Boise Trivia by:

Janice J. Aagaard

Boise was named by four trappers from French Canada. "Bois" in French means wooded. When they came into the valley after traveling through the desert and sagebrush and saw the trees along the river they were so happy to see "Les Bois, Les Bois" the woods or trees and that is how Boise became the City of Trees. Early settlers planted many orchards and then put in the irrigation systems to provide water. My great grandparents had several acres of orchards between Latah & Roosevelt and Emerald and Rose Hill. During the 1860's there was a gold rush in the Idaho City and Boise area. There was a great influx of Chinese laborers. When the gold rush was over the Chinese turned to other occupations including raising vegetable and fruit gardens and sold the fresh produce door to door. Their gardens were on the Davis ranch out Fairview Ave. Chinden Boulevard is a contraction of CHINese and garDEN.