Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Boise

Basques came to America in significant numbers in the mid 19th century. The country had opened up after the civil war and train travel brought waves of immigrants. Among the would be settlers were mostly unskilled men from the Iberian Peninsula willing to take on jobs Americans would not touch.

As opportunities appeared in later years the trickle of lonesome men became more of a spate of families looking to settle. Many newcomers moved into communal-style houses. The Cyrus Jacobs/Uberuaga House, built in 1864, became a boarding houses in 1910.

The Uberuaga house became The Basque Museum & Cultural Center in 1985. The idea of the museum was to teach the culture of the Basque people. Exhibits, classes, a library and a kitchen were added to the Museum and Center. Boiseko Ikastola, a Basque preschool, teaches the Basque language at the Museum.

Other buildings were acquired. Pubs, markets, and restaurants dedicated to things Basque. In 1999 the Boise City Arts Commission met with the Basque community to create what is now Basque Block.

A plaza appeared by removing curbs and inserting granite slabs bearing the names of Basque families in Idaho, songs and music, and the Basque coat of arms. Sculptures and murals describe the changes of the neighborhood over time. The appearance is of an open plaza. So Basque Block was born. It is a place to meet in Boise. "Meet you at the Block."