Basque beginnings in Idaho

OÑATI, Basque Country - Outside of the Basque region of Spain, southern Idaho is home to the largest Basque population in the world. To highlight the culture that is intimately woven into the fabric of our community, KTVB sent a team to Basque Country for LIVE TOUR 2015.

Sunday through Thursday, we'll be visiting cities that have close family connections to Idaho - Gernika, Bilbao, the capital city of Vitoria-Gastiez, San Sebastian-Donostia, and Pamplona.

BASQUE MIGRATION

Basque history in Idaho began 150 years ago with the gold rush. The first Basques came up from South America where they had originally migrated to, looking for agricultural opportunities. But when very few found gold, they scattered into California, Nevada, and the vast pastures of Idaho where they became sheep herders.

Records show that the brand new state of Idaho had three million sheep at the turn of the century outnumbering the population 20 to 1.

"It's a massive number which means you needed a huge number of employees to take care of that," said Dr. John Bieter, Basque cultural studies professor at Boise State.

And that started the chain migration from the Basque to Idaho. Thousands came, most with just a suitcase. Boarding homes soon dominated Boise's downtown, filled with immigrants and their families.

COLD WELCOME

But life in the new country was tough - not only dealing with animals in Idaho's rugged terrain and severe mountain weather, but also dealing with Idahoans.

A cross was burned in front of a Basque house in Mountain Home, and a Caldwell newspaper wrote the Basques were on par with the Chinese.

"'They're clannish, meddlesome, foul smelling,' the quote goes," Bieter said. "'And unless something is done about them it's going to wreak havoc on the white man.' Intense stuff."

BASQUES IN BOISE

Through perseverance, change finally did come for the Idaho Basques. A second generation developed a central location in Boise known as the Basque Block that would preserve the history and culture for future generations.

They, and the next generation would become some of the state's top political, business, and education leaders.

Something, Dr. Bieter said his grandfather would never have imagined.

"I have goose bumps thinking about this, I think about it often," he said. "I don't think he could have imagined in his wildest dreams."

Stay tuned for more LIVE TOUR coverage from Basque Country this week on the News at 10 and Today's Morning News.