As America turns 250 years old this year and many are reflecting on our country’s past, we wanted to take a closer look at Idaho’s history, which reflects the breadth of the American experience. Discovering more about the places we see and touch in our daily lives can create deeper connections with our home and our community. So we’re taking a deep dive into the history of Boise, one small piece at a time with our America 250: Short Histories of Boise Project. Each Monday on Idaho Matters, we’ll bring you a snapshot of a small corner of our Capital City and its unique past.
Today, we’ll explore Sergeant City.
During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched a series of government programs collectively known as the New Deal. Some of these programs, such as the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, put unemployed Americans back to work on large infrastructure projects.
If you know where to look, you can still find remnants of the New Deal scattered throughout Boise. The Boise Art Museum, the Cabin Literary Center’s famous cabin and Bogus Basin Road are just a few examples. But one you might not have heard of is a national defense housing development near the intersection of Overland Road and Latah Street called “Sergeant City.” Built in 1941 with financing from the Federal Works Agency, Sergeant City transformed the surrounding area from farmland into a vibrant social scene, practically overnight.
The rapid construction of Sergeant City was needed following the establishment of Gowen Field, an Army air base named in honor of First Lieutenant Paul Gowen, a Caldwell native and West Point graduate who died in a tragic plane crash in Panama in 1938.
Gowen Field became a training center for the Army Air Corps, bringing thousands of military personnel to Boise during World War II. One challenge the Air Corps faced was where to house non-commissioned officers and their families who moved to Boise to work at Gowen Field. It was this need that led to the creation of the Sergeant City development on the Bench.
Plans for the housing complex included construction of more than 40 buildings with enough units to accommodate 100 families. By June 1941, 62 families had moved into the complex with another 38 soon to arrive. A strong sense of community quickly took root at Sergeant City as it was densely populated and located just a few miles from the base, not to mention the fact that residents were typically families who found themselves in a new city. They hosted dinner parties, welcomed guests from out of town and celebrated milestones – all of which were often announced in the local newspaper in the same way people today post to social media.
Though Sergeant City was the most common name used by residents, the official title was technically the “Whitney Homes.” One woman, when asked about the name controversy, told The Idaho Statesman “We were tickled pink over the name of ‘Sergeant City,’ which everybody uses. That fits our community perfectly, because all residents are sergeants and their families. That tells in two words exactly what our community is.”
Though it made up a spirited part of Army Air Corps life beyond the base at Gowen Field, the military community at Sergeant City dispersed at the end of World War II. By 1946, units at Sergeant City were opened up to veterans and their families and shortly thereafter were sold to private individuals. The years of Sergeant City being a hub for young sergeants and their families may be long gone, but many of the houses and apartment buildings remain. Sergeant City remains a living community today, even as the farms and orchards that once surrounded the neighborhood have given way to houses and businesses as Boise continues to grow.
The America 250: Short Histories of Boise Project is brought to you in collaboration with the City of Boise’s Department of Arts & History; with support from Boise State University’s History 502 class; and music provided by the City of Boise’s Cultural Ambassador, the Boise Philharmonic. The music, John Williams' "Liberty Fanfare," was recorded by the Boise Phil in 2025.
For a full schedule of city-sponsored America 250 events, visit City of Boise America 250 and for events and programs across the state, visit America 250 in Idaho.
References:
[Advertisement – Whitney Homes Housing Project Surplus Housing For Sale]. Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), July 24, 194: 9. NewsBank.
“FPHA Sells Whitney Bench Project Homes.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), June 23, 1947: 12. NewsBank.
Living New Deal. “Boise Sites.” Living New Deal. Accessed December 14, 2025. https://livingnewdeal.org/us/id/boise-id/.
Living New Deal. “Sergeant City Housing – Boise ID.” Living New Deal. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://livingnewdeal.org/sites/sergeant-city-housing-boise-id/.
Matthews, Betty. “Have You Seen Boise’s ‘Sergeant City’?” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), June 6, 1941: 12. NewsBank.
“Sergeant City Has New Name, Whitney Homes.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), June 24, 1941: 5. NewsBank.
“‘Sergeant City’ In Postwar Boom.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), January 25, 1946: 2. NewsBank.
“Sergeant City Versus Whitney Homes Causes Controversy Among Army Wives.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), July 2, 1941: 11. NewsBank.
State of Idaho, National Guard. “Our History.” State of Idaho. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://www.imd.idaho.gov/idaho-national-guard/our-history/.
“Work Virtually Completed on Boise Housing Project.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), May 28, 1941: 7. NewsBank.
“Work Will Begin Monday At Air Base Housing Site on Whitney Bench.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), February 2, 1941: 5. NewsBank.
