Historic Wallace Idaho

Center of the Universe

click on the space ship to view the 1600x1200 pixel image in a separate window This concept had its impromptu origin in 2004 as a sarcastic critique by an international crowd of Silver Summit attendees of the EPA's lead-headed 2002 Record of Decision which said, in essence, that if a thing cannot be disproven, it is thereby proven. The anniversary of the Mayor's proclamation that Wallace MUST be the Center of the Universe because you can't PROVE otherwise has naturally been celebrated ever since. In 2006, the commemoration included the crowning of the Princess of the Center of the Universe and the marrying of high school sweethearts... forty years later. In 2007, a dedicated volunteer committee morphed the celebration into a wildly successful scholarship drive with Miss Center of the Universe and Mr. Hard Rock contests, where votes were dollars gathered in jars. A non-profit corporation was established to manage the expanded scholarship fund raiser in 2008. Center of the Universe, Inc., is an Idaho non-profit corporation with an Idaho Secretary of State Organizational ID/Filing Number of C179994.

 

click to view American Road story as pdf file in separate window Welcome to the Center of the Universe!

The "Probalistic Center of the Universe" is located at the intersection of Bank and Sixth Streets in historic downtown Wallace, Idaho. Be seen with friends, family or even the local wildlife and forevermore be able to proclaim that you have stood at the Center of the Universe and survived to tell about it.

The Center of the Universe monument, shown to the right, was officially dedicated by His Honor, Wallace Mayor Ron Garitone, September 25th, 2004.

The Center of the Universe was celebrated again at this intersection on the evening of Saturday, September 23, following conclusion of Silver Summit 2006, itself an international celebration of the silver mining industry and the companies who explore for, mine, and refine that noble metal. We were happy to see so many people join us for a fun evening of awards, live music, dancing, and general merriment as we toasted the Center of the Universe and young love.

On September 22, 2007, following a very well attended Silver Summit 2007 in nearby Coeur d'Alene, Wallace again celebrated its unique location at the center of all things. However, this year the Princess Pageant was morphed into a community service festival, where a dozen contestants for Miss. Center of the Universe and Mr. Hardrock collected over $4000 to initiate a scholarship program for local high school students. The winners are shown below.

As shown by a July, 2010, article in American Road Magazine, our manhole cover/monument has continued to receive attention since then. Click on the famous intersection above to read their one page article, "Center of the Universe," as a pdf file opening in a separate window.

click to expand the Probalistic Center of the Universe in Wallace, Idaho

Origin of the Center of the Universe in Wallace, Idaho
 
click to buy Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe from Amazon.com


Jump to Link Table
click to open a larger photo in a separate window of Danny Wallace and Greg Marsh at the Center of the Universe
Author Danny Wallace and Greg Marsh at the Center of the Universe, October 2005 		click to open a larger photo in a separate window of Mayor Ron Garitone marrying a couple at the Center of the Universe
Mayor Ron presides at the first wedding at the Center of the Universe, October 2005 		click to enlarge photo by Fred Bentley in separate window
Lisa Siri, 2006 Princess of the Center of the Universe
click to enlarge photo by Fred Bentley in separate window
Jerome Bunde, Pennaluna stockbroker, marries his high-school sweetheart at the Center of the Universe on September 23, 2006 		click to enlarge photo by Greg Marsh in separate window
Ray Demotte, Stirling Mining Company, waits to crown the Princess of the Center of the Universe
click to enlarge photo by Fred Bentley in separate window
However, Dave Bond of silverminers.com steps forward to do the honors at the Center of the Universe 		click to enlarge photo by Fred Bentley in separate window
Mayor Ron stands on his claim to be the Center of the Universe 		click to enlarge photo by Fred Bentley in separate window
Diane Houston of Attic Treasures presents the Princess with a jewelry gift certificate at the Center of the Universe
click to enlarge Jennifer Newkirk in a separate window
Jennifer Newkirk was crowned Miss. Center of the Universe 2007 on September 22, 2007 		click to enlarge photo of George Houchin in separate window
George Houchin, Mr. Hardrock 2007, is a miner at the Lucky Friday in Mullan
 

The Mayor's Proclamation

The Center of the Universe I, Ron Garitone, Mayor of Wallace, Idaho, and all of its subjects, and being of sound body and mind, do hereby solemnly declare and proclaim Wallace to be the Center of the Universe.

Thanks to the newly discovered science of "Probalism" - specifically probalistic modeling, pioneered by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Welfare, and peer-reviewed by La Cosa Nostra and the Flat Earth Society - we were further able to pinpoint the exact center within the Center of the Universe; to wit: a sewer access cover slightly off-center from the intersection of Bank and Sixth Streets.

Upon discovering this desecration of the Center of the Universe, we proceeded forthwith to remove said manhole cover and replace it with this fine Monument, directing all who come upon it to the Four Corners of the Universe, these being the Bunker Hill, the Sunshine, the Lucky Friday and the Galena Mines. Let the courses of all who foray upon these vectors into the known and unknown be forever illuminated by the brilliant, shimmering gleamings of silver, lead and zinc to their destinations, wherever they may be.

The science of Probalism has its roots in the 2002 EPA Coeur d'Alene Basin Record of Decision, and as a syllogism expresses itself thusly: if a thing cannot be disproven, it is thereby proven. Thus if the communities of the Silver Valley cannot absolutely prove themselves to the EPA's satisfaction to be good and healthy places to live, then this is proof that they require the EPA's continued meddling in their affairs.

Similarly, after a search of the literature, our government-contracted scientists in Moscow, Boise and Seattle have, after years of diligence, been unable to unearth one scintilla of proof that Wallace is NOT the Center of the Universe. In the absence of such proof, we are compelled to conclude that Wallace must therefore BE the Center of the Universe.

And it is hereby so ordered and declared, this year 2004, this date, September 25th, this hour, 9:00 PM WUT (Wallace Universal Time).

 
6 Month Silver Prices - Silver Price Chart
6 Month Zinc Prices - Zinc Price Chart

From 1884 through 2014, the Silver Valley produced 1.239 BILLION OUNCES OF SILVER. In 2014, 4.86 million ounces were produced, a 35% increase over 2013. Along with the silver, 24,676 tons of lead, 8,159 tons of zinc, and 293 tons of copper were extracted in 2014 from a mile below the Silver Valley. As the richest silver producing area in the world, the soil in the Silver Valley is naturally high in lead... lead sulfide, or galena, a hard black rock. Lead oxide, a white powder, dumped on Kellogg and Smelterville by the negligent smelter operator 40 years ago was the dangerous contamination that the EPA was tasked with cleaning up. And they did a great job within the nation's largest Super Fund Site! But then they lingered... looking for work in the entire river basin. Measuring TOTAL lead in the lawns of Wallace as an excuse to replace everyone's lawn was and is a horrible waste of taxpayers' money. You see, the mud used to chink the logs at the Cataldo Mission in 1853, 30 years before the first mine, also has lead in it... lead sulfide. Lead sulfide is what thousands of miners have been blowing up and mucking away to the surface for the last 131 years. Funny how none of them have high lead blood levels... To claim that lead sulfide is just as dangerous as lead oxide is as silly as saying that hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) is only as dangerous as hydrogen oxide (water).
Mining Companies associated with the Silver Valley. Books about Hard Rock Mining

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Dates indicate when the content or structure of a page was modified.
Wallace History
October 08, 2017 		Modern Wallace
October 10, 2008
Recreational Opportunities
November 23, 2015 		Photo Album
December 29, 2003
Wallace Business
August 06, 2018 		Relocation Information
January 17, 2018
Wallace Festivals
August 16, 2018 		Today's Weather
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January 02, 2018
Wallace Homepage
August 06, 2018 		This Center of the Universe page was last modified on October 11, 2017.

 
 
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Greg Marsh, Ph.D.
Marsh Scientific Services


 
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last update on Wednesday, October 11, 2017