Desert Station: The First Building in What is Now Twin Falls

Before the age of trains, planes, and cars - stagecoaches and freight wagons carried people and goods across the rugged West. In this talk, we’ll explore the history of Desert Station, a stage stop built in 1864 when Ben Holladay—the famed “Stagecoach King”—secured a contract to carry mail from Salt Lake to Boise. We’ll learn how Desert Station functioned as a vital “swing station” where weary horses were exchanged for fresh teams. Perched along the edge of Rock Creek Canyon, the stone station even relied on a horse-powered hoist to draw water up from the canyon floor, we’ll examine how the rise of the railroad—first the Transcontinental line in 1869 and later the Oregon Short Line in 1884—reshaped travel and led to the decline of stage stations like Desert Station, and we’ll learn about the progress being made in the Desert Station Historical Site creation.

Time & Location

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Cost: Free

Doors open: 6 p.m.

Presentation starts: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Rick Allen Room in the Herrett Center, Twin Falls, ID

Presenter

Paul Smith

Paul Smith was a member of the Idaho State Historical Society Board of Trustees, serving on behalf of District 5. He has worked with ISHS since 1991 and has a life-long love of state and local history. A former chairman of the Twin Falls County Historic Preservation Commission, Mr. Smith started Preservation Twin Falls, a nonprofit dedicated to buying historic properties for Twin Falls, in 2007.

Brent Reinke

Brent D. Reinke is grateful to be a fourth generation Idahoan born in Twin Falls County.
Brent and Carla were married in Filer and raised 5 boys, all graduating from Filer High School. This coming June they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
In 1981, the Brent family started MR. B’s Fine Food in Filer and later expanded to Buhl. In 1983, they started the tradition of having a food booth at the Twin Falls County Fair. 2021 marked the 38th year the Reinke family’s presence at the fair.

Brent’s public life started in 1986, and over the following 38 years served the public as Filer City Councilman, Twin Falls County Commissioner, Director of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections, and then Director of the Department of Corrections.

His service also extended to the State of Idaho. During those 18 years, Brent served 8 years as Chairman of the Governor Criminal Justice Commission. He also had the privilege to serve 4 consecutive Governors.

As of January 2019 Brent, is serving once again as Twin Falls County Commissioner.