Stop Five: 10th and Main

On this stop, you will learn about music at the Idanha Hotel and the Boz Theater.

THE BOZ THEATER (1010 Main Street - Next to Gem Noble building)

Constructed in 1910, the building at 1010 Main Street, (formerly known as the Tiner building) was once home to the Hotel Manitou and the Boz Theater. The Hotel Manitou (notice the lettering on the side of the building) occupied the upper floors. The Boz Theater, commonly known as "The Boz," sat on the first floor.

Prior to opening, the theater was described as having a seating capacity for 600 people. According to a 1910 Idaho Statesman article, "no expense will be spared in the equipment and all modern ideas will be used."

In 1910, owner Fred W. Bossner would be one of several local theater owners who would defy Boise's Sunday rest laws which forbad "any theater, playhouse, dance-house, [or] concert saloon” to remain open. Bossner argued that moving picture shows were not technically on the list of banned amusements. But the State Supreme Court ruled otherwise.

IDAHNA (NE CORNER)

Built in 1900 and designed by architect William S. Campbell, the Idanha Hotel filled the needs of people coming into the train depot on 10th and Front Street. The hotel featured 140 rooms with four turrets. Opening on New Years Day, 1901, Idanha was "the" hotel in Boise.

Musician Roger Miller is rumored to have written his hit, "King of the Road" at the Idanha, during his stay there in 1964. According to the biography on Miller's website, "He began writing the first draft to 'King of the Road', though he got no further than the first verse. In Boise, Idaho, Roger noticed a hobo statue in an airport gift shop and bought it in hopes of finding inspiration for the rest of the lyrics. It was all he needed to finish the song." (Though there is not mention of the Idahna Hotel!)

In 1977, well-known Jazz pianist Gene Harris moved to Boise. He played at the Idanha every Tuesday night. Harris earned inviting local musicians and students to practice with him.

The Gene Harris Jazz Festival began in 1998. Led by Boise State University, the festival brings students to campus to learn about and perform jazz. The festival also brings professional Jazz musicians to Boise to perform. Sadly, Gene Harris passed away in 2000.

Department of Planning & Development Services. Shaping Boise: A Selection of Boise's Landmark Buildings. City of Boise, 2010. https://www.cityofboise.org/media/7053/shaping-boise-landmarks.pdf. Accessed August 3, 2023.

Hart, Arthur. "Up to 100 years ago, Boise had several theaters." The Idaho Statesman. September 13, 2009. Page 4.

Idaho Supreme Court. Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Idaho. 18. Boise: Bancroft-Whitney, 1911. 519-523. eBook. <http://books.google.com/books?id=0_YLAAAAYAAJ&dq=1910+supreme+court+sunday+rest+law+idaho&source=gbs_navlinks_s >. 

Krutzig, Sally. "Former Bouquet building to be restored to original 1910 design." The Idaho Statesman. September 22, 2021. Page 1A, 9A.

Neil, J. Meredith. Boise Pops: A Century of Music For The People of Boise. Boise, Idaho. 2013.

Ross, Hailey. "Indulge in a taste of Boise's culture, food." Treasure Magazine for Idaho Statesman, August 12, 2017. Page 83-84.

"Boz Theatre Will Have New Home." The Idaho Daily Statesman. April 3, 1910. Page 4.

The Roger Miller Estate. "Roger Miller - Biography." https://rogermiller.com/biography/. Accessed August 6, 2023.

"Gene Harris Jam Night." Boise State University, Gene Harris Jazz Festival. https://www.boisestate.edu/geneharris/gene-harris-jam-night/. Accessed August 6, 2023.

"Gene Harris Jazz Festival." Boise State University. https://www.boisestate.edu/geneharris/. Accessed August 6, 2023.