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Van Wyck, Idaho

Van Wyck was settled by Levi Kimball in 1888 and, within two years, the town had a population of 538 residents. Van Wyck boasted the first post office in Valley County, although it was bypassed by the railroad when Pacific and Idaho Northern tracks were laid in the area in 1913 and 1914. M. Hasbrouck, who moved to Van Wyck as a child in 1912, recalled that the town included a livery stable and barn, saloon, vegetable market, meat market, and hotels, and that the Emery Hotel in particular was known for its delicious chicken dinners. According to Hasbrouck the S&S Co. Store, the only general store in Van Wyck, sold just about everything, including, “groceries, hardware, shoes, dry goods, and even a coffin, stored upstairs ready for anyone who might need it.” Van Wyck was displaced by Cascade Dam in the 1940s.