Carlyle Wilkie Briggs, November 4, 2013

File

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

This collection contains recorded interviews with Boise citizens. Notable topics include Boise Bench history, Greenbelt history, Foothills Levy history, Boise Fire Department history, Boise Police Department history, and personal and political histories of former mayors and councilmembers.

Dates

November 4, 2013

Creator

Briggs, Carlyle Wilkie (July 1, 1922-November 15, 2020) (Narrator, Person)

Extent

771.14 Megabytes

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Abstract

Carlyle Briggs was born in 1922, he grew up near the corner of Franklin and Eagleson. His father was an engineer and his grandfather was a farmer near Cole and Ustick. Carlyle’s father ran an engineering office out of a building in Downtown Boise until the 1940s, when Carlyle joined the firm and the two of them opened an office on Grove Street. The office is now where the Basque Pelota court is. Carlyle built a house on a plot of land gifted to him from his father on the family land on Eagleson. The Briggs made many changes and improvements to both homes throughout Carlyle’s life, which he documents in this interview.

Topic Timestamp

TIMES TOPIC
00:58 Born July 1, 1922.
01:10 Parents Raymond Joel Briggs (from Iowa) and Weltha Wyonna Wilkie (from Indiana).
02:00 Great grand parents (William Briggs) and grandfather (Wesley Briggs) came to Idaho in 1898 looking for land, then brought an immigrant car with all their belongings in 1902.
03:00 Farming wheat in Emmetsburg, enticed to moved to Idaho with promise of irrigation.
04:00 Some lumber property near Tamarack.
05:00 Buying property near Cole School – Farming (1902) the Cole Ranch.
05:30 The introduction of canals near Cole.
06:05 Scott Tract agreements with Nampa-Meridian Canal District with legal issues.
07:00 More on irrigation, with Arrowrock and sharing with neighbors.
08:50 William Briggs (Great grand father)bought big house on Ustick 1914, built by the Wrights.
10:00 Father’s office in downtown Boise, mining and civil engineering.
11:00 Father’s office in Nobel building in 10th and Main.
12:00 Father War Production Officer during WWII for Northwestern states.
13:20 Description of Cole School in relation to the Briggs
14:00 Superintendent of Cole School: Mr. Barber (same as Baber Park)
14:30 Description of first simple house with no heat or bathroom.
17:00 Original house on Franklin, details about construction and utilities
18:00 Septic tank and Bench Sewer District coming in.
20:00 Heating with a wood stove.
22:00 House details, wood and coal oven.
23:30 Started at Franklin school in 1934, they built a gym while he was there.
24:00 co-enrolled in Boise Junior College and senior year of high school.
25:00 Remembers Mr. Shiploski high school principal and his children went to school with them.
27:00 Briggs involvement with plans to build new Franklin High, instead of Borah. But growth was too fast so that location was made West Jr. High.
28:00 During depression traded eggs for groceries.
29:00 Stores near Franklin and Orchard
29:00 Miller family businesses. and Latirmores.
30:00 Miller corner store near Franklin and Orchard.
31:00 Parents raised chickens, goose, ducks, and cows.
31:30 Milking cows from Cole Ranch.
34:00 Father civil-engineering projects.
34:40 Around 1940, they moved from Nobel Building to Grove Street.
36:00 Briggs engineering history and starting
36:20 Carlyle’s education, in aviation engineering.
40:00 Aviation engineering: projects for airports in Idaho.
41:20 Going to school at Boise Junior College around 1939
42:00 Engineering club other social things, pep-band.
43:05 Building a new building by the river.
44:00 Description of parking and development of grounds at B.J.C.
44:30 Airport turned into tennis court.
45:30 Charles Lindberg, landing at the old airport.
46:00 Eugene Chaffee student at Ustick school.
46:45 Maxine’s brother started a bar in Meridian
47:20 Pellota (fronton court) built and interaction with Pat Beiter bringing it back.
48:30 Description of engineering office on Grove St. issues with parking.
49:10 Office building on Grove St. changing hands to the Basques.
50:50 Description of Grove Street in the 1950s.
53:35 Physical description of the building with info on geothermal heating.
56:30 Other issues and facts about geothermal downtown.
57:20 Sewer systems on the Bench.
58:30 Deville subdivision on Briggs property, info on apartments on the corner.
1:01:00 Brother’s corner lot on Franklin and Eagleson.
1:02:00 Carlyle buying home from Gowen field, then adding on.
1:06:30 Changes to the neighborhood he has seen since 1934.