Lewis - Clark Center for Arts & History, Lewiston, ID

It is appropriate that the Lewis - Clark Center for Arts & History is located in Lewiston, Idaho. The famous explorers Lewis and Clark passed through the area that is Lewiston on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean. They encountered the Nez Perce tribes on their trek.

The city was founded in 1861 because of the gold rush in 1860 at Pierce, Idaho. It wasn't too long after that the first newspaper was printed in 1862. Lewiston became the capital of the Idaho Territory in 1863. It remained there until 1865 when the capital was moved to Boise. The gold rush died down in the northern part of the state, but it picked up in the southern sector and this is what precipitated the move.

Because of the confluence of two rivers, the Snake and the Clearwater, Lewiston has been developed into a large port city. They have some ocean going vessels that load their cargo to take to the Pacific Ocean. The industry in Lewiston is timber and paper products. The Army Corp of Engineers has completed the dams in the area that make the locks possible. There are many lakes because of the dams and the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is nearby.

The Lewis - Clark Center for Arts & History is an attraction at the Lewis - Clark State College that preserves and encourages art and culture. The center is downtown in Lewiston. There is 12,000 square feet of space in the center. It was designed by the western architect, Kirtland Cutter, in 1884 as the Vollmer Great Bargain Store. The building is part of the National Register of Historic Places.

The bargain store was sold to First National Bank of Lewiston in 1904 and they remained there until their sale in 1946. The First Security Bank operated out of the building until 1989 and in 1991 they donated the building to the college.

Besides being used as a center for arts and history the building houses the offices of Senior Nutrition and Continuing Education/Community Events.

One of the objectives of the center is to promote the visibility of the Lewis - Clark State College. This is done with high quality programs in the performing, literary and visual arts.

Students receive education in arts and history at the college and it is also used as a regional resource. There are many programs and events throughout the year to promote knowledge and enjoyment of the arts and history.

Visitors can find the Lewis - Clark Center for Arts & History at 415 Main Street in Lewiston. The Gallery is open from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

After visiting the center guests can stay at the many hotels in the area. There is even a resort with a casino and all the amenities of hotel rooms, RV Park, pool and restaurants. The downtown area also has many restaurants and shopping venues. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is south of the city and offers spectacular scenery with views of the Snake River Gorge.