When I run to town, like I did yesterday to pick up 8 gal of distilled water for coffee, I'm riding on the route of the Oregon Trail. The trail drops down a shallow canyon wall to ford the Boise River just north of Caldwell. A memorial stone was set near there 90 years ago with the construction of a new bridge.
The bridge was built on ST "O" in '22 before the US highway system. Idaho's earliest highway designations were the Sampson Trails, marked with a bold black letter on an orange paint background, named after Charles Sampson, a Boise businessman and Good Roads booster.
A set of 90 year old mile posts survive and I fantasize about stealing them to set at my drive. There is a diversion here that sends river water along a main canal that snakes down the valley and flood irrigates my lawn in Roswell. The sandy and shaded river shore makes it a popular swimming hole. They recently banned jumping from the old span.
