Huckleberries Online

Roxy: Last Stoplight In Wallace

Posted by DFO

May 7, 2009 3:33 p.m. • 19 comments

In this 1986 photo, posted by OrangeTV/Remember The Roxy, you see the last stoplight in Wallace — and, if memory serves me correctly, the last on Interstate 90 between Seattle and Boston (h/t: Factchecker). Late mining magnate Harry Magnuson fought valiantly for years to prevent the interstate from bypassing Wallace, as it does now. Ultimately, he lost the battle with progress, and this light came down. More Remember The Roxy vintage photos here.

Question: Which survived longest in Wallace — the stoplight of the houses of prostitution?

19 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

factchecker on May 07 at 4:36 p.m.
It was the stoplight, and it was between Seattle and Boston
hmoffsuite on May 07 at 5:19 p.m.
Those houses wouldn’t happen to be the Lux, Arment, Jade, Oasis and U&I would they? Just guessing. Honestly, I’ve never been to Wallace Idaho. :~)
ShoshoneConservative on May 07 at 6:57 p.m.
Um - a couple of inaccuracies here. First of all, Magnuson fought to stop I-90 from being built on ground level as originally planned, which would have obliterated Wallace, not just by-passed it.

Second, the stoplight pictured is still there - it is right on the same corner as my office, and I see it every day. It was a different stoplight (an old four-sided light), that was taken down and now resides in the museum. As such, this stoplight has survived longer than the prostitution…
JamesBond on May 07 at 8:02 p.m.
The cathouses moved.
inlandempiregirl on May 07 at 10:08 p.m.
Yes, the stoplight definitely outlasted the “houses of ill repute”.
Arch_Druid on May 08 at 6:34 a.m.
Wallace, Idaho was more famous for its houses of ill-repute than that stop light. That is, until the filming of Dante’s Peak.”
wheels on May 08 at 7:58 a.m.
Anyone buying HMOFF’s comment that he’s “never been to Wallace” since he named most of the brothels(omitted the Luxette-Dolores branched out,so to speak,at one time)in order?
Kage_Mann on May 08 at 8:10 a.m.
Anyone buying HMOFF’s comment that he’s “never been to Wallace” since he named most of the brothels(omitted the Luxette-Dolores branched out,so to speak,at one time)in order?
wheels

What is it about HMO’s humor don’t you get?

I was at the oasis, but only after it became a museum and ginger was my tour guide. ;-)
northidahonative on May 08 at 8:39 a.m.
Some where I still have a couple of the “North Idaho Secede” bumper stickers that were popular in North Idaho back in 73’ after the State padlocked the doors of the “Houses” in Wallace.

A few years ago my dad, sister, and I attended a play at the Lux theater in Wallace, my dad told us about how the old Lux had been a brothel for decades, I asked him how he knew that.
wheels on May 08 at 8:50 a.m.
Kage, speaking of the inability to see ones sense of humor…

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.