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Walter E. Pierce

May 22, 2024

Walter E. Pierce (January 9, 1860 - August 21, 1951) was a prominent real estate speculator in Boise City, Idaho, USA, in the late 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century. Pierce served as mayor of Boise City 1895-97 as it evolved from being a frontier community to being a modern town.

Walter E. Pierce
Walter Pierce in the early 20th century
Mayor of Boise, Idaho
In office
July 11, 1895 – July 15, 1897
Preceded byPeter Sonna
Succeeded byMoses Alexander
Personal details
Born(1860-01-09)January 9, 1860[1]
Waco, Texas
DiedAugust 21, 1951(1951-08-21) (aged 91)[2]
Boise, Idaho
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseGeorgianna Margaret Mundy
ProfessionReal estate developer

Early life edit

Walter E. Pierce was born January 9, 1860, in Waco, Texas, to parents Charles and Elizabeth (Harding) Pierce, from Providence, Rhode Island. The Pierce family had moved from Providence in 1854 and settled in Bell County, Texas, where Charles Pierce operated a sheep ranch. After Walter was born the family moved to Baxter Springs, Kansas, and Charles died there in 1860, leaving six children. After the death of her husband, Elizabeth Pierce moved the family to Vicksburg, Mississippi, but after seven years the family returned to Kansas. Later, Walter attended business college.[1]

In 1882 Pierce had become proprietor of the Arcade Hotel in Rich Hill, Missouri,[3] and he remained at the hotel at least until May, 1883.[4]

Pierce married Georgianna Margaret Mundy at the Palace Hotel in Butler, Missouri, on February 1, 1882.[3]

Career edit

 
Advertisement for W. E. Pierce & Co. in 1891

Soon after Idaho Territory became a state in 1890, the Pierces moved in September from Richfield, Kansas, to Boise City.[5] By October of that year, along with partners John M. Haines and L. H. Cox, he had founded W. E. Pierce & Co., a real estate and abstract company originally located at 820 Main Street, across from the Lemp Block.[6][7] W. E. Pierce & Co. were exclusive agents for the Resseguie Addition, the Hyde Park Addition,[8] the Lemp Addition,[9] Lemp's East Side Addition,[8] the DeLamar Addition,[10] the Bryon Addition,[11] and others.[2][12] The company also planted trees in areas under development.[13]

For the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, Pierce & Co. produced 5000 copies of a pamphlet, Boise the Beautiful, to be distributed from the fair's Idaho Building.[14] Then in 1895 the pamphlet was again distributed to attract settlers from Eastern states and capital from Eastern banking interests.[15]

Pierce was nominated for mayor of Boise City in 1895, a position he had not sought and one which his friends mistakenly believed he would decline.[16] A Democrat, Pierce won the election and served one term as mayor 1895-97. During his tenure, Boise City collected road taxes,[17] installed paved streets, cement sidewalks,[18][19] and regulated electric lines, telephone poles, and hydrants.[20] The city also enacted ordinances prohibiting prostitution[21] and promoting orderly conduct on city streets.[22][23][24]

In 1905 Pierce organized the Boise & Interurban Railroad, a 60-mile electric streetcar loop from Boise to Caldwell.[25] One stop on the streetcar loop was Pierce Park, constructed in 1907 four miles from Boise. Inspired by Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, the trolley park was a popular destination during the era of streetcars.[26]

In 1910 Pierce opened Boise's new Idaho Building,[27] a skyscraper of which the Idaho Statesman wrote: "Six stories in height, it towers above its neighbors like a mountain peak."[28]

When the Hotel Boise (Hoff Building) was constructed in 1930, Pierce was president and major stockholder.[29] The building is listed with the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource in the Boise Capitol Area District.[30]

In addition to holding other offices, Pierce served as a director of the Artesian Hot and Cold Water Company,[31] as president of the Boise Natatorium, as president of the Allen-Wright Furniture Co.,[32] as president of the Farmer's Bank of Star,[33] and as president of the Boise Chamber of Commerce.[34]

Pierce constructed a series of homes in Boise for his family. The Walter E. Pierce House (1914), designed by Wayland & Fennell, was purchased by the State of Idaho in 1947 and served as the official governor's mansion from 1947 to 1990.[35][36]

Death edit

Walter E. Pierce died August 21, 1951, in Boise.[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b French, Hiram T. (1899). An Illustrated History of the State of Idaho. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. p. 570.
  2. ^ a b c "Walter Pierce, Former Boise Mayor, Dies". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. August 22, 1951. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Rich Hill". The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo. Sedalia, Missouri. May 1, 1883. p. 3. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  4. ^ "Personal". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. September 13, 1890. p. 4.
  5. ^ "Local". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. October 19, 1890. p. 4.
  6. ^ Zion Bank and the bank garage now occupy the site.
  7. ^ a b "Things Are Moving". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. March 25, 1891. p. 8.
  8. ^ "Local Brevities". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. October 22, 1892. p. 1.
  9. ^ "Advertisement". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. September 30, 1892. p. 2.
  10. ^ "We Have Just Opened the Beautiful Bryon Addition". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. January 20, 1893. p. 8.
  11. ^ For example, the Locust Grove and Brumbach Additions. "Real Estate Activity". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. June 21, 1894. p. 1.
  12. ^ "Setting Out Trees". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. May 2, 1895. p. 3.
  13. ^ "Local Brevities". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. June 25, 1893. p. 8.
  14. ^ "Boise the Beautiful". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. May 5, 1895. p. 6.
  15. ^ "Gossip of Election". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. June 25, 1895. p. 3.
  16. ^ "Ordinance No. 169". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. September 22, 1895. p. 4.
  17. ^ "Notice of Issuance of Municipal Improvement Coupon Bonds". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. February 2, 1896. p. 7.
  18. ^ "Ordinance No. 173". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. March 11, 1896. p. 3.
  19. ^ "Ordinance No. 203". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. May 2, 1897. p. 5.
  20. ^ "Ordinance No. 181". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. March 11, 1896. p. 3.
  21. ^ "Ordinance No. 171, Ordinance No. 172". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. October 15, 1895. p. 4.
  22. ^ "Ordinance No. 196". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. September 8, 1896. p. 3.
  23. ^ "Ordinance No. 198". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. March 12, 1897. p. 5.
  24. ^ Kali Steppe (2004). "Clang, Clang, Clang, Went the Trolleys" (PDF). Boise State University. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  25. ^ "Boise Plans Big Resort". Lewiston Evening Teller. Lewiston, Idaho. June 5, 1907. p. 2. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  26. ^ Merle Wells (June 14, 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Idaho Building". National Park Service. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  27. ^ "New Lead Set in Building Activity in Boise in All Classes of Construction". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. January 1, 1911. p. 8.
  28. ^ Dale Stewart (April 15, 1962). "1916 Partnership Started Modestly, Grew into Large Baird Business". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. p. 43.
  29. ^ Arthur A. Hart (March 26, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Boise Capitol Area District". National Park Service. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  30. ^ "To Fix Water Rates". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. May 10, 1894. p. 6.
  31. ^ Hawley, James H. (1920). History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains. Vol. 2. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing. p. 639. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  32. ^ "Fifty Years Ago in the Statesman". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. June 30, 1957. p. 15.
  33. ^ "W. E. Pierce Elected President of Boise Chamber of Commerce". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. July 13, 1899. p. 2.
  34. ^ "Chief Executive's Residence Could Tell Its Own Story". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. March 9, 1947. p. 28.
  35. ^ "Pierce House". Idaho Architecture Project. Retrieved October 23, 2018.

External links edit

 
The Pierce Building (1903) was across Main Street from the Idanha Hotel (1901). The Pierce Building (right) was demolished in 1975 but remains visible in this 1908 photograph, and the building's corner turret has been preserved in C. W. Moore Park. Pierce & Co. purchased the corner lot with 50-foot frontage on Main Street in 1894, paying owner John M. Bray $9000.[1]
  • Boise, Idaho (Boise Commercial Club, 1908)
Political offices
Preceded by
Peter Sonna
 Mayor of Boise
1895–1897 		Succeeded by
  1. ^ "Real Estate Notes". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. February 9, 1894. p. 3.

May 22, 2024
walter, pierce, january, 1860, august, 1951, prominent, real, estate, speculator, boise, city, idaho, late, 19th, century, first, half, 20th, century, pierce, served, mayor, boise, city, 1895, evolved, from, being, frontier, community, being, modern, town, wal. Walter E Pierce January 9 1860 August 21 1951 was a prominent real estate speculator in Boise City Idaho USA in the late 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century Pierce served as mayor of Boise City 1895 97 as it evolved from being a frontier community to being a modern town Walter E PierceWalter Pierce in the early 20th centuryMayor of Boise IdahoIn office July 11 1895 July 15 1897Preceded byPeter SonnaSucceeded byMoses AlexanderPersonal detailsBorn 1860 01 09 January 9 1860 1 Waco TexasDiedAugust 21 1951 1951 08 21 aged 91 2 Boise IdahoPolitical partyDemocraticSpouseGeorgianna Margaret MundyProfessionReal estate developer Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editWalter E Pierce was born January 9 1860 in Waco Texas to parents Charles and Elizabeth Harding Pierce from Providence Rhode Island The Pierce family had moved from Providence in 1854 and settled in Bell County Texas where Charles Pierce operated a sheep ranch After Walter was born the family moved to Baxter Springs Kansas and Charles died there in 1860 leaving six children After the death of her husband Elizabeth Pierce moved the family to Vicksburg Mississippi but after seven years the family returned to Kansas Later Walter attended business college 1 In 1882 Pierce had become proprietor of the Arcade Hotel in Rich Hill Missouri 3 and he remained at the hotel at least until May 1883 4 Pierce married Georgianna Margaret Mundy at the Palace Hotel in Butler Missouri on February 1 1882 3 Career edit nbsp Advertisement for W E Pierce amp Co in 1891 Soon after Idaho Territory became a state in 1890 the Pierces moved in September from Richfield Kansas to Boise City 5 By October of that year along with partners John M Haines and L H Cox he had founded W E Pierce amp Co a real estate and abstract company originally located at 820 Main Street across from the Lemp Block 6 7 W E Pierce amp Co were exclusive agents for the Resseguie Addition the Hyde Park Addition 8 the Lemp Addition 9 Lemp s East Side Addition 8 the DeLamar Addition 10 the Bryon Addition 11 and others 2 12 The company also planted trees in areas under development 13 For the Chicago World s Fair in 1893 Pierce amp Co produced 5000 copies of a pamphlet Boise the Beautiful to be distributed from the fair s Idaho Building 14 Then in 1895 the pamphlet was again distributed to attract settlers from Eastern states and capital from Eastern banking interests 15 Pierce was nominated for mayor of Boise City in 1895 a position he had not sought and one which his friends mistakenly believed he would decline 16 A Democrat Pierce won the election and served one term as mayor 1895 97 During his tenure Boise City collected road taxes 17 installed paved streets cement sidewalks 18 19 and regulated electric lines telephone poles and hydrants 20 The city also enacted ordinances prohibiting prostitution 21 and promoting orderly conduct on city streets 22 23 24 In 1905 Pierce organized the Boise amp Interurban Railroad a 60 mile electric streetcar loop from Boise to Caldwell 25 One stop on the streetcar loop was Pierce Park constructed in 1907 four miles from Boise Inspired by Oaks Amusement Park in Portland the trolley park was a popular destination during the era of streetcars 26 In 1910 Pierce opened Boise s new Idaho Building 27 a skyscraper of which the Idaho Statesman wrote Six stories in height it towers above its neighbors like a mountain peak 28 When the Hotel Boise Hoff Building was constructed in 1930 Pierce was president and major stockholder 29 The building is listed with the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource in the Boise Capitol Area District 30 In addition to holding other offices Pierce served as a director of the Artesian Hot and Cold Water Company 31 as president of the Boise Natatorium as president of the Allen Wright Furniture Co 32 as president of the Farmer s Bank of Star 33 and as president of the Boise Chamber of Commerce 34 Pierce constructed a series of homes in Boise for his family The Walter E Pierce House 1914 designed by Wayland amp Fennell was purchased by the State of Idaho in 1947 and served as the official governor s mansion from 1947 to 1990 35 36 Death editWalter E Pierce died August 21 1951 in Boise 2 See also editPierce Borah House Pierce Park SchoolReferences edit a b French Hiram T 1899 An Illustrated History of the State of Idaho Chicago Lewis Publishing Co p 570 a b c Walter Pierce Former Boise Mayor Dies Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho August 22 1951 p 1 a b The Links of Love The Butler Weekly Times Butler Missouri February 1 1882 p 1 Retrieved October 19 2018 Rich Hill The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo Sedalia Missouri May 1 1883 p 3 Retrieved October 19 2018 Personal Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho September 13 1890 p 4 Local Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho October 19 1890 p 4 Zion Bank and the bank garage now occupy the site a b Things Are Moving Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho March 25 1891 p 8 Local Brevities Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho October 22 1892 p 1 Advertisement Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho September 30 1892 p 2 We Have Just Opened the Beautiful Bryon Addition Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho January 20 1893 p 8 For example the Locust Grove and Brumbach Additions Real Estate Activity Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho June 21 1894 p 1 Setting Out Trees Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho May 2 1895 p 3 Local Brevities Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho June 25 1893 p 8 Boise the Beautiful Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho May 5 1895 p 6 Gossip of Election Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho June 25 1895 p 3 Ordinance No 169 Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho September 22 1895 p 4 Notice of Issuance of Municipal Improvement Coupon Bonds Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho February 2 1896 p 7 Ordinance No 173 Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho March 11 1896 p 3 Ordinance No 203 Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho May 2 1897 p 5 Ordinance No 181 Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho March 11 1896 p 3 Ordinance No 171 Ordinance No 172 Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho October 15 1895 p 4 Ordinance No 196 Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho September 8 1896 p 3 Ordinance No 198 Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho March 12 1897 p 5 Kali Steppe 2004 Clang Clang Clang Went the Trolleys PDF Boise State University Retrieved October 21 2018 Boise Plans Big Resort Lewiston Evening Teller Lewiston Idaho June 5 1907 p 2 Retrieved October 22 2018 Merle Wells June 14 1978 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Idaho Building National Park Service Retrieved October 23 2018 New Lead Set in Building Activity in Boise in All Classes of Construction Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho January 1 1911 p 8 Dale Stewart April 15 1962 1916 Partnership Started Modestly Grew into Large Baird Business Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho p 43 Arthur A Hart March 26 1976 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Boise Capitol Area District National Park Service Retrieved October 23 2018 To Fix Water Rates Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho May 10 1894 p 6 Hawley James H 1920 History of Idaho The Gem of the Mountains Vol 2 Chicago S J Clarke Publishing p 639 Retrieved October 22 2018 Fifty Years Ago in the Statesman Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho June 30 1957 p 15 W E Pierce Elected President of Boise Chamber of Commerce Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho July 13 1899 p 2 Chief Executive s Residence Could Tell Its Own Story Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho March 9 1947 p 28 Pierce House Idaho Architecture Project Retrieved October 23 2018 External links edit nbsp The Pierce Building 1903 was across Main Street from the Idanha Hotel 1901 The Pierce Building right was demolished in 1975 but remains visible in this 1908 photograph and the building s corner turret has been preserved in C W Moore Park Pierce amp Co purchased the corner lot with 50 foot frontage on Main Street in 1894 paying owner John M Bray 9000 1 Boise Arts and History Walter E Pierce Boise Idaho Boise Commercial Club 1908 Political offices Preceded byPeter Sonna Mayor of Boise1895 1897 Succeeded byMoses Alexander Real Estate Notes Idaho Statesman Boise Idaho February 9 1894 p 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Walter E Pierce amp oldid 1181425498, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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