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Hi! We're Jim Penne and Fran Villano and hail from Broken Tree Ranch in rural Indian Valley, Idaho. In another life, Jim was an aircraft mechanic.
I was also involved in aviation and we met at an aviation facility in Florida. Jim has been an Idahoan for much of his adult life. As for me, well, I am the "Zsa-Zsa goes to Green Acres" kinda gal! A native New Yorker, I moved here from Florida in 2003.
There's a lot of this "simple" life that makes sense to me. Not simple in the Paris Hilton style, but simple meaning that wants and needs are life necessary not extravagances and no competition with the Joneses. Now there's enough time to actually stop and smell the roses, feel the dirt, and drink in the sight of those beautiful mountains.
We are constantly taking photos. Those photos have been translated into note cards and we would like to share them with you so we started this business.
But anyway, to give you a little background about Indian Valley, today there is a population of approximately 200 and unfortunately, growing steadily. Jim suggested that maybe I shouldn't go into too much description because then everyone would come here in droves and ruin a breathtaking landscape as well as put neighbors around us that would be closer than a quarter of a mile away!
To comply with Jim's suggestion, the following is a brief history (that I got off the internet). Indian Valley (elevation: 3,002 feet) is about 120 miles northwest of Boise and is about halfway between Cambridge (population: 360) and Council (population: 960), along the Weiser River.
Indian Valley is so named because the Shoshoni Indians used it as a wintering area. By 1868, "white" families were living along the Weiser River as far up as Indian Valley. The only known occupant of the Council Valley was a bachelor named Henry Childs who lived on Hornet Creek. That creek was named after a nasty encounter Childs had with hornets near his home while clearing brush. Before it had any other name, the Council area was called "Hornet Creek" or "Hornet Valley" as it was the place where Hornet Creek entered the Weiser River. Shoshonis showed the "white" families how to harvest and preserve salmon. In 1873 a post office was established. In 1874 a mail route was established that passed through Indian Valley. It was also on the stagecoach route, with the stage company's headquarters located at a ranch here. The post office is still in operation, as well as the general store, which has delicious milkshakes! In addition to these businesses, the center of town is comprised of a community hall, trap club, and church. Don't blink your eyes or you'll miss it!
Actually you can find exactly where Broken Tree Ranch is located in Indian Valley once you go over Midvale Hill and the mountains are laid out spectacularly in front of you. Simply locate the saddle along the ridgeline and follow the "y" down to our ranch! So welcome and we hope you enjoy our beautifully crafted note cards.
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