Black history exhibit at Pocatello library highlights city’s Historic Triangle Neighborhood

POCATELLO – Artifacts that share a part of Black history in the Gate City are now on display for the community to witness.

This display, made in honor of Black History Month, was set up on the Marshall Public Library’s second floor on Saturday, and the public will be able to view it until February 28. It contains articles, pictures and other artifacts that tell the story of the Historic Triangle Neighborhood that was once located in Pocatello.

“We just want to bring awareness to some local history, some things that have happened right here in Pocatello,” said Jackie Wood, the public services librarian and the second vice president of the Pocatello branch of the NAACP.

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People who come and view the exhibit will be able to learn more about the historic churches, the centers of community for the neighborhood that are still standing today, an African-American minor league baseball team called the Pocatello Sluggers and the renaming of a community park to Purce Park, after two influential figures in the neighborhood and more.

The Historic Triangle Neighborhood, bordered by Center Street to the south, South 8th Avenue to the east and the rail yards to the west, began to take shape right around the turn of the 20th century, and was the most diverse community in Idaho.

The neighborhood was home to Black, Jewish and Native Americans, along with immigrants from Mexico, Greece, the Philippines, China, Japan, Korea “and beyond,” according to a document on display.

“These groups established their own businesses, churches and support networks, creating a unique and tightly-knit community within the larger fabric of Pocatello,” the document reads.

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The information presented in this document came from preliminary research for a documentary in collaboration with the city, the NAACP and the Bonneville Neighborhood Association.

While Black people weren’t the only minority group that lived in the triangle, Wood explained that the neighborhood is still important to the history of the Black community.

“The importance of the triangle neighborhood was that it was everybody that was marginalized, relegated to this little part of town because they were considered people of color,” Wood explained.

The display also honors five members of the NAACP who have passed away, named Kenneth Monroe, Billy Lake, John Mackay, Jim Robinson, and Jim Johnston.

“It’s important that we honor all that they were able to contribute, and that we are continuing to keep the mantle alive (and) keep their legacy moving forward,” Wood said.

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