Meet Mark Iverson Jeff Wade | Historians

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Iverson Jeff Wade and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark Iverson, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks has gotten us to where we are today. In 2007, Mark joined the Peace Corp and was sent to Bulgaria, where he worked with Roma students. Mark witnessed unspeakable violence against these kids and their families. While just being present in the country was a big risk to Mark, he learned a lot about the way the world works outside of our relatively cozy and peaceful upbringings in the United States. It changed him as a person. The risk of traveling to Eastern Europe had another reward; Mark met Michala, another Peace Corp volunteer, and the two were married after returning to the United States.

Jeff also took a big risk that shaped who he is today. At just 19 years old, he became a Correctional Officer, a job that he has done for over 15 years now. At times his physical well-being has been in jeopardy, but even more so the job has exposed him to a variety of new cultures and understandings about the human experience that is not found anywhere but in prison. He was also fortunate enough to meet the love of his life there. During her last week as a CO, Jeff met Blair and the two were married shortly after.

When Mark founded IdaHistory in 2019, he was taking a huge risk. He knew people wanted to learn about history, but did not know if they were willing to pay for it. After losing his initial business partner, and pressing forward with trying to sell tour tickets during a pandemic, Mark was risking his time and well-being to follow his passion. When Jeff attended one of these tours, Mark took a big risk in mentioning that he needed a business partner. After a few months of considering, and lots of hints from Mark, Jeff jumped in with both feet. We continue to take risks as we build partnerships that will carry our company into the future.

Our biggest risk to date is the purchase of a vehicle to conduct auto tours in. We knew we needed to do something unique, so we purchased a 1978 GMC Kinglsey Motorhome which we are currently getting ready to hit the road in. We will see if this risk pays off!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At IdaHistory, our mission is to inform and entertain at the same time. For us, history is not boring, so we do what we can to present it in a fun, lighthearted way. Mark came up with the idea of A Macabre History of Boise: A Walking Tour after leading tours for the City of Boise. The attendees would always ask for the salacious stories behind the buildings he would talk about. Mark realized that people wanted the dirty, gritty details and by giving them the details they wanted, they would probably be more apt to learn the history that goes with it.

Jeff had a similar experience when he created a podcast called Cascadia: History of the Pacific Northwest. He learned that people wanted to hear about the shootouts, crazy murders, and mysteries instead of the mundane details of sea explorations and the laying of city plats. When he joined Mark at IdaHistory he was ready to tell the stories that people wanted to learn about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As tour guides, we pride ourselves on knowing where to find the good stuff! Boise is full of great places to eat and drink. Pengilly’s Saloon at Main Street, is styled to look like an old west saloon. Great place to meet for a drink. Then we would head over to The Pioneer Tent and Awning Building, which was built in 1910, and grab a slice at Wiseguy Pizza and Pie. For a good beer, we would grab a pint at Lost Grove Brewing. Then we would head out to the neighboring city Nampa and hit our favorite place for a beer, Crescent Brewery. The owner Jerry revived Crescent in 2009; the original brewery was built in 1906. To cure the hangover of all that beer, we would hit up either Perking Spot in Nampa or Coffee and Supply Co. in Eagle. Both great places to grab coffee.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would be nowhere without Blair and Michala always supporting us. Michala has stood behind Mark the whole way, working hard to provide financially for the family so that Mark can build IdaHistory. Blair is always ready to help with editing and advice.

We also would like to recognize the staff at the various historical archives where we get our material from. Without them, we would not be able to bring forth stories that are begging to be told.

Website: www.idahistory.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/idahistory

Facebook: facebook.com/idahistory

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/idahistory-tours-boise

Other: Go to Idahistory.com and click on the link at the top of the page to join our mailing list.

Image Credits
Amanda Smith, IdaHistory Mark Iverson, IdaHistory Katy Webster, IdaHistory