While Basque culture takes center stage this week in downtown Boise for the Jaialdi festival, Basque roots run deep in Gem County as well.
The Basque influence in Emmett dates back to the late 1920s when immigrants were drawn to work at the Emmett Salt Mill.
Steve Beitia, whose family has been deeply involved in Emmett’s Basque culture since that time, remembers how the cultural celebrations evolved…