FROM THE ARCHIVES – A BEST OF BOISEDEV STORY
Our friend Keleka found this incredible piece of Boise history – and you might find it familiar if you’ve been around a while.
The cartoon map shows Boise development frozen in amber circa 1990. Dirk Kempthorne was mayor, Big Jack was on the airwaves with your 90s pop tunes and Club Wholesale trumped Costco.
Below, I’ve listed all the businesses who are shown (that I could identify – there are a few I couldn’t make out. Of the 113 logos, only 39 businesses remain intact – or about a third. In a few cases, the businesses still exist under a new name (for instance, KF95 is now 94.9 The River), or have moved out of the area (Ore-Idaho) – those are technically defunct in the Boise area.
What strikes me is how few local retail businesses are still around – McU Sports is a standout example of a business with longevity, as is Dragonfly. Pojo’s, M&W, Hillcrest Floral and Lock Stock & Barrel are also still going strong.
Spend a few fun minutes exploring the map – click on it to view larger.
- 8th Street Deli & Pizzeria – DEFUNCT
- A Small World Center for Creativity – DEFUNCT
- Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina – DEFUNCT
- Ace Hardware – OPEN
- Albertsons – OPEN
- Art Attack Callery – DEFUNCT
- B&D Automotive – OPEN
- Basque Museum – OPEN
- Bavarian Foods Deli – DEFUNCT
- Bear River Valley – OPEN
- Bench Law Offices – DEFUNCT
- Big-O Tires – OPEN
- Blockbuster Video – DEFUNCT
- Bogus Basin – OPEN
- Bogus Basin Beverage – DEFUNCT
- Boise Bible Book – DEFUNCT
- Boise Cascade Corporation – OPEN
- Boise City Zoo – OPEN
- Boise Consumer Co-Op – OPEN
- Boise Gifts ‘N’ Guns – DEFUNCT
- Boise Hawks – OPEN
- Boise Rose Corner – DEFUNCT
- Boise State University – OPEN
- Boise Tour Train – DEFUNCT
- Brown Wrapper – DEFUNCT
- Burger N Brew – OPEN
- Burns Bros Truck Strop – DEFUNCT
- Cellular One – DEFUNCT
- Central District Health – OPEN
- Club Wholesale – DEFUNCT
- Copy Cat Printers – DEFUNCT
- Davies Reid – DEFUNCT
- Dewey’s Hallmark Cards & Gifts – DEFUNCT
- Discovery Center of Idaho – OPEN
- Doctors emergency medical – DEFUNCT
- Dollar Rent A Car – OPEN
- Dragonfly – OPEN
- El Gringo – DEFUNCT
- Fairview Pawn Inc. – DEFUNCT
- Fitness Source – DEFUNCT
- Floral Cuisine – DEFUNCT
- Foodways/Weight Watchers – DEFUNCT
- Fred Meyer – OPEN
- Fred’s Service & Repair Sinclair – DEFUNCT
- Fresh Pasta – DEFUNCT
- Golden Wheel – OPEN
- Hair Doctor Too – DEFUNCT
- Hillcrest Floral and Gifts – OPEN
- Idaho Famous Potatoes – OPEN
- Idaho Historical Museum – OPEN
- Idaho State Penitentiary – OPEN
- Idaho T’s T-Shirt Shop – DEFUNCT
- ITEX – DEFUNCT
- Joker’s Wild – DEFUNCT
- Julia Davis Fun Depot – DEFUNCT
- Kay’s Hallmark Cards & Gifts – DEFUNCT
- KF95 – DEFUNCT (Now 94.9 The River)
- King’s – DEFUNCT
- Koppel’s Browseville – DEFUNCT
- Life Flight – OPEN
- Little Professor Book Store – DEFUNCT
- Lock Stock & Barrel – OPEN
- M&W Market – OPEN
- Master Rooter – DEFUNCT
- McDonald’s – OPEN
- McU Sports – OPEN
- Mini World – DEFUNCT
- Molenaar Jewelers – DEFUNCT
- Morrison Center for the Performing Arts – OPEN
- Mountain State Tumor Institute – OPEN (Now St. Luke’s Cancer Institute)
- Nam King Chinese Cuisine – DEFUNCT
- Northview Assembly – OPEN
- Northwest Voyagers – DEFUNCT
- Optic One – DEFUNCT
- Ore-Ida Foods – DEFUNCT
- Overland Immediate Medical Care – DEFUNCT
- ParkCenter Mall – DEFUNCT
- PDQ Directories – DEFUNCT
- Peterson Motors – OPEN
- Phase II Fashions – DEFUNCT
- Physicians Immediate Care Center – DEFUNCT
- Pojo’s Electronic Amusements – OPEN
- Powers Assembly – DEFUNCT
- Premiere Home Video – DEFUNCT
- Quality Custom Cameras – DEFUNCT
- Quinns Restaurant & Lounge – OPEN
- Rax Restaurants – DEFUNCT
- Ronald McDonald House – OPEN
- Round Table Pizza Restaurant – DEFUNCT
- Roundtree Chevrolet Isuzu – DEFUNCT
- Rudy’s Mini Golf – DEFUNCT
- Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center – OPEN
- Shaklee – DEFUNCT
- St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center – OPEN
- Star Photo Service – DEFUNCT
- TCBY – DEFUNCT (In Boise)
- The BUS – DEFUNCT (Absorbed into Valley Regional Transit)
- The Flicks – OPEN
- The Printers Ink – DEFUNCT
- The Toy Crafters Outlet – DEFUNCT
- The Wig Image – DEFUNCT
- Third Dimension Cuts – DEFUNCT
- Tri-State Beauty Supply – DEFUNCT
- Trim ‘n’ Tan – DEFUNCT
- Tuxedos Inc. – DEFUNCT
- Valley Gym – DEFUNCT
- Vic’s Gourmet Popcorn – DEFUNCT
- Victor’s Lounge – DEFUNCT
- Weldcraft – DEFUNCT
- Westy’s Garden Lanes – OPEN
- Wheels R Fun – DEFUNCT
- Wright Patterson Real Estate – DEFUNCT
- Zach’s Frozen Yogurt – DEFUNCT
