Kelley Moulton

By Olivia Terry, Regional History Museum Librarian

Pictured here in this turn of the century studio portrait from the Mary Lemon Brown Collection, is Gertrude Edna Lewis Gates (1867-1945). Gertrude was the daughter of Isaac Ives Lewis, one of Ketchum’s most influential men during the silver mining boom.

When Gertrude was thirteen, she and her family moved to Ketchum and built a house near where Sun Valley is currently located. Shortly after, Issac Lewis monopolized business, purchasing the weekly Ketchum Keystone newspaper and the lucrative Elkhorn Mine. He also opened the First National Bank of Ketchum.

Gertrude married a few years later and spent her time in and out of Ketchum. She was said to be a deeply religious woman. Gertrude was no doubt a woman of privilege in the Wood River Valley and her status is underscored by her hat in this portrait. While it appears that Gertrude has everything and the kitchen sink on her head, her hat was extremely fashionable for the second half of the 1890s. Gertrude’s hat appears to feature an entire bird, silk hydrangeas, crushed ribbon, and a mystery element that adds drama through height.  

While it appears that Gertrude has everything and the kitchen sink on her head, her hat was extremely fashionable for the second half of the 1890s.

Nineteenth century milliners not only added feathers to their creations, but it became one of the biggest fashion crazes of the century to place an entire bird onto women’s hats. Leading Parisian designs were disseminated across the world and were copied by local American and European dressmakers for their clients. The practice of decorating hats with birds and giant feather plumes continued into the 20th century, coming to a climax during the Edwardian era with the introduction of the enormous and theatrical “Merry Widow” hat. Shortly after, it fell out of fashion when birds, especially the Great Egret, were becoming increasingly extinct from over-hunting. It is unknown when or where Gertrude acquired this hat, but it’s clear that Gertrude was aware of and had access to the latest fashion of the day. 

By Kelley Moulton

The Sun Valley Ski Patrol has been a part of the Sun Valley story since the resort opened its doors in 1936. The image here shows a training drill from 1953 where the members of the ski patrol are practicing what they would do in the event of a plane crash. The seven visible members are being pulled across the snow by a CAT, ladened with various pieces of equipment. This drill included scaling a mountain and then possibly bringing down the plane crash victims.

The Sun Valley Ski Patrol has been a leader in the industry. Members of the Patrol would train the U.S. Army’s 10^th Mountain Division during World War II, and one of the original directors, Nelson Bennett, would help to revolutionize safety with his invention of the Sun Valley Ski Patrol Rescue Toboggan. The toboggan would become widely used by other Ski Patrols across the country and the technology would continue to be used to this day.

Today’s Ski Patrol features over 60 highly trained members, human and canine, who work to keep recreationists at Sun Valley out of harm’s way. To name just a few of their duties, the Sun Valley Ski Patrol arrange avalanche mitigation, rescue services, and share their invaluable knowledge with our community. Today, the Ski Patrol continues to provide world class service and safety to all who enjoy the mountains around Sun Valley.

By Mary Tyson, Director of Regional History

A horse in the Casino Club? Meh, not a problem for the Casino gamblers. They are clearly too engrossed in the table game to pay much attention to the man or his horse. This photo is a good snapshot of small-town nightly entertainment that was popular across America in the 1930s and 40s, with the exception (maybe) of the horse and rider.  

In Idaho, each town had jurisdiction over the local gambling laws. Ketchum allowed table games, poker, and roulette, as well as slot machines. The game table behind these players is hard to see. We can’t see the game either, but it is likely roulette.  

Sun Valley Resort, which opened in 1936, did not allow any gambling. Their guests would come a mile down the road to the Ketchum clubs to gamble and drink late into the night with sheep ranchers and other locals. 

The Casino as we know it today was built in 1926 by Elmer Ebbe with logs cut from Baldy. At first it was a hotel and then its next owners, the Werry family, turned it into a casino and bar in the thirties. Along with the Sawtooth Club, it is one of the oldest running bars in Ketchum.