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William (Bill) J. Castagneto_2
BILL: perhaps are aware is that Nampa years ago had an airport fairly close downtown. It was called the 80 Acres and it was bounded on High Street on the east and Midland on the west and just about to Davis on the north and a block west of the old high school on the east. It [00:00:30] was called the Lone Tree Airport because nearly in the middle was a great big old tree and back in those days they didn't have jets and the planes were small and they could land in a short distance so they roughed out a runway and would fly old biplanes in and out of this airport.
BILL: Also because it had sandy soil and easy to dig it was the habit of all of the kids in the West End large big kids [00:01:00] and small to go out and dig caves. We would dig caves somewhat apparently like the Viet Cong dug in Vietnam. We would go down two and three stories and cover them over with timbers and other coverings. This was all great and we kind of had gangs until of course as usually happens something happened that was undesirable and one of the caves caved [00:01:30] in on some members and one boy was killed. That ended the caves and it nearly also ended Lone Tree being considered an airport because they opened it up for development after that time.
BILL: And speaking of the young people who were active in different things, Nampa has always been an extremely great advocate for [00:02:00] the scouting programs. In the early days they were the headquarters for the Ore-Ida Council. One of the greatest leaders that we had was a man by the name of CFD Baptist who was the scout executive for the Ore-Ida Council for many many many years and one of the greatest contributors to its great development. I think just about every boy in the community somehow was [00:02:30] involved in a scouting program and this for these programs alone kept most boys very very active. There were constantly things to do from things in helping develop the community to things of personal development. There were encampments out at Lake Lowell. There were the contests and the councils that we had at various places where skills and other things were exhibited. [00:03:00] All in all, Nampa became very well known as a community who developed their youth and most of them going on to attain the highest ranks than the higher and the highest ranks in in scouting. And I believe that this helped to develop in Nampa a group of young men over the years who later were capable of becoming the leaders that helped Nampa develop [00:03:30] to the point that it is at the present time.
JACI: As you grew up in this area in the 30s, can you tell me how Nampa reacted to the Depression years?
BILL: Nampa, as I have told many people before, and I recall and I talked to our graduating class on our 40th anniversary [00:04:00] ten years ago, that Nampa really didn't know the Depression as most other areas did. This was my thought, but after making it I found nearly 100% agreement with everyone in attendance. Yes, we had a Depression here, but in those days Nampa was isolated. The only communications we had with the outside for the most part [00:04:30] was with the railroad. Highways, Highway 30 was just a sliver of a road going east and west and not a great amount of traffic on it. We didn't have access to the south as we do now and nor to the north. Aviation had not been developed and as a result we had to pretty much live on our own resources. And because of this [00:05:00] we found our lives interwoven with the other communities in the area and our ancestor communities to the east and to the west, Boise, Caldwell, the small communities of Kuna, out to Wilder, over to Middleton, and even to the little community of Roswell became the focus of most of our, the attention of our young people, especially in our schools, in [00:05:30] our interscholastic sports.
BILL: When we traveled outside of this area we had a hard time traveling in automobiles because of the roads. To illustrate this, east of Boise and before you get to Mountain Home, the road used to go over fairly close to the railroad in a parallel, a little place called Sunnyside. It reminded you as you went through there on the train, as I frequently did, of something out of a Western movie with [00:06:00] a general store and a saloon and a couple of things and that was all. But prominent alongside of the highway, between the highway and the railroad, was a great big sign that said Sunnyside, Idaho. Speed limit 100 miles an hour, Ford's do your damnedest. This, with this type of situation occurring when we traveled outside, and our longest trip that I remember in high school was a trip to play Idaho Falls. It was done by railroad and by sleeper [00:06:30] rather than by car or by air. There were lots of things to do and we made things to do.
BILL: As I had previously mentioned, I don't think that the community, the youth in the community, ever lacked for things to keep them occupied. There were great numbers of clubs, there were activities going on all the time. The Depression was known [00:07:00] here, but being agrarian, there was no one ever, there was never any lack of food or any threat of it. We had plenty of water, good water, sometimes a little bit too much, such as when Indian Creek would occasionally overflow and flood that part of the community. But the youngsters took care of themselves. They were good youngsters. There weren't a lot of good and new clothes during the Depression, but all the clothes that you [00:07:30] had usually were in good repair and were clean, which reflected upon the nature of our community as a whole. The inter-city rivalries at that time probably were the greatest interest to the youth. The rival between Nampa and Boise was tantamount to the major thing in a person's life. [00:08:00] Secondarily to that was the rival between our community of the West and Caldwell. The community from the time school started in the fall until basketball and track ended in the spring was a constant repetition of controversy as to who was the best and why. And during those years, Nampa produced probably as fine a crop of athletes and other students [00:08:30] as they have ever done before and in any other period.
JACI: Could you describe life in Nampa in the post-war era?
BILL: Having left Nampa in 1936 to go away to school and subsequent occupation and the war, we did not enter into anything happening in Nampa until 1946 when returning to our home in [00:09:00] Portland, we stopped off here, decided this was the place we wanted to be, and never got out of here. In fact, sending for all of our possessions rather than going after them. We settled in business and found a very healthy business climate in Nampa. Immediately after the war, there were no buildings available for any new business in the city of Nampa [00:09:30] and there was a lot to do and a lot of people wanting to go into business. I recall very emphatically that with two other parties, brother-in-law and another man, we set up two businesses hoping to make a go of both of them and we needed a place to to expand into. There were no places available but fortunately one place did become available [00:10:00] and we were fortunate in getting it. I think perhaps the reason was that it was owned by Mrs. Jensma, my old friend of years back, and I probably had an inside track.
BILL: We set up businesses and continued in them until the unfortunate death of both of my partners. But during this particular period of time, Nampa really came out of its cocoon and started to grow. [00:10:30] All of the clubs that of whom I, of which I was aware, became extremely active. A lot of new blood was injected into the community. A lot of new businesses were established. Nampa came out of its hibernation and became a factor, a great factor, in the development of the valley. And with the new blood, I sensed that there was a great [00:11:00] interest in changing a lot of what had been going on over the years in Nampa as a status quo.
BILL: We had, there was an extremely active and a very talented group of young men in the Nampa Junior Chamber of Commerce who perhaps led the way. I recall that about ten people got together, young men got together, and in those days [00:11:30] there was great apathy in a lot of things that happened. When a school board election would come up, if 20 votes were cast for a school board election, that was a great amount. In the Nampa City elections, if a like number of votes were cast for a councilman, that was a fairly good and acceptable number. And sensing this, this group of young fellows decided it was time for a change in Nampa, [00:12:00] and they thought they would let nature help them in making this change. The nature being of the apathy of the people, they were going to take advantage of it, and they did. They went out and their small numbers were able to recruit a sufficient number of people to come in and vote, and they made some very significant changes in the structure of Nampa's political and social structures. They were able to [00:12:30] bring into the city government people more desirous and able to put Nampa on to a more progressive course, and they elected a more progressive chamber of council, city council, and mayor.
BILL: They also went and checked the rodeo board, and it was at this time that it [00:13:00] was decided Nampa was trying to decide, are we going to continue to have a rodeo, or are we not? So the group helped in making this decision by electing, keeping those people on the board who they felt were progressive, and electing new people to replace those who were not. The decision is one that we all know, and that was to continue to go out on a limb and build a new stadium, which [00:13:30] was in itself a revolutionary thing that affected the entire rodeo world, a new concept of holding rodeos. The same thing happened in our city government. From that time on, through this process, and these men working, we were able to convert Nampa into a first-class city, opening up the doors for considerable progress to be made, and I think the story has been told, can be seen [00:14:00] very adequately, that this was the beginning of the real development of Nampa in the post-war years, with the aggressive attitude that they had.
BILL: I've tried to rack my mind as to the exact phraseology, but Nampa used to have, on its city hall, two little signs, one on each side of the main stairway. One of the signs, it seems to me, [00:14:30] said, Nampa, the progressive city, the home of the cow, the pig, and the hen. Now, there might have been some other kind of phraseology, but I remember this. It did become a progressive city, and I believe that it has been the better because of this.
BILL: Two other things, I think, happened during this period that are [00:15:00] noteworthy. This group of young people came up with the idea that Nampa, having been so active in athletics for so many years, and having good facilities, and the prospect of better, that the idea of having a full-time recreational director would be a good idea, and they pressed this idea. Ultimately, through the efforts of a large [00:15:30] number of people, the community gathered behind this, and because of the pressure, the city government set up Nampa as one of the very first to have a full-time recreational director, and fortunately, we have had only one. Wendell Christensen came in at the beginning of this program, and has been our recreational director up till recently, [00:16:00] at which time he semi-retired. This, I think, has been one of the great assists and benefits to the Napa community because of the residual effects that have come from not only the program itself, but the person that they brought in to do the job, and Nampa has benefited greatly.
BILL: Going back a few years, too, Pathfinder magazine, which used to be a pretty popular magazine, [00:16:30] made a survey and came up on their own, without any solicitation, and as a surprise to Nampa, in one of their magazines, as the capital of Main Street America, and for reasons that only they know, Nampa was chosen and named as the capital of Main Street America, and a lot of attention was given to this. [00:17:00] I remember that even one of the famous songwriters, I can't recall his name, it was Tomlin, Senator Tomlin, wrote a song about Nampa, and many of the major industries in the country cooperated with their outlets in this part of the country by making available [00:17:30] very scarce goods that were hard to get at that time to the merchants of the area, but the recognition was one of importance to us because we felt that it was really justified. We could look with honor and pride at what we had done and what we were doing, and Nampa, I think, was justifiably a good town to be selected as Main Street America.
BILL: [00:18:00] Another real asset to the development of Nampa was in the early part of 1930s when they decided to establish a new community swimming pool, a natatorium as they sometimes called it. This was actually started and completed and became a very popular [00:18:30] recreational activity for all of the people of the area, but especially amongst the youth. In the summertime it was always completely filled. It was a rather large pool, up to 12 feet deep in one end and 3 feet deep in the other. It's located across from Lakeview School on the northeast corner of 6th Street North and 12th Avenue. [00:19:00] Gibbs Hardware, I believe, is in it at the present time, but it was an open pool and cool water so that you could get in it early in the morning morning and stay in until mid-afternoon or late afternoon without getting all wrinkled or tired out. And we learned to have a lot of fun there, even having contests to see who could swim the farthest underwater. And some [00:19:30] developed the ability to swim from one end to the other and back without coming up for air, which would take about a minute and a half to do. But this was a very popular place for the young people.
BILL: Now, not all of the memories of downtown and development Nampa are pleasant, and like the 1909 fire that devastated part of downtown Nampa, another [00:20:00] disastrous fire occurred downtown in the Drake Drug Store, which is located, the Drake Drug Store was located where the Hirsch Company is located now on 2nd Street South between 12th and 13th. This disastrous fire [00:20:30] devastated a drugstore and resulted in tremendous injury and loss of life to persons in the drugstore and in the beauty shop, which is located in the mezzanine at the rear. This type of thing has only helped, as other disasters, in my opinion, to bring the citizens of Nampa together whenever there is some period of trial or any tribulation, [00:21:00] any misfortune. I believe that we can sum up the type of development that Nampa's had is due to the perseverance and the willingness on the part of all people, prominent and not so prominent, large and small, to put their shoulder to the wheel and to do whatever was necessary to help when help was needed.
BILL: [00:21:30] Perhaps in the memory of many who are citizens of the community at the present time is the memory of another disaster in 1947 when an unfortunate gas explosion totally destroyed and collapsed the Forbidden Palace, which is located on the north side of 1st Street between 13th and 14th with a [00:22:00] substantial loss of life and total destruction of property. A very unfortunate thing, but also another time when the community rallied behind when that type of support was necessary.
JACI: Are there any certain personalities you remember from Napa during your time here?
BILL: [00:22:30] There are no doubt scores and scores of these people, but one that comes to mind and a person that I am not personally acquainted with, but I'm knowledgeable, somewhat knowledgeable about, a product of Nampa by the name of Talbot Jennings, who became a professor at the University of Idaho where he wrote a number of plays depicting the early life [00:23:00] in Idaho and the origin of the state of Idaho. Later going to Hollywood where he was the screenwriter for many of the greatest movies that have been produced, I think that it would be wise that further research be made into Talbot's life because he was indeed one of our shining examples of product of our community. [00:23:30] To go back to other persons in the community, I think that it would be wise for all of us to remember the contribution that has been made by many of the old movers and shakers in the 20s and 30s and into the 30s. People who came along and developed good solid businesses, developed a [00:24:00] climate in Nampa conducive to business, who made a success of their life and through their time and effort and their money were able to help to develop many of the resources that the rest of us here in Nampa have benefited from. Many of these people are people that are well known, such as Windsor Lloyd and J.C. Winkert and Rising and Meffin and so [00:24:30] many of the persons that were in the professional field, such as the doctors Belknap and the doctors Mangum. A great number of people have left their impact on the city of Nampa and I think that we owe all of these people recognition as we're able to bring their names to light.
BILL: [00:25:00] An interesting sidelight and of special interest especially to all of the sweet-toothed youngsters of Nampa was an industry that was housed in a small wooden frame building on the southwest corner of 7th Street North and 11th Avenue North. It was the candy works [00:25:30] of Mr. Wilcox who made the most delicious candies, including the famous Lucky Bites and the Nampa Special. Every youngster that time knew what the Lucky Bites were because it was depending on the color of the center whether you won additional candy or did not. And the Nampa Special was a special concoction of [00:26:00] a ball, a large ball of the creamiest cut and crushed coconut covered by sweet milk chocolate, a delight and a treat for every youngster. These were primarily bought at the old Liberty Sweetshop operated by Oscar Clemens, adjacent to the Liberty, later to be called the Adelaide Theater, a very special hangout for all the kids [00:26:30] who had to have some type of treat to take to the show at that time.
BILL: Speaking of the shows, in the early years of scouting, approximately 1930, the Majestic Theater used to have a special activity once a week [00:27:00] in which different groups were invited to perform on the stage. And winners of these performances, these variety programs, were given nice prizes. And it was a desire of every youngster in every group to somehow develop a program that would get them onto the stage. The only time I got there was in a harmonica band under the direction of Roy [00:27:30] Tidwell, a former World War I veteran who was a master of the harmonica. And he got us all to playing harmonicas. And although we weren't comparable to the harmonicas, I think we did a pretty good job. And the only time that we performed, I remember, we did come through with first prize, but only because Roy was in back of the screen playing some of the more difficult parts.
BILL: [00:28:00] This type of activity, though, brought the community together. Of course, in those days, when you went to the theater to see a show, you usually saw the feature, but of equal importance was the cartoon that preceded it and of the Pathe news or the arcane news that preceded the cartoon. And I believe that even though we were isolated at the time, [00:28:30] that Nampa was kept pretty well abreast of what was going on in the outside world. I know I was because that was my favorite part of every show that I went to.
END OF RECORDING
BILL: perhaps are aware is that Nampa years ago had an airport fairly close downtown. It was called the 80 Acres and it was bounded on High Street on the east and Midland on the west and just about to Davis on the north and a block west of the old high school on the east. It [00:00:30] was called the Lone Tree Airport because nearly in the middle was a great big old tree and back in those days they didn't have jets and the planes were small and they could land in a short distance so they roughed out a runway and would fly old biplanes in and out of this airport.
BILL: Also because it had sandy soil and easy to dig it was the habit of all of the kids in the West End large big kids [00:01:00] and small to go out and dig caves. We would dig caves somewhat apparently like the Viet Cong dug in Vietnam. We would go down two and three stories and cover them over with timbers and other coverings. This was all great and we kind of had gangs until of course as usually happens something happened that was undesirable and one of the caves caved [00:01:30] in on some members and one boy was killed. That ended the caves and it nearly also ended Lone Tree being considered an airport because they opened it up for development after that time.
BILL: And speaking of the young people who were active in different things, Nampa has always been an extremely great advocate for [00:02:00] the scouting programs. In the early days they were the headquarters for the Ore-Ida Council. One of the greatest leaders that we had was a man by the name of CFD Baptist who was the scout executive for the Ore-Ida Council for many many many years and one of the greatest contributors to its great development. I think just about every boy in the community somehow was [00:02:30] involved in a scouting program and this for these programs alone kept most boys very very active. There were constantly things to do from things in helping develop the community to things of personal development. There were encampments out at Lake Lowell. There were the contests and the councils that we had at various places where skills and other things were exhibited. [00:03:00] All in all, Nampa became very well known as a community who developed their youth and most of them going on to attain the highest ranks than the higher and the highest ranks in in scouting. And I believe that this helped to develop in Nampa a group of young men over the years who later were capable of becoming the leaders that helped Nampa develop [00:03:30] to the point that it is at the present time.
JACI: As you grew up in this area in the 30s, can you tell me how Nampa reacted to the Depression years?
BILL: Nampa, as I have told many people before, and I recall and I talked to our graduating class on our 40th anniversary [00:04:00] ten years ago, that Nampa really didn't know the Depression as most other areas did. This was my thought, but after making it I found nearly 100% agreement with everyone in attendance. Yes, we had a Depression here, but in those days Nampa was isolated. The only communications we had with the outside for the most part [00:04:30] was with the railroad. Highways, Highway 30 was just a sliver of a road going east and west and not a great amount of traffic on it. We didn't have access to the south as we do now and nor to the north. Aviation had not been developed and as a result we had to pretty much live on our own resources. And because of this [00:05:00] we found our lives interwoven with the other communities in the area and our ancestor communities to the east and to the west, Boise, Caldwell, the small communities of Kuna, out to Wilder, over to Middleton, and even to the little community of Roswell became the focus of most of our, the attention of our young people, especially in our schools, in [00:05:30] our interscholastic sports.
BILL: When we traveled outside of this area we had a hard time traveling in automobiles because of the roads. To illustrate this, east of Boise and before you get to Mountain Home, the road used to go over fairly close to the railroad in a parallel, a little place called Sunnyside. It reminded you as you went through there on the train, as I frequently did, of something out of a Western movie with [00:06:00] a general store and a saloon and a couple of things and that was all. But prominent alongside of the highway, between the highway and the railroad, was a great big sign that said Sunnyside, Idaho. Speed limit 100 miles an hour, Ford's do your damnedest. This, with this type of situation occurring when we traveled outside, and our longest trip that I remember in high school was a trip to play Idaho Falls. It was done by railroad and by sleeper [00:06:30] rather than by car or by air. There were lots of things to do and we made things to do.
BILL: As I had previously mentioned, I don't think that the community, the youth in the community, ever lacked for things to keep them occupied. There were great numbers of clubs, there were activities going on all the time. The Depression was known [00:07:00] here, but being agrarian, there was no one ever, there was never any lack of food or any threat of it. We had plenty of water, good water, sometimes a little bit too much, such as when Indian Creek would occasionally overflow and flood that part of the community. But the youngsters took care of themselves. They were good youngsters. There weren't a lot of good and new clothes during the Depression, but all the clothes that you [00:07:30] had usually were in good repair and were clean, which reflected upon the nature of our community as a whole. The inter-city rivalries at that time probably were the greatest interest to the youth. The rival between Nampa and Boise was tantamount to the major thing in a person's life. [00:08:00] Secondarily to that was the rival between our community of the West and Caldwell. The community from the time school started in the fall until basketball and track ended in the spring was a constant repetition of controversy as to who was the best and why. And during those years, Nampa produced probably as fine a crop of athletes and other students [00:08:30] as they have ever done before and in any other period.
JACI: Could you describe life in Nampa in the post-war era?
BILL: Having left Nampa in 1936 to go away to school and subsequent occupation and the war, we did not enter into anything happening in Nampa until 1946 when returning to our home in [00:09:00] Portland, we stopped off here, decided this was the place we wanted to be, and never got out of here. In fact, sending for all of our possessions rather than going after them. We settled in business and found a very healthy business climate in Nampa. Immediately after the war, there were no buildings available for any new business in the city of Nampa [00:09:30] and there was a lot to do and a lot of people wanting to go into business. I recall very emphatically that with two other parties, brother-in-law and another man, we set up two businesses hoping to make a go of both of them and we needed a place to to expand into. There were no places available but fortunately one place did become available [00:10:00] and we were fortunate in getting it. I think perhaps the reason was that it was owned by Mrs. Jensma, my old friend of years back, and I probably had an inside track.
BILL: We set up businesses and continued in them until the unfortunate death of both of my partners. But during this particular period of time, Nampa really came out of its cocoon and started to grow. [00:10:30] All of the clubs that of whom I, of which I was aware, became extremely active. A lot of new blood was injected into the community. A lot of new businesses were established. Nampa came out of its hibernation and became a factor, a great factor, in the development of the valley. And with the new blood, I sensed that there was a great [00:11:00] interest in changing a lot of what had been going on over the years in Nampa as a status quo.
BILL: We had, there was an extremely active and a very talented group of young men in the Nampa Junior Chamber of Commerce who perhaps led the way. I recall that about ten people got together, young men got together, and in those days [00:11:30] there was great apathy in a lot of things that happened. When a school board election would come up, if 20 votes were cast for a school board election, that was a great amount. In the Nampa City elections, if a like number of votes were cast for a councilman, that was a fairly good and acceptable number. And sensing this, this group of young fellows decided it was time for a change in Nampa, [00:12:00] and they thought they would let nature help them in making this change. The nature being of the apathy of the people, they were going to take advantage of it, and they did. They went out and their small numbers were able to recruit a sufficient number of people to come in and vote, and they made some very significant changes in the structure of Nampa's political and social structures. They were able to [00:12:30] bring into the city government people more desirous and able to put Nampa on to a more progressive course, and they elected a more progressive chamber of council, city council, and mayor.
BILL: They also went and checked the rodeo board, and it was at this time that it [00:13:00] was decided Nampa was trying to decide, are we going to continue to have a rodeo, or are we not? So the group helped in making this decision by electing, keeping those people on the board who they felt were progressive, and electing new people to replace those who were not. The decision is one that we all know, and that was to continue to go out on a limb and build a new stadium, which [00:13:30] was in itself a revolutionary thing that affected the entire rodeo world, a new concept of holding rodeos. The same thing happened in our city government. From that time on, through this process, and these men working, we were able to convert Nampa into a first-class city, opening up the doors for considerable progress to be made, and I think the story has been told, can be seen [00:14:00] very adequately, that this was the beginning of the real development of Nampa in the post-war years, with the aggressive attitude that they had.
BILL: I've tried to rack my mind as to the exact phraseology, but Nampa used to have, on its city hall, two little signs, one on each side of the main stairway. One of the signs, it seems to me, [00:14:30] said, Nampa, the progressive city, the home of the cow, the pig, and the hen. Now, there might have been some other kind of phraseology, but I remember this. It did become a progressive city, and I believe that it has been the better because of this.
BILL: Two other things, I think, happened during this period that are [00:15:00] noteworthy. This group of young people came up with the idea that Nampa, having been so active in athletics for so many years, and having good facilities, and the prospect of better, that the idea of having a full-time recreational director would be a good idea, and they pressed this idea. Ultimately, through the efforts of a large [00:15:30] number of people, the community gathered behind this, and because of the pressure, the city government set up Nampa as one of the very first to have a full-time recreational director, and fortunately, we have had only one. Wendell Christensen came in at the beginning of this program, and has been our recreational director up till recently, [00:16:00] at which time he semi-retired. This, I think, has been one of the great assists and benefits to the Napa community because of the residual effects that have come from not only the program itself, but the person that they brought in to do the job, and Nampa has benefited greatly.
BILL: Going back a few years, too, Pathfinder magazine, which used to be a pretty popular magazine, [00:16:30] made a survey and came up on their own, without any solicitation, and as a surprise to Nampa, in one of their magazines, as the capital of Main Street America, and for reasons that only they know, Nampa was chosen and named as the capital of Main Street America, and a lot of attention was given to this. [00:17:00] I remember that even one of the famous songwriters, I can't recall his name, it was Tomlin, Senator Tomlin, wrote a song about Nampa, and many of the major industries in the country cooperated with their outlets in this part of the country by making available [00:17:30] very scarce goods that were hard to get at that time to the merchants of the area, but the recognition was one of importance to us because we felt that it was really justified. We could look with honor and pride at what we had done and what we were doing, and Nampa, I think, was justifiably a good town to be selected as Main Street America.
BILL: [00:18:00] Another real asset to the development of Nampa was in the early part of 1930s when they decided to establish a new community swimming pool, a natatorium as they sometimes called it. This was actually started and completed and became a very popular [00:18:30] recreational activity for all of the people of the area, but especially amongst the youth. In the summertime it was always completely filled. It was a rather large pool, up to 12 feet deep in one end and 3 feet deep in the other. It's located across from Lakeview School on the northeast corner of 6th Street North and 12th Avenue. [00:19:00] Gibbs Hardware, I believe, is in it at the present time, but it was an open pool and cool water so that you could get in it early in the morning morning and stay in until mid-afternoon or late afternoon without getting all wrinkled or tired out. And we learned to have a lot of fun there, even having contests to see who could swim the farthest underwater. And some [00:19:30] developed the ability to swim from one end to the other and back without coming up for air, which would take about a minute and a half to do. But this was a very popular place for the young people.
BILL: Now, not all of the memories of downtown and development Nampa are pleasant, and like the 1909 fire that devastated part of downtown Nampa, another [00:20:00] disastrous fire occurred downtown in the Drake Drug Store, which is located, the Drake Drug Store was located where the Hirsch Company is located now on 2nd Street South between 12th and 13th. This disastrous fire [00:20:30] devastated a drugstore and resulted in tremendous injury and loss of life to persons in the drugstore and in the beauty shop, which is located in the mezzanine at the rear. This type of thing has only helped, as other disasters, in my opinion, to bring the citizens of Nampa together whenever there is some period of trial or any tribulation, [00:21:00] any misfortune. I believe that we can sum up the type of development that Nampa's had is due to the perseverance and the willingness on the part of all people, prominent and not so prominent, large and small, to put their shoulder to the wheel and to do whatever was necessary to help when help was needed.
BILL: [00:21:30] Perhaps in the memory of many who are citizens of the community at the present time is the memory of another disaster in 1947 when an unfortunate gas explosion totally destroyed and collapsed the Forbidden Palace, which is located on the north side of 1st Street between 13th and 14th with a [00:22:00] substantial loss of life and total destruction of property. A very unfortunate thing, but also another time when the community rallied behind when that type of support was necessary.
JACI: Are there any certain personalities you remember from Napa during your time here?
BILL: [00:22:30] There are no doubt scores and scores of these people, but one that comes to mind and a person that I am not personally acquainted with, but I'm knowledgeable, somewhat knowledgeable about, a product of Nampa by the name of Talbot Jennings, who became a professor at the University of Idaho where he wrote a number of plays depicting the early life [00:23:00] in Idaho and the origin of the state of Idaho. Later going to Hollywood where he was the screenwriter for many of the greatest movies that have been produced, I think that it would be wise that further research be made into Talbot's life because he was indeed one of our shining examples of product of our community. [00:23:30] To go back to other persons in the community, I think that it would be wise for all of us to remember the contribution that has been made by many of the old movers and shakers in the 20s and 30s and into the 30s. People who came along and developed good solid businesses, developed a [00:24:00] climate in Nampa conducive to business, who made a success of their life and through their time and effort and their money were able to help to develop many of the resources that the rest of us here in Nampa have benefited from. Many of these people are people that are well known, such as Windsor Lloyd and J.C. Winkert and Rising and Meffin and so [00:24:30] many of the persons that were in the professional field, such as the doctors Belknap and the doctors Mangum. A great number of people have left their impact on the city of Nampa and I think that we owe all of these people recognition as we're able to bring their names to light.
BILL: [00:25:00] An interesting sidelight and of special interest especially to all of the sweet-toothed youngsters of Nampa was an industry that was housed in a small wooden frame building on the southwest corner of 7th Street North and 11th Avenue North. It was the candy works [00:25:30] of Mr. Wilcox who made the most delicious candies, including the famous Lucky Bites and the Nampa Special. Every youngster that time knew what the Lucky Bites were because it was depending on the color of the center whether you won additional candy or did not. And the Nampa Special was a special concoction of [00:26:00] a ball, a large ball of the creamiest cut and crushed coconut covered by sweet milk chocolate, a delight and a treat for every youngster. These were primarily bought at the old Liberty Sweetshop operated by Oscar Clemens, adjacent to the Liberty, later to be called the Adelaide Theater, a very special hangout for all the kids [00:26:30] who had to have some type of treat to take to the show at that time.
BILL: Speaking of the shows, in the early years of scouting, approximately 1930, the Majestic Theater used to have a special activity once a week [00:27:00] in which different groups were invited to perform on the stage. And winners of these performances, these variety programs, were given nice prizes. And it was a desire of every youngster in every group to somehow develop a program that would get them onto the stage. The only time I got there was in a harmonica band under the direction of Roy [00:27:30] Tidwell, a former World War I veteran who was a master of the harmonica. And he got us all to playing harmonicas. And although we weren't comparable to the harmonicas, I think we did a pretty good job. And the only time that we performed, I remember, we did come through with first prize, but only because Roy was in back of the screen playing some of the more difficult parts.
BILL: [00:28:00] This type of activity, though, brought the community together. Of course, in those days, when you went to the theater to see a show, you usually saw the feature, but of equal importance was the cartoon that preceded it and of the Pathe news or the arcane news that preceded the cartoon. And I believe that even though we were isolated at the time, [00:28:30] that Nampa was kept pretty well abreast of what was going on in the outside world. I know I was because that was my favorite part of every show that I went to.
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