the west tour with my husband and was impressed with the quality of the materials and the thought that has gone into making each site interesting. Lila Hill narrates videos on several of the sites bringing the history of the place and people to life. If you are interested in spending an afternoon or evening strolling through beautiful old neighborhoods and catching a drink or dinner in a charming old town plan to visit Meridian, pick up a booklet and wander back in time, you will not be disappointed.