Bomb Shelters in Boise
August 27th, 2011 by RReichert
Highlands Community Fallout Shelter, 1961
Question: When were bomb shelters, specifically in Boise near the foothills, built? Who built them and in what condition are they now?
Answer: Speculation abounds when it comes to bomb shelters in Boise! It’s reputed that the Dutch Colonial at 919 Harrison Blvd. has a fruit cellar that was once a bomb shelter, though there is no documentation of it. It is also speculated that there was a bomb shelter in the basement of the old Eastman Building, which stood on the site of the infamous “downtown hold” at 8th and Main. The trouble being of course that shelter, like the grand old building, is long-gone. Bomb shelters also have ties to the years 1959-1961in Boise when the Highlands shelter was constructed. It is believed non residents were offended by the notion that the wealthy Highlanders were privileged enough to have a bomb shelter and they would simply have to hide under desks.
Actual documentation is slim, but some does exist. According to a 1988 article in the old “This Week” newspaper, Boise never had many bomb shelters to begin with. What shelters there were would not have been able to handle a “fraction” of the Boise population. I did find an old document from 1950 detailing the structure of Boise’s Civil Defense Organization. The Mayor is the Commander‑in‑Chief! What’s really interesting is that there are provisions for the establishment of a military regiment, required to be “fully self‑sufficient” and to be trained in “military and guerilla tactics” as well as “judo.” I’m not sure if this was ever fully and legally ratified, or if it is still in effect. If so, it means that the mayor could establish a Boise‑based army for civil defense! Visit
Boise Bomb Shelter for more info on the Highlands bomb shelter.
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Posted in HISTORIC Q&A, HISTORY | 2 comments
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Jon P. Farren:
December 1st, 2011 at 10:33 pm
I purchased the Boise Bomb Shelter (Highlands Fallout Shelter) in 2003 and have posted some interesting articles about it, along with other iformation on the web site: http://www.BoiseBombShelter.com. Presently, it’s mostly used for music rehearsal space. Musicians can turn up the volume and no one outside can hear a thing. My email address and phone number is on the web site, feel free to contact me.
RReichert:
December 12th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Thanks for sharing! We would love to take a tour sometime if that is a possibility.