This dramatic photo, taken at the Blaine County Fair in 1983, shows the incredible power of a team of horses competing in the horse-pull event. In this event, individual horses or teams compete to see which can drag the most weight over a pre-determined distance. The event has its roots in friendly competitions between farmers with their draft horses, but these days horses are trained specifically for the horse-pull event, and typically are not involved in regular farm work. Teams take turns … [Read more...] about The Blaine County Fair Horse-Pull
A Busy Day on Main Street
Liam Guthrie, Regional History Librarian It can be easy to imagine the past as a quieter, emptier place sometimes, and in some places it certainly was. But this photograph of Ketchum’s Main Street circa 1938 definitively shows that Ketchum was not one such place. The street is teeming with pedestrians even on a cold winter day. A policeman directs the flow of cars entering the crowded road. A couple men appear to be ski joring — skiing while being pulled by horses — down the middle of the … [Read more...] about A Busy Day on Main Street
Young Women Fishing at Redfish Lake
Lucy Maitland-Lewis, Wood River Museum of History & Culture Intern 85 years ago, this early Sun Valley publicity photograph was taken as two young women assembled their fishing gear at the edge of their canoe. The horizon is tilted as Louis Holliday likely stood in a nearby boat, but the ladies’ boat is frozen in time, level and still, while Mount Heyburn ascends behind them. Donated to the Center for Regional History by Holliday himself, this photo only measures four by five inches, … [Read more...] about Young Women Fishing at Redfish Lake
The Rare Book Case
An oft overlooked yet utterly fascinating shelf amidst the library’s stacks is the Rare Book Case in the Betty Olsen Carr Reading Room. Contained in this case is a variety of unique books, each with some interesting aspect to it. Some date back to the 19th century; others are signed by local celebrities. Some are rather hard to acquire; still more recount the earliest days of Idaho’s history. One book in the case, representing many of these features all on its own, is An Illustrated History … [Read more...] about The Rare Book Case
The Rare Book Case
An oft overlooked yet utterly fascinating shelf amidst the library’s stacks is the Rare Book Case in the Betty Olsen Carr Reading Room. Contained in this case is a variety of unique books, each with some interesting aspect to it. Some date back to the 19th century; others are signed by local celebrities. Some are rather hard to acquire; still more recount the earliest days of Idaho’s history. One book in the case, representing many of these features all on its own, is An Illustrated History … [Read more...] about The Rare Book Case
Pulling Into Station
Finian Ayliffe, Wood River Museum of History & Culture Intern From the onset of 90-degree weather, to the influx of tourists following the Fourth of July, it’s clear that summer has come to the Wood River Valley in full force. This time, like many times of year in the valley, is dominated by the unrelenting economic force of tourism. Looking back at this photograph, taken around the early 1940s at the Ketchum railway depot, it’s clear that the more things change, the more they stay the … [Read more...] about Pulling Into Station
