Garden Valley, Idaho

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Garden Valley is a tiny town in Boise County, Idaho. The beautiful mountain setting and recreation opportunities attract visitors from the Boise area. The life here in early American history, however, was harsh. Economic opportunity was based on logging, mining, and ranching. In later years there was work here as hunting guides.

Renowned American painter, poet and philosopher Bill Rane (1927-2005) spent his childhood here. Rane's book Talfulano was based on his experiences growing up in this valley. The archetypes from this work, including the "sheep people" and "Montanus Americus," all evolved from his experiences in this remote place where the mail in the early twentieth century had to be brought in by men carrying backpacks and on horse or snow shoe.