A Picture Drives Home the Idaho Population Boom

The above Facebook post came from the newly renovated Turf Club in Twin Falls. I believe the original picture was supplied by a local man who had a family member who worked on the original construction. The image is roughly 75 years old. You’ll notice Falls Avenue bears no resemblance to what you’ll see today. By the way, the renovated club is going to open soon and should impress.

Falls Avenue isn’t the only street radically changed. A friend told me he remembers when Pole Line Road was a dirt path. He moved to Twin Falls in early 1968 and now lives in Jerome. At a little more than 60 years old, he has witnessed a radical transformation in a matter of a few decades. He was a teenager when the new Perrine Bridge went up over the Snake River Canyon, which was after the legendary and ill-fated Evel Knievel jump.

The changes in the city are dramatic, but Twin Falls isn’t alone. In 1960, Pocatello was Idaho’s largest city, and Boise had a population of just over 32,000.

If it appears there’s no end in sight to the building boom, it periodically does level off, and certain geographic factors will pump the brakes. It simply isn’t as nice year-round as in parts of California, Arizona, and Florida. And the big one will be limited to the water resource.

One last point, I prefer a paved road for driving. I just like the sound better and it gives me the impression it’s better on my suspension.