Thornton, Idaho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thornton, Idaho
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 Thornton, Idaho
Location in Idaho
Thornton, Idaho
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho |
| County | Madison |
| Elevation | 4,859 ft (1,481 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| Area code(s) | 208 and 986 |
| GNIS feature ID | 398240 |
Thornton, originally known as Texas Siding, is a small community in Madison County, Idaho, in the United States. It was started in 1917. The community was named after William Ezra Thornton. He was important in setting up the town and even worked as its postmaster for a while.
Where is Thornton Located?
Thornton is about 7 miles (11 km) south of Rexburg. To its south, you'll find the Lorenzo Bridge, which crosses over the South Fork of the Snake River. If you look west, you can see the Menan Buttes in the distance.
Thornton is located along the Oregon Short Line Railroad. It was built around an old part of U.S. Highway 191. This short piece of the original highway ends in Thornton at an old concrete bridge.
Over time, Thornton was split by the building of US Highway 20. The larger part of the community is south of this highway. The northern part has almost disappeared because of the highway's construction. The Archer-Lyman highway starts north and east of Thornton. It then winds south and east towards Ririe.
An old brick building, once the Thornton Hotel, is no longer used. It has been left empty because it is falling apart.
Thornton's History
Thornton was once a busy place for businesses. Today, it is mostly a rural community. It has a potato warehouse and the original Thornton Merc convenience store.
Years ago, Thornton had two large general stores. One was owned by George Marler in the early 1900s. Another store was owned by C. L. Galbraith. In 1971, the Thornton Merc opened in the old Marler's store location. Mrs. Geraldine Evans started it. As of 2010, it is still open. You can still faintly see "Marler" painted on its north side. Some of the Marler family still own land in Thornton.
Thornton was also a place for fun and entertainment. It had a movie theater run by Mr. Fritz Hansen. There was also a saloon and a dance hall.
In the mid-1940s, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints bought a grain elevator in Thornton. This elevator stored grain for the church's local groups until 1959. You can still see this elevator from U.S. Route 20 for many miles north and south of Thornton.
When Thornton had a train depot, a special passenger train called the Yellowstone Park Special would stop there. This train was on its way to Mack's Inn and Yellowstone Park. People visiting Heise Hot Springs would arrive by train at Thornton. From there, they would travel by horse-drawn vehicle to the nearby hot springs.
Thornton once had a community church led by Reverend Baird. Church services stopped because not enough people attended. The Church of Jesus Christ also had a primary and Sunday school service in Thornton for a few years. These also stopped as Thornton's population got smaller. However, the Church of Jesus Christ is still growing in the nearby area. This is because Rexburg has grown, and people who work or study at Brigham Young University–Idaho are looking for homes in Thornton and nearby Archer and Lyman.
Places to See in Thornton
Next to the Thornton Merc, there is an old trailer park. It now hosts both campers and people who live there longer term. Many of these residents are migrant workers. They work in the nearby potato warehouses. Another RV Park is south, across the old concrete bridge, closer to the Snake River South Fork.
The Thornton Shell gas station and convenience store is located between Highway 20 and the railroad tracks. It used to be called the Mini Mart. Behind the Shell station is the old grain elevator. It now has an advertisement for the gas station. Also located between the two highways is an older home. It was once owned by the Keith Wilcox family in the mid-1900s. This home is now isolated because a part of South 3300 West road was removed.
