VISIT US AT FOOTE PARK INTERPRETIVE CENTER
ART & ENGINEERING IN THE OLD WEST
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Foote Park Center was built to improve the existing Foote Park Site to honor two individuals, Arthur DeWint and Mary Hallock Foote. They had important impacts on the physical and cultural developments in Idaho's Treasure Valley. The Center highlights the Footes who had a vision of the Treasure Valley populated with thousands of prosperous families.
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MEET THE FOOTES
The Foote Park Interpretive Center
Boise, Idaho
Visit the Interpretive Center at Foote Park and explore the history of both western illustrations and irrigation.
There you can:
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1. Peek through a window, gaze at the notch in the mountains, and then compare your view to Mary Hallock Foote’s drawing of the same scene
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2. Find the mosaic implanted in the Center’s floor and trace with your fingers the waterways that Arthur DeWint Foote choose for his irrigation system
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3. Seek out the remains of the stone cottage that once stood on this site and review the details on the Stone House Plaque that make the once- imposing residence come to life again
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4. Punch the buttons on Mary and Arthur’s audio posts and hear their stories about life in 1880's Boise.
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5. Check out the Mary and Arthur panels, looking for the most interesting facts that you can use to astound your guests as you pour forth Treasure Valley history.
OPENÂ HOURS
Stop By Today
Admission - Free
Open Daily
Sunrise to Sunset
WHO WERE THE FOOTES?
Learning is an ongoing process. At Foote Park Center, we believe that education is infinite. Our Center offers dynamic services and educational opportunities for our members as well as our guests. We highly prioritize providing learning opportunities for all our visitors, which is why we offer guided tours, classroom specials, and group discounts. Please let us know what your educational needs are, and how we can help.
MARY HALLOCK FOOTE
1847 – 1938
An accomplished illustrator and author
Created illustrations for key literary figures of her time, including Hawthorne, Whittier, Longfellow, and Louisa May Alcott, making her a nationally known artist
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Began her western travels with her husband Arthur De Wint Foote in 1876 and started writing her own stories, essays, and ultimately 12 novels
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Balanced her roles as wife, mother, novelist, illustrator, and interpreter of the American West
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Created an authentic depiction of western life that featured a woman’s gentler perspective
ARTHUR DEWINT FOOTE
1849 - 1933
A talented Mining & Civil Engineer
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Moved his family to Idaho and devoted his talents to the Boise River Irrigation Project
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Developed an irrigation plan for the New York Canal in the Treasure Valley
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Turned his experiences in Idaho, California, Nevada, and Colorado into engineering and entrepreneurial innovations that had significant impact in the American West
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Credited by the US Bureau of Reclamation who used his plan to complete the irrigation system in 1909