Discover

Then and Now

"History is who we are and why we are the way we are." David C. McCullough

From its beginnings in logging and forestry to the present as a world class four season resort, McCall is a city with history, character and adventure.

The making of the Spencer Tracy classic Northwest Passage was filmed primarily in and around McCall in 1938-and the panoramic shots of Payette Lake and surrounding countryside helped earn the film an Academy Award nomination for best cinematography. In the early 1920's, Finnish settlers introduced cross country skiing, alpine skiing and ski jumping to the region. Their mark is still apparent on the farms and street signs of Long Valley with well crafted examples of Finnish style architecture and Finnish dialect.

The character of McCall as Idaho's "Ski Town USA" is inscribed in its tradition as the second oldest winter recreational area in Idaho. McCall is the hometown of several US Olympic athletes who grew up in the area - and all but one still make their home in McCall.

At elevation 5,000 the City of McCall anchors the north end of Valley County and rests on the shores of spectacular Payette Lake, occasionally referred to as "Little Lake Tahoe". A pristine alpine lake of this size is a natural feature missing in many mountain resort communities. While the architecture and restoration of the Hotel McCall reminds McCall of its origin, the commanding, state of the art Manchester Ice Centre brings McCall into the present.

With a local population of 3,471 full time residents in the winter and 12,000 in the summer, McCall has become a diverse melting pot. Many locals have been here for generations. New residents - whether retirees, baby boomers fulfilling their dream or those relocating to the area for employment opportunities - easily discover a common ground of life in McCall.

Today, McCall's leading employer is the US Forest Service which operates the largest regional Smokejumper Base and firefighting capabilities. The McCall-Donnelly School District (www.mdsd.org) and Valley County are other major employers.

McCall has appeared often in the news both regionally and internationally. Barbara Morgan, the first astronaut-teacher in space in 2007 taught at McCall-Donnelly Elementary as recently as 1998. In 2008 McCall hosted the international Nordic ski event, the Master's World Cup and in 2009 the Special Olympics Snowshoe Events at Ponderosa Park.