Spend any amount of time in Boise, and you’re sure to end up at one of the beautiful parks that sit along the Boise River. Each bears the name of a woman who helped shape Boise. Collectively, these parks are known as the Ribbon of Jewels. The stories of each woman are worth knowing.
Julia Davis: Woman, Wife, Mother, Pioneer
Julia Davis, born Julia McCrumb in 1847, arrived in Boise in 1869 to visit relatives. She met Thomas Jefferson Davis, known as Tom Davis. Tom Davis, along with seven other men, had laid out the town of Boise City in 1863. By the time he met Julia, he was a prominent orchardist and major land owner. The couple married in 1871 and ultimately welcomed six children, five of whom lived to adulthood.
Julia was known for her generous hospitality and kindness. She welcomed and assisted those traveling on the Oregon Trail when they stopped along the Boise River on their way to the coast.
In 1889, Tom went before the City Council and offered to donate between 30 and 40 acres of his riverside land on the condition that the city care for and protect the property from the yearly flooding and call it “Davis Park.” However, the city did not accept this gift until November of 1907, two months after Julia died. At Tom’s request, the park was christened “Julia Davis Park,” a name that it has carried for the past century. Tom passed away in 1908.
Julia Davis Park now encompasses 87 acres, more than double the size of the Davises’ gift to the city. Museums, memorials, the zoo, a playground, and more are available for public use. The Davises’ desire that the land remain as a public park to serve the city they helped build has been honored time and again.
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Ann Morrison: The First Lady of Construction
In 1957, Harry Morrison bought 153 acres and constructed a park. Upon its completion in 1959, he gave it to the city of Boise in honor of his beloved wife, Ann. Born Anna Daly, but always going by “Ann,” his wife had moved to Boise in 1903. She graduated high school before becoming a secretary at the Idaho State Capitol. She and Harry met and married in 1914.
Ann traveled with Harry all over the world and worked at his side. She earned herself the nickname “First Lady of Construction” for the time she spent visiting construction projects with her husband. Sadly, in 1957, Ann died of leukemia.
Today, Ann Morrison Park remains the largest of the Ribbon of Jewels. You can enjoy a game of Ultimate Frisbee, let your canine friend run free at the dog park, and enjoy events like the Fourth of July fireworks and the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic. The park remains a testament both to the way Ann loved Boise and how Harry loved his wife.
Kathryn Albertson: A Legacy of Philanthropy
Kathryn McCurry was born in Boise in 1908 and later graduated from Boise High School. She attended the College of Idaho, where she met Joe Albertson, who she married in 1930. Three years later, their daughter was born. In 1939, Joe opened his first Albertsons store. The store was the first of its kind, offering a scratch bakery, an automatic donut machine, and one of the first magazine racks in the country.
The success of the grocery stores permitted the Albertsons to support causes close to their hearts. Chief among them was education. To that end, they donated and funded scholarships to The College of Idaho for many years. They also started the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. Many of their philanthropic efforts focused on Idaho, driven by their love of the state and the people who call it home…