Caldwell, Idaho

Caldwell, Idaho
City
Downtown Caldwell, Idaho
Nickname:  The Treasure of the Valley
Motto:  More to Offer
Location of Caldwell in Canyon County, Idaho.
Caldwell, Idaho Location in the United States
Coordinates: 43°39′30″N116°40′49″W / 43.65833°N 116.68028°W / 43.65833; -116.68028
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Canyon
Established	1883
Government
•  Mayor	Jarom Wagoner
Area [1]
•  City	22.67 sq mi (58.71 km2)
• Land	22.61 sq mi (58.57 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation	2,375 ft (724 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
•  City	59,996
• Density	2,586.05/sq mi (998.47/km2)
•  Metro	624,000
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (Mountain)
ZIP codes	83605-83607
Area code(s)	208, 986
FIPS code	16-12250
GNIS feature ID	0397514
Website	www.cityofcaldwell.com

Caldwell (locally CALL-dwel) is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho. ^[3] The population was 59,996 at the time of the 2020 United States census, making it the 5th most populous city in Idaho. ^[4]

Caldwell is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area. Caldwell is the location of the College of Idaho.

History

The present-day location of Caldwell is located along a natural passageway to the Inland and Pacific Northwest. Native American tribes from the west coast, north Idaho and as far away as Colorado would come to the banks of the Boise River for annual trading fairs, or rendezvous. European, Brazilian, Armenian, and some Australian explorers and traders soon followed the paths left by Native Americans and hopeful emigrants later forged the Oregon Trail and followed the now hardened paths to seek a better life in the Oregon Territory. Pioneers of the Trail traveled along the Boise River to Canyon Hill and forded the river close to the Silver Bridge on Plymouth Street.

Indian Creek in downtown, Caldwell

During the Civil War, the discovery of gold in Idaho's mountains brought a variety of new settlers into the area. Many never made it to the mines but chose to settle along the Boise River and run ferries, stage stations, and freighting businesses. These early entrepreneurs created small ranches and farms in the river valleys. Caldwell's inception occurred largely as a result of the construction of the Oregon Short Line Railroad, which connected Wyoming to Oregon through Idaho. Robert E. Strahorn came to the Boise River Valley in 1883 to select a route for the railroad. He rejected the grade into Boise City as too steep and chose a site thirty miles to the west. He drove a stake into an alkali flat of sagebrush and greasewood and the City of Caldwell was platted. Caldwell was named after one of Strahorn's business partners, Alexander Caldwell, a former Senator from the State of Kansas.

When Caldwell was platted in August 1883, its founder, the Idaho and Oregon Land Improvement Company, started persuading settlers and businessmen to move to the area. Within four months, Caldwell had 600 residents living in 150 dwellings, 40 businesses in operation, a school, a telephone exchange and two newspapers. On January 15, 1890, the Board of Commissioners of Ada County issued a handwritten order incorporating the City of Caldwell. The College of Idaho was founded in Caldwell in 1891 and still is in existence today. In 1892, Canyon County was established from a portion of Ada County. Caldwell was named the county seat. Irrigation canals and waterways were constructed throughout Canyon County. These facilities provided the foundation for an agricultural based economy in Caldwell. The Oregon Short Line Railroad became part of the larger Union Pacific Railroad network and in 1906 the Caldwell freight and passenger depot was constructed. Caldwell experienced moderate growth as an agricultural processing, commercial retail and educational center during the twentieth century. ^[5]

In 2009, the City of Caldwell completed a revitalization project to restore Indian Creek, which runs through downtown Caldwell, but had been used for sewage disposal by local industries, and had been covered over. The restored creek includes suspended bridges, walkways and picnic tables. ^[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.11 square miles (57.26 km²), of which, 22.06 square miles (57.14 km²) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) is water. ^[7]

Climate

Caldwell experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with short, cold winters and hot, dry summers.

Climate data for Caldwell, Idaho
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	66 (19)	70 (21)	84 (29)	94 (34)	102 (39)	106 (41)	110 (43)	112 (44)	104 (40)	94 (34)	79 (26)	69 (21)	112 (44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	37.1 (2.8)	46.1 (7.8)	57.4 (14.1)	66.3 (19.1)	75.1 (23.9)	84.2 (29.0)	92.6 (33.7)	91.7 (33.2)	80.8 (27.1)	67.0 (19.4)	49.3 (9.6)	37.9 (3.3)	65.5 (18.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	21.1 (−6.1)	26.2 (−3.2)	32.6 (0.3)	38.5 (3.6)	46.2 (7.9)	52.8 (11.6)	58.1 (14.5)	55.8 (13.2)	45.8 (7.7)	36.6 (2.6)	28.4 (−2.0)	21.3 (−5.9)	38.6 (3.7)
Record low °F (°C)	−31 (−35)	−21 (−29)	−6 (−21)	12 (−11)	22 (−6)	29 (−2)	37 (3)	31 (−1)	23 (−5)	15 (−9)	−4 (−20)	−34 (−37)	−34 (−37)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.55 (39)	1.11 (28)	1.29 (33)	1.13 (29)	1.01 (26)	0.67 (17)	0.30 (7.6)	0.35 (8.9)	0.59 (15)	0.73 (19)	1.28 (33)	1.39 (35)	11.4 (290.5)
Source 1: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000) [8]
Source 2: The Weather Channel (Records) [9]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	779		—
1900	997		28.0%
1910	3,543		255.4%
1920	5,106		44.1%
1930	4,974		−2.6%
1940	7,272		46.2%
1950	10,487		44.2%
1960	12,230		16.6%
1970	14,219		16.3%
1980	17,699		24.5%
1990	18,400		4.0%
2000	25,967		41.1%
2010	46,237		78.1%
2020	59,996		29.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [10]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 59,996 people, and 18,283 households in the city. ^[4] The population density was 2,625.4 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 69.1% White, 0.4% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 8.4% from two or more races. ^[4] Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 37.5% of the population. 56.7% of the population was non-Hispanic White. ^[4]

32.9% of the population were under 18, and 9.2% were under 5. People over 65 made up 9.4% of the population. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% female, and 48.9% male. ^[4]

The median household income was $59,795, and the per capita income was $21,521. 12.1% of the population was under the poverty line. ^[4]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, ^[2] there were 46,237 people, 14,895 households and 10,776 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,096.0 inhabitants per square mile (809.3/km²). There were 16,323 housing units at an average density of 739.9 per square mile (285.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.5% White, 0.6% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.1% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.4% of the population.

There were 14,895 households, of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.7% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.51.

The median age in the city was 28.2 years. 33.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.4% were from 25 to 44; 18.2% were from 45 to 64; and 8.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

The median household income was $37,336. The per capita income was $15,731. About 20.2% of the population was below the poverty line. ^[11]

Arts and culture

Indian Creek in downtown Caldwell

Caldwell has held an annual Indian Creek Festival every September since 2003. The event includes a fun run and a tug of war. ^[12] Indian Creek Plaza, located in downtown Caldwell, includes an ice ribbon each winter, as well as many events throughout the year. ^[13]

Parks and recreation

Public pool in Caldwell

Caldwell has 12 city parks, two golf courses (Purple Sage and Fairview), a city pool, ^[14] and two skateparks. ^[15]

Education

Caldwell has five secondary schools—including Caldwell High School and Vallivue High School—and six elementary schools. ^[16]

The College of Idaho is located in Caldwell and is one of the oldest four-year institutions in the state.^{[ citation needed ]}

Infrastructure

Caldwell Industrial Airport is located southeast of downtown.

Caldwell has a high-quality water system, which remained untreated and met all federal guidelines until the 1990s when the Federal Government mandated chlorination.^{[ citation needed ]}

Notable people

• George Tarlas, NFL Player for LV Raiders; attended Caldwell High School
• Joseph Albertson, founder of Albertson's grocery store chain
• Troy Beyer, actress; attended high school in Caldwell
• Ronee Blakley, actress and singer
• George Blankley, former BSU head basketball coach
• Daniel Carter, LDS composer
• Thomas C. Coffin, congressman
• Dame Darcy, cartoonist and performer
• Shirley Englehorn, LPGA golfer
• A. J. Feeley, NFL quarterback
• Mike Garman, Major League Baseball pitcher
• Lawrence H. Gipson, Pulitzer Prize winner
• Ron Hadley, NFL linebacker
• Maria Dahvana Headley, writer
• Sarah Hokom, professional disc golfer and 2012 PDGA World Champion
• Wayne Hooper, gospel music composer and singer
• Gary Hubler, champion of the Formula 1 class of the Reno Air Races
• David Kamo, motorcycle racer
• James Knight, former University of Washington football coach
• Mark Lindsay, musician
• Edward Lodge, U.S. District Court judge
• Larry Lujack, disc jockey
• Dean McAdams, NFL player
• Ray McDonald, NFL running back, graduated from Caldwell High School
• Jim McMillan, gridiron football player
• John T. Morrison, original faculty member of the College of Idaho; former Idaho governor
• Butch Otter, governor of Idaho and former congressman
• Cody Pickett, NFL quarterback
• Jay Pickett, actor
• Frank Reberger, Major League Baseball player and coach
• Paul Revere, musician
• Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker
• Frank Steunenberg, governor of Idaho
• Gary Stevens, jockey, won Kentucky Derby three times
• Steve Symms, former U.S. senator and congressman
• Renee Tenison, 1990 Playboy Playmate of the Year
• Rosie Tenison, actress and model
• Randy Trautman, Canadian football defensive lineman
• Gys van Beek, Dutch-American inventor and member of the Dutch resistance during World War II ^[17]

See also

• Bud, an early 20th-century dog from the Caldwell area

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 18, 2012.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. United States Census Bureau. "QuickFacts Caldwell city, Idaho" . Retrieved November 20, 2022.
5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
6. "Indian Creek Restoration". Cooperative Conservation America. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
7. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
8. "Climatography of the United States NO.81" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
9. "Monthly Averages for Caldwell, ID". The Weather Channel . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. "Caldwell Quick Facts". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
12. Lea, Dan (September 16, 2010). "Go with the flow at Indian Creek Festival". Idaho Press Tribune. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
13. JaclyTravel. Things To Do in Caldwell, Idaho: Downtown & Indian Creek Plaza , retrieved October 16, 2022
14. "City of Caldwell" . Retrieved February 26, 2012.
15. "Caldwell, Idaho skatepark". northwestskatepark.com. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
16. "Caldwell School District" . Retrieved February 26, 2012.
17. Gys van Beek

Further reading

• Dyhouse, Janie (December 2018). "Pick Up the Phone, Make the Call". Member Corner. VFW Magazine. Vol. 106, no. 3. Kansas City, Mo.: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. p. 46. ISSN   0161-8598. Retaining members is as simple as welcoming a newcomer into your Post.

External links

• Official website
• Caldwell Chamber of Commerce