Lost — But Not Forgotten

What began as the Allen Mercantile in 1905 in a molded-brick, two-story building on Main and 2nd Avenue South in Twin Falls, became known in 1906 as the Idaho Department Store, the “I.D.,” a reliable source for just about anything that farm or town families needed, from groceries, to clothing, to household goods. This Main Street landmark witnessed many changes to downtown Twin Falls over its ten-plus decades, including to its own appearance and use, but the biggest change came in December 2020 when the steel claws of the demolition machinery flattened the 115-year-old building to make room for a new multi-story apartment house/mixed-use project.

— The Twin Falls Times, October 6, 1905 — — *The Twin Falls Times*, October 6, 1905

The Idaho Department Store provided far more than the “Goods & Ready to Wear,” “Shoes,” and “Gent’s Furnishings” as advertised on its 1910 store front. It became a part of Main Street’s identity, accommodating loyal customers for eighty-plus years. One early resident and frequent customer of the Idaho Department Store, Pearl M. Rayl, recalled trading farm products for necessities, explaining how she would take “… crated eggs and with the help of a child, lug them to the grocery store in the basement to be traded for whatever was needed.” Even today, thirty-five years after the store’s closing, images of the large white scales next to the elevator, the mezzanine lounge, the only public restrooms in town, the “Economy Basement” with the many bargains, Boy Scout uniforms on the downstairs shelves, and the Saturday display- window style shows remain etched in the memories of long-time residents. And how about the teenagers in the 1930s who worked at the I.D. for 21 cents per hour or the machine in the shoe department that showed x-ray images of customers’ feet? No matter the recollection, the I.D. Store made a positive mark on the community and on those who traded, shopped, or worked there. The oft-proclaimed phrase, “Meet me at the I.D.,” exemplified the social connection people had with the business.

— The Times-News, September 14, 1986 — — *The Times-News*, September 14, 1986

But not all transactions in that Main Street building revolved around bargains and trading farm goods for domestic necessities. In its first couple of years on that dusty corner of Main, the upper floor of the Allen Mercantile provided rooms as temporary “halls” for fraternal groups such as the Knights of Pythias, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Knights of Columbus. In 1907, when Cassia County was downsized to create Twin Falls County, many of those second-floor rooms became the first “courthouse offices,” and a lodge hall proved to be suitable as a courtroom. For $1000 rent per year, which included utilities, officials conducted county business here until 1911, when county duties moved to the brand-new courthouse on Shoshone Street across from the city park. What a unique arrangement it was for the new county and the mercantile, one-stop shopping of sorts, with county affairs and transactions on the second floor, domestic items on the first floor and groceries in the basement!

“All good things must come to an end.” In 1986, that familiar adage became reality for the decades-old retail store that had occupied the corner of Main and Second Street South since 1905. Changing trends in shopping had taken a toll on downtowns across the nation, Twin Falls being no exception, and, despite local Urban Renewal efforts of the late 1970s to “rejuvenate” downtown areas through modern updates, consumers preferred malls over the city center. The Idaho Department Store was among those early retail landmarks that fell victim to the Urban Renewal make-over; its historic, molded-brick exterior lost to sheets of light-beige metal and modern logos. Finally, in July 1986, company executives announced the closing of the I.D. at the end of September that year, the last opportunity for bargains came in the form of clearance sales.

— The Times-News, October 5, 1986 — — *The Times-News*, October 5, 1986

Idaho Department Store Building photos

1905-2020

c. 1910 Photo Courtesy Twin Falls Public Library

2020 - Former Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store Photo by Shauna Robinson

Awnings shaded the entries and windows of the Idaho Department Store. The Rogerson Hotel (1908) is directly across from the I.D. Store. It was demolished in 2016.

1910 - Main Street Photo Courtesy Twin Falls Public Library

c. 1920 Photo Courtesy Twin Falls Public Library

The Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store was the last occupant of the former department store building, operating until 2018. Presently, developers are proceeding with their Opportunity Zone project for a six-story, mixed-use building with offices, retail stores and four levels of apartments.

Sources:

Giraud, Elizabeth Egleston, Images of America Twin Falls, Charleston, SC, Chicago, IL, Portsmouth, NH, San Francisco, CA, Arcadia Publishing, 2010.

Inman, Mary J., Twin Falls Centurybook 1904-2004, Twin Falls, Idaho, Hostetler Press, 2003.

Scott, Donna, A Tribute to the Past - A Legacy for the Future, Caldwell, Idaho, Caxton Printers, Ltd, 1990.

Smith, Lorayne O., “‘Meet me at the I.D.’ no more,” Times-News, October 5, 1986, pp. C-1-C-2.

Times-News, “Your I.D. Store” advertisement, September 14, 1986, p. A-9.

Twin Falls Times, “Allen Merc. Co. Whatever’s Right,” advertisement, October 6, 1905, p. 8.