Idaho Vacation: Roseberry Historical Townsite

 Railroads are unpredictable.  Roseberry was settled expecting the railroad to come through the town, the railroad choose a different route.  Visit the historic Roseberry townsite and enjoy a step back in history on your Idaho Vacation. 
 

Roseberry General Store



The historic Roseberry townsite is located just a mile east of present day Donnlley.  Settled in 1905 by Finnish immigrants, Roseberry became the largest town in Valley County by 1911.  At its zenith, Roseberry boasted saw mills, flour mills, a brass band, a beautiful 5-sided hotel, and even their own baseball team. 



Front Window for the Methodist
Episcopal Church in Roseberry



Methodist-Episcopal Church in Roseberry



Roseberry is located in a beautiful settting, large green meadows with mountains on every side.  Agriculture was practiced in the valley meadows and was supported by timber from the mountains.  Life was promising until 1914 when the railroad  decided to lay their tracks 1 1/2 miles to the west.  The town of Donnelly was developed to be near the railroad.



Finnish Pioneer Cabin in Roseberry



This railroad’s decision was a death sentence for Roseberry.  Slowly the town started to decline and fade away.  The Roseberry general store stayed open until 1939.  The building was used for various other purposes until it was purchased by Frank Eld in 1969.  This was the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Roseberry.

Frank Eld started restoring the store and the town, one building at a time.  In 1971 Frank and his mother Ella Eld started the Valley County Museum.  In 1973 the Methodist-Episcopal church, which had been moved from Roseberry to Donnelly, was moved back to within 7 feet of its original Roseberry location. 



Valley County Museum, Roseberry

 Today Roseberry boasts some 20 historic buildings moved here from all over the valley.  Buildings include Finnish cabins, a Finnish blacksmith shop, bandshell, the old McCall City Hall, a one-room school house and more.  There is also a collection of old farm machinery collected from around the valley.  In 2009, a Finnish barn dating back to 1912 was rebuilt and is now the largest building in Roseberry. 



Pioneer Cabin, Roseberry



Today the Valley County Museum and General Store are the center pieces to visit.  The General Store sits in its original 1905 location and is open for business.  The store reflects the 1905 period but has modern conveniences such as European gifts, Byers Choice Carolers, Byers houses, Roseberry branded wine, old fashioned  toys and candy. Vintage signs, thermometers, and other hard to find items adorn the shelves. 

Summer activities include music festivals and other events. 


Barringer House, Roseberry



Buggy and Other Equipment, Roseberry



Antique Grain Drill, Roseberry



Roseberry townsite is located a mile east of Donnelly on Roseberry Road.  Donnelly is about 12 miles south of McCall and about two hours north of Boise on US-55.  Additional information about Roseberry and a schedule of events can be found here.  The store and other buildings are open May - September.  Phone numbers are 208-325-5000 or 208-315-1080.  The store and museum are closed on Monday and Tuesday.  Clearly, this is a work of love for Frank Eld.  Make this a stop while traveling on your Idaho vacation.