Several years ago, Natalie and I both read The Big Burn by Timothy Egan, which is the story of the worst wildfire in US history in early August 1910. One of Natalies hopes for this little expedition of ours was to visit the town at the center of that story, Wallace, ID, since we would be driving right by on our way to Missoula on Saturday.
Instead of making a stop at Wallace, we decided to stay a few days longer in Coeur dAlene and make Wallace a day trip, since its only an hour down the road. It would also give us a preview of our drive when we leave Coeur dAlene on our way to Missoula, MT on Saturday.
Wednesday looked to be a beautiful day for the trip, so we took it and had a wonderful, enlightening, and amazing day for the effort.
First and foremost, theres a whole lot more to the town of Wallace than 925 people and the history of a big fire. The towns main business is silver mining, but even more important is the simple fact that Wallace is the Center of the Universe; maybe even the only one on
I, Ron Garitone, Mayor of Wallace, Idaho, and all of its subjects, and being of sound body and mind, do hereby solemnly declared and proclaim Wallace to be the Center of the Universe.
Thanks to the newly discovered science of Probalism – specifically probalistic modeling, pioneered by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Welfare, and peer reviewed by La Cosa Nostra and the Flat Earth Societyt – we were further able to pinpoint the exact center within the Center of the Universe; to wit: a sewer access cover slightly from the intersection of Bank and Sixth Streets.
Upon discovering this desecration of the Center of the Universe, we proceeded forthwith to remove said manhole cover and replace it with this fine monument, directing all upon it to the Four Corners of the Universe, these being the Bunker Hill, the Sunshine, the Lucky Friday, and the Galena Mines. Let the courses of all who foray upon these vectors into the known and unknown be forever illuminated by the brilliant, shimmering gleanings of silver,
The science of Probalism has its roots in the 2002 EPA Coeur dAlene Basin Record of Decision, and as a syllogism expresses itself thusly: if a thing cannot be disproven, it is thereby proven. Thus if of the Silver Valley cannot absolutely prove themselves to the EPAs satisfaction to be good and healthy places to live, the this is proof that they require the EPAs continued meddling in their affairs.
Similarly, after a search of the literature, our government contracted scientists in Moscow, Boise and Seattle have, after years of diligence, been unable to unearth one scintilla of proof that Wallace is NOT the Center of the Universe. In the absence of such proof, we to conclude that Wallace must therefore BE the Center of the Universe.
It is hereby so ordered and declare, this year 2004, this date, September 25th, this hour 9:00 PM WUT (Wallace Universal Time)
Otherwise, this little town is unpretentious, but celebrates its history at every opportunity. It is in the heart of one of the worlds largest silver mining districts, with a long record of
During one period of mining strife, the US Army brought a troop of Buffalo Soldiers to help restore order. Those soldiers were among those who battled the Big Burn, and 20 of them, together with a doctor and a reporter, were the test team who rode bicycles from Missoula, MT to St Louis as a test of the idea to replace horses in the army. It took them 40 days for the journey. (Imagine riding a bicycle with all your gear on unimproved, rutted roads and even sometimes the railroad bed – that was the route in when this took place.)
Wallace is the only town in America in which every building is on the National Registry of Historic Places. This came to pass because Wallace also had the very last stoplight on between Seattle and Boston because the citizens fought the federal government for 17 years for the towns very survival.
