Institution

In the early 1900s, Basque immigrants from Spain and France came to Idaho to work as sheepherders in the Boise area. A majority of these men came over on three-year contracts, before returning to the Basque country with the money they had saved from working. However, not all chose to return home and many stayed in the area permanently to work and start families. As a result of the large number of immigrants entering the area, Basque boarding houses became popular housing accommodations for men entering the United States. These boarding houses located in a variety of places throughout Boise, and were typically Basque owned and operated by permanent residents. The Arriola’s boarding house, later renamed the Saracondi’s boarding house, was established alongside many other Basque businesses and housing facilities in downtown Boise. Although Jose Uberuaga, was listed as the primary owner up until 1911, the boarding house was operated by Juan and Juana Arriola Uberuaga from 1909- 1921. Jose Uberuaga and his wife later owned the Uberuaga boarding house in 1917 at 608 Grove St. near the Arriola’s. Since its function as a boarding house, the building has housed a variety of businesses, most recently Spit Shade Tattoo and Rise and Grind Nutrition. Despite no longer being Basque owned, the original building, located behind the Basque Center still serves as a reminder of the legacy of the Basques in Boise and the impact they had on the development of the city.

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Located in the building now recognized as Rise and Grind Nutrition, the Arriola's/ Saracondi’s boarding house provided housing, meals, and place for social gatherings for many early Basque immigrants. Similar to the Anduiza and Uberuaga boarding houses located nearby, it acted as a “home away from home” for many young men entering Boise to work as sheepherders.  Although the boarding house is no longer operational, the presence of this historic building in downtown Boise adds to the narrative of the Basque community in Boise. 

Arriola's/ Saracondi's Boarding House

Since the early 1900s, Grove St. has been heavily occupied by the Basques who originally immigrated to Boise for work. Through boarding houses, frontons, and a variety of restaurants, the Basques in Boise have been a large part of the community and have had a significant influence over the development of the city. Today, the Basque block consists of multiple businesses and organizations all dedicated to preserving the Basque legacy in Boise. Their services and business help preserve Basque culture and educate the local community on their history and heritage. 

In 1985, Adelia Simplot, the daughter of a Basque immigrant, established the Basque Museum &amp; Cultural Center in the Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga boarding house just two years after purchasing the historic building from the Uberuaga family. Amidst renovations in downtown Boise, Adelia wanted to preserve the boarding house and use it for public education on the history of the Basque community in Boise. With the help of local Basque volunteers, the museum was the first in the United States to be dedicated to the Basque. Shortly after the museum opened, Adelia purchased the 611 Grove St. property to help expand the museum in 1988. Although the Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga boarding house remains a part of the museum, the 611 Grove St. building now acts as the central museum exhibit, giftshop, and headquarters.  Just as it did in 1985, the Basque community in Boise continues to support and help grow the museum through donations to the museum's collection. Among the vast collection at the Basque Museum are photographs, oral histories, and other archival materials donated from local Basque families and organizations. The collection also includes many historical artifacts recovered from the excavation and restoration of the Jacobs-Uberuaga house in 2012. In addition to the many exhibits the museum has to offer, they also host classes teaching the Basque language, Euskara. The space is also used as a social center for the Basque community and following Adelia’s vision, remains an educational institution dedicated to preserving Basque history and culture.

Originally established in 1985, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center was the first museum dedicated to preserving the Basque legacy in the United States. Since its foundation, the museum has aimed to preserve and educate the local community on Basque culture and their history in the American West and more specifically their impact in Boise. With a variety of engaging exhibits and an expansive collection, this museum reflects the cultural and historical significance of the Basque community in Boise. 


Basque Museum & Cultural Center

The Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga Boarding House, as one Boise’s oldest residential buildings, has a rich cultural history that began in 1864 when the merchant Cyrus Jacobs built, by today’s standards, a small brick house for his family just two blocks away from his merchant shop, C. Jacobs &amp; Co. Cyrus, who was originally from Pennsylvania, lived in Oregon for a majority of his young life before eventually migrating to Idaho with his wife and kids in search of greater business opportunities. Before settling in Boise, Cyrus traveled around southern Idaho selling bricks and other building supplies in the rapidly growing area. During his life in Boise, Cyrus actively contributed to the city's expansion and even served as the Country Treasurer and later as the Mayor in 1879. He and his family occupied the house for 43 years until his wife passed away in 1907, just 7 years after the death of her husband Cyrus.  In 1910, the Jacobs home began functioning as a Basque boarding house for men immigrating to Idaho to earn money herding livestock. Although the Basques did not originally work in this industry, nor was it common in the Basque Country, they were well known for raising livestock, specifically sheep, in the United States.Through sheep herding they provided food and clothing for many people settling in the American West and expanded this industry into the open areas of Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona. As a result of this prolific business opportunity, many young Basque men immigrated to Boise to earn a living in this industry.The Cyrus Jacobs home provided housing for these immigrants and was run by multiple different Basque families including the Uberuagas who began operating it 1917. The Uberuagas eventually purchased the building in 1928 and continued to run it as a Basque boarding house until 1969. During its life as a boarding house, the building was a hub for Basque culture and was often described as, “a home away from home.” It acted as a location where the Basque community could gather and preserve their traditional foods, dances, music, and language. Due to the discrimination of Basque immigrants and restrictive land regulations in the United States during the 1930’s and 40’s, the amount of people immigrating to the US began to steadily decline. Despite this reduced need as a boarding house, the Uberuaga home continued to be a social place for Basque gatherings until it eventually closed. Around the time of the closure of the Uberuaga Boarding house, Boise was undergoing changes aimed to modernize the city. As a result, many of the historic buildings downtown and on Grove Street were torn down to make way for other businesses. In an effort to protect and preserve some of the historic buildings in Boise, Adelia Simplot purchased the Cyrus Jacobs - Uberuaga house. Currently, the house is maintained by the Basque Museum &amp; Cultural Center and was restored and excavated in 2005 and again in 2012. It now functions as an educational structure that highlights Basque culture and their historical impact on the City of Boise.

In 1864, a merchant by the name of Cyrus Jacobs built a small brick home for his family in the newly growing city of Boise. The structure was later turned into a Basque boarding house where it provided living quarters for many Basque immigrants throughout its lifetime. Now run by the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, this historic building stands as one of the oldest residential dwellings in Boise and provides a picture of the early Basque experience in Idaho. 


The Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga Boarding House

In the late 1800s during the development of the city of Boise, Grove street was primarily residential. Among many other early settlers, Cyrus Jacobs, who would later serve as mayor, built one of the first family homes on Grove St. in 1864. As Boise continued to expand, Grove St. became a popular place to establish boarding houses for immigrants entering the United States for work. This development shifted Grove St. into a business district and in the early 1900s, a large warehouse was constructed near several Basque boarding houses established on the block. Since then, Grove St. has been a popular business area in downtown Boise that hosts a variety of different establishments including a number of Basque owned restaurants and organizations on the Basque Block.  Over time, the Grove St. warehouse has been renovated into a variety of businesses. Currently, it houses the Basque Market and the restaurant Bardenay, which were both established in 2000. Like many other Basque owned establishments on the Basque Block, the Basque Market is dedicated to preserving Basque culture in Boise. Not only does it sell a variety of Basque goods from both local and international vendors, but they also provide catering for large events, host wine tastings, and offer Basque cooking classes to the community. Through these services offered, the Basque Market is dedicated to educating the local community about the history of the Basques in Idaho and their traditional cuisine.

Located in the old Grove St. warehouse, the Basque Market was established in 2000 during the development of Boise’s Basque Block. Along with the other Basque business located in the area, the Market aims to preserve traditional Basque cuisine and culture in Boise. Through the variety of Basque foods sold at the market and the cooking classes offered, the Basque Market serves to educate the community and provide quality Basque goods. 


The Basque Market

In downtown Boise, Leku Ona is well known for being a Basque owned and operated restaurant and hotel located on the Basque Block. The business was established in 2005 by Jose Maria Artiach, a first-generation Basque immigrant, who wanted to share Basque food and culture with the local community. Despite the recent development of this business, the building itself has been around for much longer and originally functioned as a Basque boardinghouse and club in the 1930s.  In the early 1900s, the developing city of Boise experienced rapid population growth as a result of people migrating West in search of various business opportunities such as agricultural work, gold mining, and architecture/ construction in newly forming cities. Included in this group of migrants were Basque immigrants who had left Europe to find work raising livestock, primarily sheep, in the American West. Due to this large number of Basques entering the Boise area, boarding houses became widely popular housing options for those new to the United States. These boarding houses provided a secure and familiar environment that aided in the transition from the Basque country to the Western United States. The Belaustegui boarding house was originally run by the Belaustegui family out of a different building located on South 7th Street from 1918 to 1935 before the family moved the establishment to the South 6th Street location which we now consider a part of the Basque Block. When the family and business moved in 1935, they decided to open a club called The Chico Club as a part of their boarding house. The Chico Club was open to both Basques and non-Basque individuals and only cost one dollar to be a member. In addition to the housing offered by the conjoined boarding house, the club served traditional Basque meals and provided a place for social gatherings up until 1957 when it fell under new ownership.  Currently, Leku Ona serves a similar purpose to the original boarding house and club within the community. Traditional Basque meals are still served at the restaurant and the hotel operates out of the old boarding house rooms. Despite being constructed nearly 85 years ago, the building has remained an important business on the Basque block that serves as a communal space to engage in Basque culture.

In 2005 Leku Ona was opened as a restaurant and boutique hotel on the Basque Block in downtown Boise. They are well known for their traditional Basque menu and small hotel operated out of an old Basque boarding house. Similar to many other buildings on Grove Street, it has a long history in the Basque community and has retained its original purpose over 85 years after its construction.


Leku Ona

Established alongside many other Basque buildings on Grove St., the Basque center was built in 1949 by Euzkaldunak, Inc., a group of basques who had founded the organization within that same year. The empty lot was purchased with the vision for the Basque Center in mind as a gathering place for the local community. At the time, the primary social center was at the 607 Cyrus Jabobs-Uberuaga boarding house whose primary use was as housing for Basque immigrants who came to the United States to herd livestock. As the number of Basques in Boise increased, the need for a place where the sole function was to host Basque cultural gatherings was apparent. As a result, the Basque Center was constructed near the Uberuaga house as a community oriented space. As a place designated to foster and house Basque culture, the community renovated the building in 1972 to outwardly reflect traditional styles of architecture and design from the Basque country. This decision was driven by Basque pride and identity in the United States and as a way to openly display Basque culture and heritage in the rapidly changing city. In addition to the red tile roofing, wooden accents, and iron gates, the Basque flag was and continues to be displayed on the front of the Basque Center as a symbol of the community. Today the Basque Center continues to fill the role of a social space by hosting various educational classes, traditional game tournaments such as Mus, weddings, and other large cultural festivals and gatherings. It acts as the central hub for Boise’s Euzkaldunak Club which organizes large Basque festivals including San Inazio and a variety of charity events. The large space is managed by the local Basque community and even contains a bar and a large open room that is available for public rent and use by the community.

The Basque Center, originally built in 1949, is a Basque built and owned space dedicated to fostering and preserving Basque culture. Throughout the year, this space is used by the local Basque community for a variety of social events and educational classes designed to inform the surrounding population about Basque culture. This space functions to maintain traditional Basque culture and provide a social space for the preservation of Basque heritage. 


The Basque Center

In the early 1900s, Basque immigrants from Spain and France came to Idaho to work as sheepherders in the Boise area. A majority of these men came over on three-year contracts, before returning to the Basque country with the money they had saved from working. However, not all chose to return home and many stayed in the area permanently to work and start families. As a result of the large number of immigrants entering the area, Basque boarding houses became popular housing accommodations for men entering the United States. These boarding houses located in a variety of places throughout Boise, and were typically Basque owned and operated by permanent residents.  The Arriola’s boarding house, later renamed the Saracondi’s boarding house, was established alongside many other Basque businesses and housing facilities in downtown Boise. Although Jose Uberuaga, was listed as the primary owner up until 1911, the boarding house was operated by Juan and Juana Arriola Uberuaga from 1909- 1921. Jose Uberuaga and his wife later owned the Uberuaga boarding house in 1917 at 608 Grove St. near the Arriola’s. Since its function as a boarding house, the building has housed a variety of businesses, most recently Spit Shade Tattoo and Rise and Grind Nutrition. Despite no longer being Basque owned, the original building, located behind the Basque Center still serves as a reminder of the legacy of the Basques in Boise and the impact they had on the development of the city.

Boise’s Basque block, on Grove Street between S. 5th and Capital Blvd, has had a long history of occupation by Basque immigrants since the early 1900s. The purpose of the Basque Block and its many businesses and organizations is to preserve Basque culture in Boise and educate others on the history of the population in Idaho. As a part of this mission, public art located on the block serves to outwardly express Basque Culture through a visual medium. Both built in 2000, the Basque Mural and Laiak Sculpture function to educate viewers on Basque tradition and heritage.  Displayed on the back side of the Anduiza Fronton, facing Capital Blvd., the Basque mural is a 48 ft long painting depicting Basque culture in Boise and its ties to the Basque country. The mural was painted for the city of Boise by the Letterheads, an international sign painting group, and Noel Weber, a Boise sign artist, during their 25th annual convention. After gathering information regarding Basque culture from local sheepherders and the community, the mural was completed in 3 days with the help of several volunteers. Images depicted in the painting include ships sailing to the America’s, Boise’s Oinkari Basque Dancers, the “Tree of Gernika”, a desert sheep camp, the Boise foothills, St. John’s Cathedral, the Star Boarding house, Jimmy Jausoro playing the accordion, and Jose Luis Arrieta lifting a rock weight. These images capture the highlights of Basque identity and tradition, while educating the community about the culture as well.  Just up the street from the Basque mural, is the Laiak Sculpture located on the corner of Grove St. and Capital Blvd. There is a second matching sculpture located at the end of the Basque block as well, closer to S. 5th Street. Also built in 2000, the metal sculptures created by Ward Hooper depict a laiak which is a traditional agricultural tool used by the Basques to turn soil. On the handle portion of the laiak are seven flying ribbons which are meant to represent the seven historic provinces of the Basque country. Located on the stone base of the sculpture is an educational plaque printed in both English and Basque, telling the story of the Basques and the symbolism of the sculpture. Both the Basque Mural and the Laiak Sculpture have been valuable additions to Boise’s public art scene and to the Basque block. Not only are they beautifully crafted works, but they also contribute to the education of the community and preservation of Basque culture in Boise.

In 2000, two public art pieces were created and added to Boise's Basque Block. The Basque Mural and Laiak sculptures depict different aspects of Basque culture and work to educate the community on the Basque identity in Boise. Both visuals aim to proudly display Basque tradition and culture in the heart of downtown Boise.

The Basque Mural and Laiak Sculptures

On the corner of West Grove Street and South Capital Blvd, the building which currently houses the Basque eatery “Bar Gernika” was built in 1912 as a Chinese laundromat called Quong Chong Laundry. Although the building was not originally built or used by Basque immigrants, it was constructed in a highly diverse area that contained many other Basque and Chinese establishments. During this time period, people of Basque heritage were not the only people immigrating to Boise. However, unlike the Basques who came for prospects in the sheep industry, Chinese immigrants pursued gold mining. In 1862 gold was discovered in the Boise Basin, causing many people including Chinese men to migrate to Idaho in search of work as miners. The Chinese population stayed in Boise and Idaho City until the 1920’s when the gold outcrop in the area dissipated.  Around this time, the laundromat was sold and served as a variety of different restaurants before eventually becoming the “Cub Tavern” in 1948. For the next 40 years, the building remained a tavern amidst the growing Basque presence on Grove Street. In addition to the other historic Basque buildings, the Basque Museum &amp; Cultural Center and the Basque center, along with other Basque businesses were established, creating a centralized hub for the Basque community. Upon the eventual closure of the “Cub Tavern”, Adelia Simplot, the daughter of a first-generation Basque immigrant, saved the building from being demolished and purchased it in 1990. In an effort to preserve the Basque legacy in Boise, it was quickly remodeled into a Basque pub and restaurant that serves Basque comfort foods. Since 1991, Bar Gernika has become well known in the area for its traditional Basque menu and significance in downtown Boise.

Originally built as a Chinese Laundromat in 1912, the 202 S. Capital Blvd building now houses one of the many Basque owned establishments on Grove street in downtown Boise. In 1991 the historic building was salvaged and adapted into Bar Gernika, a Basque eatery and pub, that serves traditional Basque comfort food. Located next to historic Basque landmarks like the Anduiza Fronton and the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, Bar Gernika preserves traditional Basque foodways and contributes to the Basque legacy in Boise by sharing their cuisine with the local community. 

Bar Gernika

During the early 20th century, southern Idaho as well as parts of Nevada, Arizona, and California saw a high influx of Basque immigrants enter the area to pursue work in the sheep industry. Although many had little experience in this line of work from the old country, the Basque population was widely known for raising livestock in the American West. This prolific industry provided the growing population in Boise with a source of food and clothing and influenced many to emigrate from the Basque country for steady work as a sheep herder. As a result, housing for these immigrants was in high demand and in 1914 the Anduiza family built the Anduiza Hotel and Fronton on the same street as the Basque Uberuaga Boarding House.  In the American West, boarding houses provided reliable housing for young Basque men seeking work and in Boise, the Anduiza Hotel and Fronton was one of many boarding houses for the Basques in the area. This building, however, did not only function as a boarding house, but also contained a Basque handball court called a fronton. Unlike traditional frontons, the Anduizas built theirs indoors and joined it with the boarding house. The Anduizas hosted many handball competitions at their fronton which was open to the community for use until 1945 when the family sold the building, officially closing the boarding house and fronton.  Between 1945 and 1993, the building was owned by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a brief time before being purchased by the Briggs Engineering firm who used the old boarding house rooms as offices. Despite the change in ownership, the fronton was never remodeled and was instead used as storage space by the engineering firm. In 1972, the Idaho Basque Studies Program, in a partnership with Briggs Engineering, restored the fronton and opened it back up for use by the community. Finally in 1993, Adelia Simplot, the daughter of a Basque immigrant, bought back the building from the Briggs. The Basque Fronton Association now runs the space which currently remains an operating handball court in downtown Boise.

Located on the same street as the Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga Boarding House, the Anduiza Hotel and Fronton was built in 1914 to accommodate the large number of Basque men migrating to the United States for work. Originally operating as both a Basque handball court and as a boarding house, the building was modified into office space for an engineering firm for around 30 years before being restored to a fronton in the early 1970’s. This historic building is still operated as a fronton on Boise’s Basque Block where it is open for public use.

The Basque Block

Arriola's/ Saracondi's Boarding House

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information