Collister Neighborhood History

Our neighborhood has a rich past: from the Oregon Trail to agriculture to historic buildings. We are constantly gathering information about Collister’s history, so if you have things to share (images, artifacts, oral histories, etc.) please connect with us. Contact president@collistercna.org for more information.

Historical Sites in the Collister Neighborhood

  • Oregon Trail: An early example of our neighborhood’s rich history includes Goodale’s Cutoff, which runs through our neighborhood formed a spur of the Oregon Trail beginning in Idaho. The cutoff left the trail near Fort Hall, crossed the Snake River Plain to the Lost River, and then turned west to the area of Boise, crossing Camas Prairie. It rejoined the main trail from Ditto Creek to Boise (cutting through our neighborhood below the foothills), then ran to the north of the main trail, crossing the Snake River into Oregon. The cutoff rejoined the main Oregon Trail at the Powder River, near Baker City. In 1862, Tim Goodale led a group of 1,095 people, 338 wagons, and 2,900 head of stock safely from Fort Hall to Old Fort Boise on the cutoff pioneered by Jeffrey. By 1863, seven out of every ten wagons en route from Fort Hall to Boise took Goodale’s Cutoff instead of the main Oregon Trail.
  • Other Historic Sites Include:
    • James Castle House
    • The Poor Farm on Castle
    • PoleCat Gulch and Reserve
    • Pierce Gulch
    • Collister Elementary
    • Pierce Park Greens
    • Edwards Greenhouse
    • Collister’s home site
    • Old Rail Track
    • Home of Dr. Whitehead: Idaho’s first licensed pharmacist and owner of Whitehead Pharmacy, once a landmark in downtown Boise.