Our School

Collister Elementary History

A Pioneer Physician's Legacy

In the summer of 1881, Dr. Collister moved west to the frontier town of Boise to embark on what would become a long and distinguished medical career. Although he specialized in pediatrics, he also served as the city, county, and state penitentiary physician for several years. A defining moment in his career came when he performed a delicate, life-saving cancer surgery on a young woman at the Mayo Clinic. Known for his deep compassion, Dr. Collister frequently provided his medical services entirely free of charge to those in need.

Building an Estate and a Community

Over the years, Dr. Collister wisely invested in local real estate, eventually acquiring over 5,000 acres in the Boise area. He constructed the Collister Flats on the 300 block of 7th Street, where the Post Office stands today. After marrying in 1897, he built a beautiful home on a 156-acre parcel northwest of Boise.

His property was diverse and thriving, featuring extensive flower gardens, a floral house, and vast orchards of peaches, prunes, and pears. The family even supplied their own florist shop on the ground floor of the Hotel Boise until around 1940. Dr. Collister also expanded into the cattle business, locating his feed lots and holding pens where the Collister Shopping Center now stands. Dedicated to his community, he donated land for a central place of worship; his old fruit-packing house was located just behind what is now the Collister Church.

Transportation was also a priority. The interurban railroad—running along what was then Valley Road (now Highway 44 or State Street)—passed directly alongside his land. The Collister home served as a station for travelers commuting between Boise, Caldwell, and Nampa. Ever the advocate for the community, Dr. Collister insisted the fare remain just five cents.

Family and the Fate of the Estate

Though Dr. and Mrs. Collister had no biological children, they adopted a daughter, Edna (later Mrs. Pat Scovell of McMinnville, Oregon). Edna gave them four grandchildren: Mary Elizabeth (who passed away at age 39), Mrs. Pat Byers, Mrs. Joanne Newson, and Mr. George Scovell.

Following Dr. Collister’s death in 1936, his historic home went through several transformations. Sold to the Elks, it became a polio hospital for disabled children in the 1940s, later serving as a rehabilitation center for war veterans, and eventually operating as the Sunset Nursing Home. In 1967, the original home was demolished to make way for a modern hospital.

The broader Collister and Whitehead farms were purchased in 1944 by Mrs. Hershael Davidson. During World War II, Mr. Davidson partnered with the Idaho Power Company to cultivate essential wartime crops like anise, caraway, sunflower seeds, and sage. That same year, the land was subdivided into 350 residential lots, sparking the rapid growth of the Collister community. To improve access between Hill Road and Collister Drive, Miller Drive was constructed. Originally named for a beloved school janitor, it was later renamed Catalpa Drive for its signature trees.

A Century of Growth at Collister School

As the Collister community expanded, so did the need for education. Originally designated as Ada County School #46 in 1910, the school has a rich history of development:

• 1911: The first school term opened in a one-room frame building on the west side of Collister. Teacher Blanche H. Lovelace taught 56 students.

• 1912: A new four-room schoolhouse, featuring brick with stone trim, was built in the middle of a prune orchard on land donated by Dr. Collister. Heated by cast-iron Waterbury coal heaters, it housed 40 students and two teachers, the Seburn sisters.

• 1922: Collister officially joined the Boise School System under Principal Dr. J. Ellis Black, operating with three teachers and serving 121 students.

• 1939: A government-assisted hot lunch program began. Led by Mrs. Dillard, local mothers brought dishes from home to ensure every child had a warm meal for just 7 to 10 cents. The PTA managed the program post-war until handing it over to the school system in 1965. (Hot water was subsequently installed in the school in 1944).

• 1948: To accommodate 177 students, four rooms were added to the west side, the brick exterior was covered in white stucco, and a basement kitchen was completed. Additional land to the north was purchased to extend the playground out to Sand Creek.

• 1953–1959: Six classrooms, an auditorium, and an office were added to the east side, accompanied by PTA-led landscaping. Enrollment hit its peak in 1959 with 509 students across 15 classes.

• 2023: The 1953 wing was replaced with a modern two-story addition. This major upgrade introduced six new classrooms, a full-sized gymnasium, a cafeteria with a commercial kitchen, a beautiful music room, a scenic library, an elevator, and two sky bridges connecting the modern facility to the historic building.