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 Barber Valley.
About six miles east of downtown Boise, the Barber Valley neighborhood is filled with new development. It might seem as though a whole new town has sprung up on what used to be open fields just a few decades ago, but development in Barber Valley is hardly new. Over a hundred years ago, the area experienced its first major building boom when the town of Barber, a company town for the Barber Lumber Company, was constructed in just a few short years. Though largely forgotten today, except for its name, the town reflects the boom-and-bust nature of small western communities in the era of lumber barons and railroad men.
James T. Barber and partners founded the Barber Lumber Company in 1902. They were Wisconsin lumbermen who sought timber in the Boise Basin following the depletion of forests in the Great Lakes region. A sawmill was constructed and a dam to power it along with a box factory and accompanying facilities. Between 1906 and 1907, a company town called Barberton, later shortened to just Barber, sprang up as well between the Boise River and the foothills. At its peak, the town hosted a hotel, general store, school and plenty of company housing.
From the start, however, the Barber Lumber Company struggled to streamline its timber moving operations and became embroiled in a legal scandal that hamstrung its business. The company was forced to shut down operations for several years while it fought a lawsuit alleging it had fraudulently obtained its timberland holdings. In 1912, after years of legal difficulties, the US Court of Appeals found the company innocent on all charges.
After these unpleasant beginnings, things began to settle down for Barber. In 1914, the Barber Lumber Company joined in a merger that ultimately created the Boise-Payette Lumber Company, and Barber grew into a typical company town that you might have found anywhere in timber country, save for one glaring distinction: Barber, Idaho was right up the road from a major city, rather than plopped in the middle of the wilderness. Trips to Boise for entertainment were common for Barber residents, and Barber children even attended high school in Boise. It was a thriving and unique community for years until the Boise-Payette mill shuttered its doors in 1935.
You may wonder where the town of Barber went after the mill shut down. Well, much of it was sold off and trucked right up the road to Boise. Many of Barber’s houses were purchased and moved to new lots in neighborhoods throughout the city. Though Barber was once a thriving town, these days you would hardly know any of this, as the land has once again been developed. While vestiges of the original infrastructure remain – the dam and powerhouse are still standing along the Boise River – the original mill site is now home to the residential development known as Harris Ranch.
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:
Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands. “Barber Pool History.” Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://idaholands.org/barber-pool-history/.
TAG Historical Research and Consulting. “Lost in Time: The History of Barber, Idaho.” Prepared for the Boise City Department of Arts & History. Accessed 2025. https://bvnaboise.org/assets/files/Lost_in_Time_BV_History.pdf.
