Things to Do in Wallace, Wallace, Idaho

The City of Wallace in Idaho’s panhandle might be one of the most interesting small towns I have ever visited. I later read; it is rated the Best Small Town in Idaho by Discoverer. 

The City of Wallace was founded in 1886 (sort of) by Colonel R Wallace, a civil war veteran. I say sort of because Wallace and Richard Lockey bought Sioux half-breed scrip from a bank to purchase an 80-acre townsite. The scrip entitles the owner to claim unoccupied and unsurveyed public lands. Wallace filed an application to secure the townsite with the General Land Office, but the GLO denied it due to the scrip being reported as lost.

Under the direction of the Coeur d’Alene land office, Wallace sold plots anyway. By 1888, the Wallace Townsite was flourishing, and the GLO’s actions were determined to be fraudulent as the scrip was never reported lost.

That said, by 1889, the Department of Interior denied a land claim in Montana scrip as it was supposed to be used for the benefit of mixed-blood persons. This decision led to “lot jumping”, the act of townspeople taking land and claiming it as their own. The Wallace Townsite entered into 13 lawsuits to be paid $1,000 each for the stolen lots! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).