Idaho Falls

What comes to mind when you hear someone mention Taylor Crossing? Some school kids and parents might think of "Taylor's Crossing Charter School," located in a country setting just off Lincoln Road, south of Lincoln and Iona. Advertised as a "Harbor School," meaning a bully-free environment, Taylor's Crossing website states: "As an Idaho charter school, Taylor's Crossing offers a free public education from kindergarten through high school. From the minute you walk in the front door, however, it will be clear that you are not in any ordinary school. Being a Harbor school means that students … are actively engaged in learning, students open doors for others, and common courtesy is the norm, not the exception…" On the other hand, "Taylor Crossing" might bring to mind "Taylor Crossing on the River," a beautiful new business devel- opment along the southwest waterfront in downtown Idaho Falls. Managed by McNeil Development, Taylor Crossing includes several professional complexes with banks, retail establishments, offices, and restau- rants. Beginning at the corner of Riverview Walk and Broadway, and heading south from the Marriott Residence Inn, new and attractive buildings line the west side of the river all the way to Pancheri Drive. When I was growing up, my father and future father-in-law both worked for Idaho Potato Growers, Inc., which sat roughly across the street from where the westside Walmart stands on Utah Avenue today. I like to imagine the surprise of these two men if only they could see the changes that have taken place right in the middle of their old stomping grounds. They had both started working in the late 1940s at "The Plant," and spent nearly their whole lives there in the potato processing industry. The plant operated 24 hours a day, except in the summer when the potato supply ran thin. Production included potato starch and a variety of other potato products, such as dehydrated cubes, hash browns, and flakes for mashed potatoes. The plant's products greatly aided the effort to feed thousands of our hungry soldiers throughout the world during World War II and the Korean War. Eventually the Idaho Potato Growers Plant entered the modern age by open- ing an area dedicated to producing frozen French fries, one of the first operations of its kind in the West. One lovely afternoon last August, I took a walk down Taylor Crossing on the River, starting at the Marriott. I headed south on the wide, paved path, enjoying the views of the Snake River. Since 1991, the Rotary Club of Idaho Falls has been raising money through their "Duck Race" to help the city expand and improve this outstand- ing "River Walk." For seven miles on both sides of the river, anyone can jog, ride a bike, push a stroller, power walk or simply meander along and experience our historic waterfront. However you choose to do it, this path provides a spectacular way to see and explore the things that make Idaho Falls unique. The next area that caught my attention was the stunning landscape now called the "River Gardens at Taylor Crossing." Originally a dumping ground for construc- tion companies, the riverbank was once jam- packed with re-bar, concrete, scrap metal, and old cars, often serving as a hiding place for transients. But the Walker Brothers, property owners and developers, saw potential on the riverbank for gardens and a unique park. Using lava rock from building foundations to stop erosion, they built walls for windbreak and then landscaped places for flowers, bushes, and trees. At their own expense they removed over a hundred truckloads of refuse and built the first phase of the river gardens. The city's Division of Parks and Recreation caught onto the vision and pitched in, led by Parks director Greg Weitzel. With numerous volunteers, the city Tolls, Toils & Other Tales PHOTO COURTESY MUSEUM OF IDAHO 40 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2018

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