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Soiled Dove opened last week at 361 B Street in downtown Idaho Falls. It’s a speakeasy that highlights the city’s “soiled” past. Take a look in the video above. | Photo Courtesy Mike Richards
IDAHO FALLS — Roy Reynolds was just 8 years old when Hotcha Hinton, a transgender drag queen entertainer who was once a regular performer in downtown Idaho Falls, stuck her finger in his ear.
It was 1949, and the future painter and sculptor, who passed away in 2021 at age 80, snuck into the Bon Villa Club where the ARTitorium now sits to watch her dance in the adults-only show.
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“He was kind of hidden, and Hotcha walked up behind him, licked her finger, and stuck it in his ear,” business owner Jake Durtschi tells EastIdahoNews.com. “He turned around, took off running, and never looked back.”
Lightbox photo of Hotcha Hinton inside Soiled Dove | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
A lightbox photo of Hotcha Hinton now hangs inside Durtschi’s new business at 361 B Street. It’s a speakeasy in an alley near the Downtown Event Center with a Prohibition-era theme called Soiled Dove, inspired by the illicit bars that flourished during that time period.
The name Soiled Dove refers to a tax that was once collected from businesses in the local red light district, which included adult theaters, brothels, and prostitution.
Those businesses are now long gone, but in the early days of Idaho Falls, these types of establishments were a thriving part of the city’s night life, attracting gamblers, miners, and even transients. It all began with a brothel in the late 1800s, which was located where the Japanese Friendship Garden now sits. That area between the railroad bridge and the old Taylor bridge on the other side of what is now Broadway Street became known as Soiled Dove Island.
This picture inside Soiled Dove shows the area referred to as Soiled Dove Island in the early days of Idaho Falls. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
Today, Soiled Dove serves crafted cocktails and mocktails, along with multiple food items. Live entertainment is also part of the experience, but the main draw is the photos and stories from the city’s colorful past.
It opened without fanfare last Tuesday and employees say those who have stopped by have enjoyed the experience.
Durtschi says the Museum of Idaho has been instrumental in providing photos and historical information for the venue.
These stories fascinated him and he felt the speakeasy was a fun way to highlight the local lore.
“We think telling some of those untold stories is a lot of fun,” Durtschi says. “It’s about connecting people with that local (history) and trying to bring that flavor alive.”
Hotcha Hinton’s photo is Durtschi’s favorite piece and he says Reynolds experience with her as a little boy is an example of the “soiled” history connecting with everyday people.
Reynolds did a painting of Hinton later in life, but Durtschi isn’t sure where it is.
He wants the venue to be a place where people can come for a quiet drink and get a taste of “the authentic Idaho Falls.”
“There’s a lot of soul to Idaho Falls and a lot that happened,” says Durtschi. “There’s a rich history. We should be proud of who we are.”
Soiled Dove is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. It closes at midnight Friday and Saturday.
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