HORSESHOE BEND, Idaho — A lot of people in the Treasure Valley know of Horseshoe Bend only as a place to drive through on their way north to Valley County and beyond. But the town is trying to bridge the generations to maintain a strong sense of local pride by building a new bridge for the community.
After the old Boise Cascade sawmill pulled out decades ago, Mayor Pat Goff said the town had to try and re-invent itself. “When they pulled out it kind of shook the community up. It’s still that same way, we are a tight knit community. If anyone is down and out, we’re helping them."
So the town said 'Let’s focus on what we as a town can change.' Goff explains. “At one point in time this was the only way to cross the river — my understanding this was the main thoroughfare to get from Horseshoe Bend to Emmett.”
Goff says this old bridge will go and a new improved bridge that was fully funded through a grant will offer so much more. “Instead of the one lane it will be 24 feet wide, 4 feet will be a walking path and it’s going to be low, we’re not going to have an upper part with the bridge with handrails, so I told them I got to have the kids be able to jump off the bridge. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a mayor say we need the kids to jump off a bridge. I know I wouldn’t be Mayor right, because this is one of the oldest things we have here the kids and adults love to do.”
A longtime resident told me that's just what they do here. “It’s been a very popular place since I was this big — we fish here; we swim here.”
Mayor Goff said remembering the town’s history is so important. “When they took the old bridge down off of Highway 55 all the handrails we kept, we still have them and that’s going to be the fence on the Greenbelt around the Veterans park and put them in spaces 10 feet apart so we keep that part in there."
And a new sidewalk being built along Highway 55 will not only make it safer for school kids coming and going to school, but as the Mayor said will help create a greater sense of community for the future. Just ask Bree Shamblin at Huckle and Sage Market, “We hope that people will stop and enjoy that little piece of small town as they’re traveling.”
