Linda Hawkins Caufield , July 13, 2011
Scope and Contents
This collection contains over 9 hours of digital audio recordings. The following individuals took part in the Boise Foothills Levy Anniversary Oral History Collection.
Fred Alleman
Denise Arellano
Annie Black
Linda Hawkins Caufield
Jim Hall
Chas F McDevitt
Lauren McLean
Suki Molina
Ken Pursely
Brandy Wilson
Paul Woods
Dates
- July 13, 2011
Biographical / Historical
Linda Hawkins Caufield was born and raised in Boise. She grew up on her family’s property in the Boise Foothills. Her family owned several businesses in Boise, including a beverage shop on Main Street and at one time all of the Kentucky Fried Chicken and Red Steer Drive-ins in 5 surrounding states. She represented her family when they sold their land to the City of Boise as part of the foothills conservation effort.
Extent
415.09 Megabytes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
In her interview with Stephanie Milne on July 13, 2011, Linda Hawkins Caufield of Meridian, Idaho, offered her memories of the land transaction she and her family completed with the Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee. Caufield provided a family history of the land that the Hawkins family owned from 1950-2004. She spoke of the various wildlife and plant life that was found on the land and found memories of recreational activities her and family did on the land. Additionally, she spoke of some of the difficulties that faced her family when they decided to sell the land. She explained her interaction with the Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee was a pleasant one. She concluded the interview with discussing how she felt her grandparents, who originally purchased the land, would have been pleased with the family’s decision to sell the land as a means to expand the preservation effort. She asserted that the land will always have a sense of place for her and her whole family. The interview was conducted for the Boise City Department of Arts and History’s Foothills Levy Oral History Project.
Special Note: A grandfather clock went off every 15 minutes in the Linda’s house and can be heard in the background of the interview.
Time Index
TRACK ONE 00:00 1 Introduction
00:23 1 Linda Hawkins Caufield explained how her family gained ownership of the Hawkins property. She discussed that her grandparents owned the land and raised cows and a variety of other animals on it. Her immediate family lived next to her grandparents just below the property that was sold to the City of Boise, what she referred to as the “Upper Field.” Caufield provided insight into her family’s Idaho roots and remembered the Boise City Police Department owning a firing range just below where she grew up as a child. 7:13 4 Caufield articulated the Hawkins family’s motivation for selling their land. She mentioned it took several years to go through all of family’s options concerning the land. The talked about developers approaching her family and ultimately deciding to sell it to the City of Boise so it could be kept for everyone to enjoy. She described the long process of selling the 360 acres and the stipulation the family requested be placed on the land.
12:17 6 Caufield described working with the Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee. She attempted to remember how much the land was sold for. She also recalled the city originally contacting her family about the possibility of selling their land to the Foothills preservation effort. 16:56 8 While reminiscing about her family’s land, Caufield shared memories she had of growing up on the land next to her grandparents. She also shared some of her favorite places in the foothills and felt confident her grandparents would be pleased to see their land preserved. She specifically recalled all the animals she encountered on the property, including a talking magpie. She also spoke about a terrible flash flood her family lived through on the property during the early 1960s. Caufield also described the various types of snakes she ran into while growing up in the foothills.
32:03 14 Caufield confessed during the selling process she thought about wanting to live on her family’s property because of all her childhood memories. She mentioned it would have been nice, but cited the expensive cost of utilities as a deterrent. 33:10 15 During Caufield’s childhood on the property, she witnessed Boise’s incredible growth. She shared memories about Boise’s evolution, including her days attending Grand Central grade school. She also remembered the fairgrounds original location on Fairview. She spoke about her father and uncles owning a beverage shop on Main Street. The men went on to own all the Red Steer Drive-Ins and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Boise as well as in 5 other states.
37:30 17 Caufield mentioned she might support another levy to preserve land in the foothills, even though she is outside of Boise city limits. She explained that she didn’t want Boise to turn into other cities, like Salt Lake City and Bountiful, Utah where homes are all over the mountainside. 41:07 18 END TRACK ONE
END OF RECORDING
Names and Places Index
Magpie Upper Field
Boise City Police Department Shooting Range Boise Foothills
Foothills Conservation Advisory Board Table Rock
St. Lukes 8th Street
Mountain Cove Road Flash Flood Fire
Salt Lake City, Utah Bountiful, Utah
Boise Fairgrounds Fairview
Main Street Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants
Red Steer Drive-In
Source
- Caufield, Linda Hawkins (December 23, 1953) (Narrator, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Collections Repository