In the Middle and on the Edge: The Twin Falls Region of Idaho by
Those who discover history have learned to recognize and appreciate the events, the trends, and the experiences that unite us, wherever and whenever we live. All history, it might be said, is local history. That’s what makes a book like "In the Middle and on the Edge: The Twin Falls Region of Idaho" a great find.
Dr. Jim Gentry, who has taught history at the College of Southern Idaho for parts of the last four decades, recognized the opportunity he had to tell the story of this fascinating part of the United States. The history of Twin Falls as a city goes back only 100 years. In fact, the Twin Falls Centennial Commission helped underwrite the publishing of the book for the city’s 100th birthday in 2004. But Jim’s story begins thousands, even millions, of years before that when geologic upheavals put the region in the middle and on the edge long before man set foot here. Later, native people and early white explorers began to make their marks on the local landscape. “In the Middle and on the Edge” creatively weaves together the stories of how these ancient and recent forces created the Twin Falls region of Idaho.
But you don’t have to live in or be from southern Idaho to savor the many stories you'll find in Dr. Gentry’s book. What you will read about our pioneers, our growing pains and political trends, and how we carved and wrested a home out of the high, rugged desert of Idaho will prove once again that we have much in common regardless of where we live. History is a shared experience.
The College of Southern Idaho and the Twin Falls Centennial Commission are proud to be a part of this great book. We are confident that it will be valuable not only for area historical reference and education but also for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
Twin Falls by
Images of America: Twin Falls tells the story of the transformation of a sagebrush plain into productive farmland at the beginning of the 20th century. Engineers and investors found a way to capture the water of the Snake River for extensive irrigation and completed Milner Dam and the related canal system in 1905. The success of the Twin Falls South Side Irrigation Tract was associated with other reclamation projects in the region, resulting in the permanent settlement of south-central Idaho. New residents built modern schools, fine homes, and imposing business blocks. Prosperous farms and orchards dotted the landscape. Twin Falls became a wholesale center for storing, processing, and shipping agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad.
A Forest of Wormwood: Sagebrush, Water and Idaho's Twin Falls Canal Company by
In 1905 a handful of young men with big dreams and determination built the largest privately financed irrigation project in the country in southern Idaho. This is the story of the formation of the Twin Falls Canal Company.
Shoshone Falls: The Magnificent Spectacle by 
Tales of the Tract by