The Town that grew out of the Wilderness

Looking upon a pristine wooded basin in what was considered wilderness in the early 1900's, Sir Hugh Bovill of England knew he was home. Bovill with his wife Lady Charlotte, and his two daughters Gwendolyn and Dorothy were seeking a better life. The Bovill's built their new home in Warren Meadows, what is today the center of Bovill.

At that time the area was well known for its abundant hunting, fishing, and recreation. By 1905, Hugh opened Hotel Bovill, a stately hunting lodge. Hotel Bovill soon became an inviting home where sportsmen, travelers, and loggers found a hot meal and a place of community in the rugged backcountry. During harsh winters, early homestreaders stayed at the hotel while they built their homestead and improved the land.

Bovill's wilderness paradise vanished with the arrival of the railroad. Train cars carrying Balkan and Italian immigrant loggers know as "Bohunks" arrived in Bovill Basin to harvest some of the finest white pine stands in Idaho. Extensive logging along with numerous noisy logging camps forced Bovill to sell his homestead and land. By 1911, Bovill and his family said goodbye to their wilderness home.

One hundred years later Hugh Bovill's wooded basin paradise has returned. Bovill today is once again well known for its abundant hunting, fishing and recreation located in a rugged backcountry setting.

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Show me all markers in:  Bovill, ID  |  Latah County  |  83806  |  Idaho  |  United States of America

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