Boise is home to one of the largest Basque populations outside Spain, with up to 15,000 residing here. The original émigrés arrived in the 1910s to work as shepherds when sheep outnumbered people seven to one. Few continue that work today, but many extended families have remained, and the rich elements of their distinct culture are still very much alive – glimpses of which can be seen along Grove St between 6th St and Capitol Blvd.
Sandwiched between ethnic taverns, restaurants and bars is Basque Museum & Cultural Center, a commendable effort to unveil the intricacies of Basque culture and history, and how it was transported 6000 miles west to Idaho. Next door in the Anduiza Fronton Building there's a Basque handball court where aficionados play the traditional sport of pelota.
