Julia Davis Park
| Julia Davis Park | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Municipal park |
| Location |
700 S. Capitol Blvd. |
| Coordinates | 43°36′27.2″N 116°12′5.44″W / 43.607556°N 116.2015111°WCoordinates: 43°36′27.2″N 116°12′5.44″W / 43.607556°N 116.2015111°W |
| Area | 89.4 acres (362,000 m2) |
| Created | November 22, 1907 |
| Etymology | Julia Davis, wife of Thomas Jefferson Davis, who donated the land |
| Operated by | City of Boise Parks and Recreation Department |
| Status | Open all year, from sunrise to midnight |
700 S. Capitol Blvd.
Julia Davis Park is a municipal park in the downtown region of Boise, Idaho. Created in 1907 with a land donation from Thomas Jefferson Davis, it is the first park in the "String of Pearls", the group of parks operated by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department that are located along the Boise River. Being centrally located in Boise, the park contains several prominent sites, including museums such as the Boise Art Museum, the Idaho Historical Museum, and the Idaho Black History Museum, as well as other attractions like Zoo Boise, the Idaho Rose Society, and the Gene Harris Band Shell. The Boise River Greenbelt runs through the park, which is bordered by Broadway Avenue to the east, Capital Boulevard to the west, the Boise River to the south, and Myrtle Street to the north. Other amenities at Julia Davis Park include river access, statues, a rose garden, a playground and tennis court, a pond with paddle boat rentals, and a pedestrian bridge that connects the park with Boise State University.
Julia Davis Park has its roots in the 1862 journey of two orphans, Thomas and Frank Davis, who traveled to the Boise area from Cincinnati, Ohio, with hopes of joining in the widely publicized gold rush in the Idaho Territory. The brothers staked a claim and mined for a year, before building a cabin in 1863 on the Cottonwood Creek near the site of the present Julia Davis Park. On July 4, 1863, Fort Boise was established and shortly after, the Davis brothers along with seven friends met in the Davis' cabin and planned the formation of the City of Boise. According to one of the friends, William Lowery Ritchie, “in the summer of 1863 the soldiers came and established the garrison; that was sometime early in July. It was about that time we met in our cabin and formed a town co.” Thomas Davis came to play a pivotal role in the development of Boise as a city and sought to help attract visitors and pioneers to the valley. With his mining claim being less than profitable, Davis turned to the promotion of agriculture by planting 7,000 apple trees on his land along the Boise River. Additionally, he started buying up land in the valley from the United States land office, receiving Cash Certificate No. 1 for 160 acres (0.65 km2) in 1868 when the first land office opened up. Within several years, Davis went on to purchase the first water rights in the valley, as well as an additional 1,150 acres (4.7 km2) from the federal government along the foothills and where the town of Garden City was developed. In 1871, Davis married Julia McCrumb, who had travelled to Boise from Ontario, Canada, to visit family in 1869.
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