Pocatello

[poh-kuh-tel-oh]

Pocatello, city (1990 pop. 46,080), seat of Bannock co., SE Idaho, between mountains on the Portneuf River near its junction with the Snake (there dammed to form the American Falls Reservoir); inc. 1889. A railroad center since 1882, Pocatello is a major shipping and processing point for a livestock and farm area. It has an important mining industry (large phosphate deposits are nearby) and plants that manufacture electronic equipment, chemicals, and metal products. Tourism is significant; excellent skiing and water sport facilities are in the area. Pocatello is the seat of Idaho State Univ. and the headquarters for Caribou National Forest. Fort Hall reservation with its irrigation project is to the northwest; the site of Fort Hall (1834) is on the nearby Snake River.

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Licensed from Columbia University Press

Pocatello, Idaho

Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the "Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area" which encompasses all of Bannock and Power counties of Idaho. As of the 2000 census the population of Pocatello was 51,466 (2006 estimate: 53,932) with a metro population of 83,303.

Pocatello is the fourth-largest city in the state and the second largest city in the Eastern Idaho region, after Idaho Falls. In 2007, Pocatello was ranked number twenty on Forbes' list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers.

Pocatello is a home to Idaho State University and the manufacturing facility of ON Semiconductor. Founded as an important stop on the first railroad in Idaho during the gold rush, the city later became an important center for agriculture. It is located along the Portneuf River where it emerges from the mountains onto the Snake River Plain, along the route of the Oregon Trail. The name comes from Chief Pocatello, a chief of the Shoshoni who granted the right-of-way for the railroad across the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The city is served by the Pocatello Regional Airport.

History

The section of the city along the Portneuf River was inhabited for several years by the Shoshoni and Bannock peoples for several centuries before the arrival of Europeans into the area in the early 19th century. In 1834, Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth, a U.S. fur trader, established Fort Hall as a trading post north of the present location of the city. The post was later acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company and became an important stop on the Oregon Trail, a branch of which descended the Portneuf through the present-day location of the city. A replica of the Fort Hall trading post is now operated as museum in southern Pocatello.

The discovery of gold in Idaho in 1860 brought the first large wave of U.S. settlers to the region. The Portneuf Valley became an important conduit for transportation of goods and freight. In 1877, railroad magnate Jay Gould of the Union Pacific Railroad acquired and extended the Utah and Northern Railway, which had previously stopped at the Utah border, into Idaho through the Portneuf Canyon. "Pocatello Junction", as it was first called, was founded as a stop along this route during the gold rush. After the gold rush subsided, the region began to attract ranchers and farmers. By 1882, the first residences and commercial development appeared in Pocatello.

In 1962 Pocatello absorbed nearby Alameda and became for a time the largest city in Idaho. Pocatello remains the state's fourth largest city.

The famous novelist Tom Spanbauer's is from Pocatello, and his novel NOW IS THE HOUR is a portrait of Pocatello in the 1960s.

Geography and Climate

Pocatello is located at (42.875214, -112.447267).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Rec High °F	60	65	75	86	97	103	104	104	98	91	75	64
Norm High °F	32.5	39	48.5	58.5	67.7	78.3	87.5	86.8	75.7	62	44.5	33.8
Norm Low °F	16.3	20.9	27.3	32.6	39.2	45.7	50.9	49.9	41.8	33.3	24.9	16.8
Rec Low °F	-30	-33	-12	13	20	28	34	30	19	7	-14	-29
Precip (in)	1.14	1.01	1.38	1.18	1.51	0.91	0.7	0.66	0.89	0.97	1.13	1.1
Source: USTravelWeather.com

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 51,466 people, 19,334 households, and 12,973 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,822.5 people per square mile (703.7/km²). There were 20,627 housing units at an average density of 730.4/sq mi (282.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.32% White, 0.72% African American, 1.35% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 2.18% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.94% of the population. The top 5 ethnic groups in Pocatello are.

· English - 21% · German - 16% · Irish - 9% · Danish - 4% · Swedish - 4%

There were 19,334 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 16.7% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,326, and the median income for a family was $41,884. Males had a median income of $33,984 versus $22,962 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,425. About 10.7% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Pocatello has 105 churches, including 53 Mormon wards.

Education

Idaho State University (ISU) is a public university operated by the state of Idaho. Its main campus is in Pocatello with outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise and Twin Falls. The University's crown jewel is the 123,000 square foot L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center which occupies a prominent location overlooking Pocatello and the lower Portneuf River Valley. The center's three venues provide state-of-the-art performance space including the Joseph C. and Cheryl H Jensen Grand Concert Hall.

Pocatello contains three high schools:

Highland High School is a public school established in 1963 for grades 10–12 with a faculty of 72 and a current enrollment of 1,465 students. The school mascot is the "Rams" and the colors are black, white and red.

Pocatello High School (commonly referred to as "Poky High") is a public school established in 1892 for grades 10–12, with a current enrollment of 1140 students. The school mascot is the "Indians" and the colors are red, blue and white.

Century High School is a public school established in 2000 for grades 9–12, with a current enrollment of 971 students. The school mascot is the "Diamondback" and the colors are purple, teal, black and white.

There are three public middle schools, thirteen public elementary schools, two public charter schools, and various alternative and church based private schools and academies.

Trivia

Author Tom Spanbauer's is from Pocatello, and his novel NOW IS THE HOUR is set entirely there.
The North American Vexillological Association ranked Pocatello's flag 150th of 150 city flags in its 2004 American City Flags Survey.
In Pocatello, it was against the law to look sad. Today, this law is remembered with the annual Smile Fest.
On December 10, 1987, representatives from the American Bankers Association declared Pocatello the “U. S. Smile Capital.”
Pocatello is home to Idaho State University and also Holt Arena, a multipurpose indoor stadium. Holt Arena is the home of the Real Dairy Bowl, a junior college football Bowl game. Holt Arena also plays host to the Simplot Games, the nation's largest indoor high school track-and-field meet.
The Idaho Gateway Chorus, a barbershop singing group, is based in Pocatello.
The Pocatello zoo features only native Idaho species and is located in Ross Park.
Pocatello features prominently in Philip K. Dick's novel The Game-Players of Titan.