The Bown House was built in 1879 and it's one of the oldest remaining houses left in southwest Idaho. It's now a museum and it provides a fun field trip for students in elementary school.Around 2,500 students get to take a two-hour tour every school year where they get to learn about Joseph and Temperance Bown, the 240-acre farm they lived on and what daily life was like in the late 1890s. "I think it would be fun, interesting and probably tiring because of all the chores," said Maggie, a fourth-grader at Whittier Elementary. "Probably my favorite part was the school house because I kind of like learning."The Bown House was the first house pioneers would discover when they got to Boise along the Oregon Trail. It was also one of the fanciest homes from the period and volunteers from the Assistance League enjoy sharing this history with students. "You know we have fun," said Juno Vanocker. "We like to dress up, we like to pretend and we still like to be associated with youngsters. It keeps us young."The volunteers make learning interesting and they are happy for the opportunity because back in the 1990s when Riverside Elementary was built the future of the Bown House was in jeopardy. However, the late Janet Orndorff led the charge to keep it near Bown Crossing and turn it into a museum and now it's part of the learning experience for the Boise School District."We are glad that trustees let us be in charge of this project that was really a pipe dream at the time and we were able to bring it to fruition," said Vanocker. "And here we are." If you are interested in touring the Bown House there are free tours on the first Saturday of every month from 1-4 p.m. The Assistance League is also looking for volunteers who are interested in keeping history alive.