Paris — Wallace's Silver Enigma

Your quest begins in front of the Northern Pacific Depot Museum, built in 1901 as a Northern Pacific Railroad station. From this 1,400 sq m brick building, trains transported silver from the Coeur d'Alene mines. Restored as a museum in 1985, it houses railway and mining artifacts, bearing witness to an era when Wallace was the beating heart of silver production. The adjacent visitor center, with its 4-acre riverside park opened in 1990, gives you a first glimpse into the extent of Idaho's mining heritage.

Continue towards the Center of the Universe Manhole, a manhole cover painted in 2004 by local artist Jack McCue. Declared 'Center of the Universe' by the city, this standard 60 cm diameter cover is a self-proclaimed tourist emblem, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as part of the district. This unusual site attracts treasure hunters on 1.7 km walking scavenger hunts, immersing you in the playful and historical spirit that characterizes the city of Wallace.

The walk then takes you to Wallace City Hall, a historic building from 1902 located in the Victorian district, also listed on the National Register in 1979. This administrative center of Wallace, incorporated in 1884 as the Silver Capital of the World, is near Bank Street, a street lined with early 20th-century mining banks. This typical pedestrian area for 1.5 km routes allows you to explore the mining and financial heritage that shaped the city. It is here that decisions that marked the history of Idaho's silver were made.

The Shoshone County Courthouse, built in 1901 of red brick, a 3-story building approximately 15 m high, is another starting point for scavenger hunts. Located at 700 High Bank St #320, Wallace, ID 83873, it survived the Wallace Fire of 1910, which destroyed 90% of the city. This administrative seat of the county since its creation in 1864, renovated in 1980, shows you Wallace's resilience and its central role in managing local resources. The real history of the city is etched into its walls.

Your exploration concludes at the Wallace Miners' Memorial, a monument inaugurated in 2001, honoring 173 miners who died in local mines since 1884. This 3 m high bronze sculpture, located near the riverside park north of the Depot, evokes the Star Mine accident in 1901 that killed 21 men. This site, integrated into 1.5-2 hour walking routes around the historic district, allows you to gauge the human cost of silver extraction and the profound Northern Idaho Mining Heritage. The city of Wallace, through its monuments and history, bears witness to the lives and labor of those who built its fortune.