In 1863, Silver City, Idaho was a booming mining town with a population of more than 2500.
Today it's a little known ghost town with a summer population of 12. In the winter, 4-6 feet of snow blanket it's hillsides and with no electricity or indoor plumbing, its population drops to a lonely 2.
It's the only Idaho ghost town untouched by fires or pestilence and boasts most of its original buildings.
This Labor Day found us eating our lunch in the old Idaho Hotel. The photo above reflects the view from our table out the old windows.
The food was bad, the service lousy and we loved it!
While some attempts have been made to "modernize" it, you'll find the original wallpaper, creaking slanted wood floors, and even an old player piano sits near the bar.
Many a tale can be told about this sweet old town. Of mothers taken in childbirth, children dying too soon, mining accidents, romance and broken hearts, scourges of disease and even murder.
A walk through the cemetery will make you respect those pioneers in a whole new way.
It will also make you sober, as you wonder who was there to tell them of Jesus and His love.
The girls felt like they'd stepped back in time to a place where cowboys packed heat and ladies dresses swished the dusty boardwalks.
Here the children are standing in the Hotel foyer near the old mail and telegraph office, just outside the restaurant doors.
Sitting outside the hotel.
Here is the back side of the hotel.....you have to marvel a bit that it hasn't yet fallen into the creek.
Relaxing outside the hotel after lunch with the man I love. Each time we come up here, we have to talk about the time we came up while we were dating.....the one time Rick visited Idaho, and where did I take him?!?! We had borrowed my brothers truck and we broke down. We ended up hitch-hiking to a bar in Oreanna where we used a phone and called for help. Ahh! Good times!
The kids on the steps to the old livery and blacksmiths.
My favorite part of any trip to Silver City is the hike (and it is a hike) up to the old church. It has had extensive updates in recent years and is so beautiful and peaceful.
I'm not sure why they built it so high up on the cliff....maybe to get away from the roucus and wild town.
The roads around town are all very rough and rocky and super steep. 4-wheel drive is definitely recommended!
The church of course, is all locked up, but I took this picture through the peephole. The girls were swooning and chattering about weddings at this point.
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The town is high (6400ft) and has a lovely view of the valley.
The photo above is taken on our way back down the mountain. If you make good time, you'll average about 10-15 mph which makes Silver City about an hours drive from the little town of Murphy and about 2 hours from home.