NSH Speaker Series: Stacy Guill

The historic North Star House of Grass Valley invites you to join us on welcome Stacey Guill, author of “The House In The Cañon” that details the Boise home of Arthur and Mary Hallock Foote, the first residents of The North Star House. Her beautifully crafted and uniquely designed book tells of the Footes’ life in Boise, Idaho, where Arthur had a vision of creating a canal system that would one day serve to irrigate the entire Boise Valley. The couple built and lived in the house, located in the outskirts of the Boise River Cañon, from 1885 to1889. Guill spent 20 years researching the Footes and their remarkable home. Arthur’s design of the floor plan and the building’s structure was not a typical style of the period. Her research became a key element in developing The Foote Park Interpretation Center near the site of the original home. In 1895, the Footes moved their family to Grass Valley when Arthur became the superintendent of The North Star Mine. Mary continued her career as an illustrator and author. In 1905, the family moved into the newly constructed North Star House designed and built by the then young architect, Julia Morgan, who later gained recognition as the architect and designer of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. The Foote family lived in Grass Valley for 30 years.
The possibility of discovering new information about the Footes and their Idaho home inspires Guill to continue digging through library archives, pouring over old letters, photos, and newspaper clippings. She believes there is more to tell! Guill earned her Master’s Degree in English from Boise State and her Ph.D. in Literature and Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Guill and her husband, Ron, are longtime residents of Boise. The latter is a mining engineer and retired mining contractor who will add his thoughts about miming in the past and mining today during the presentation. Purchase of “The House In The Cañon” and book signing will follow the presentation.
Docents will be present for tours throughout the house, including a permanent display of Julia Morgan’s Life and Legacy, after the presentation and book signing. This event is part of the historic North Star House Speakers series.
For more information go to thenorthstarhouse.org.