"Rear View" from Regional History

By Kelley Moulton

The Constitution of the State of Idaho was signed on July 3rd, 1890 following the first Constitutional Convention, held  in August of 1889. Representatives from across the state came together in Boise to hold a discussion on every important topic covered by the Constitution.

Of these members, there were four members representing Alturas County. Alturas would later be split into Elmore, Logan (which would also disappear), Lincoln, and Blaine counties between 1889 and 1895.

One of these Republican delegates was James W. Ballantine of Muldoon is pictured in this portrait. Ballantine, the Superintendent of the Little Wood River Mining and Smelting Co., was a Registrar for Muldoon, and he would also take interest in ranching and merchandising. He was joined by fellow Republican delegates James H. Beatty of Hailey and A. Joseph Pinkham of Ketchum.

The Democrat delegates consisted of Orlando B. Batten of Ketchum, Patrick McMahon of Ketchum, and  Lycurgus Vineyard of Hailey at Convention representing Alturas County. Colonel Ballantine would be a popular politician, securing numerous nominations for public offices but refusing many due to his desire to focus on his own business. He would be elected the Mayor of Bellevue several times and was just 8 votes shy of being a United States Senator. He would later die in 1907 of heart failure.

To learn more about Idaho’s Constitution, please visit The Community Library and see Creating and Conserving the Constitution. This touring exhibit was created by the Idaho State Historical Society and will be hosted at The Community Library until June 25th, 2022.

By Olivia Terry

The melting of the snow and the closing of the runs are a sorrowful reminder that ski season is nearly over. However, one must look forward to the bright reappearance of crocuses and the cheerful presence of a new brood of ducklings that always seem to signify that spring is here.

For many, spring represents new beginnings. Seeds are planted in the spring and new life, ideas, and projects flourish in the warm weather.

Pictured in this image from the Union Pacific Collection, is Elnora Seagle with a litter of kittens. Seagle was one of the three original women to breathe life into Ketchum’s Community Library. She, along with Clara Spiegel and Mary Ellen Moritz, recognized Ketchum’s need for more cultural amenities, at a time when only 500 people populated the town.

Seagle was integral in organizing the meeting of seventeen women on January 14,1955 to form the Community Library Association. She later became the first chair-woman of the Library’s board, and the first receiver of honorary life membership.

Today, the legacy of Seagle and the other sixteen founding women live on every time someone checks out a book. This image of Seagle and the kittens is a reminder that new beginnings are just around the corner, and under the right circumstances and mindset, the possibilities are boundless.

Historic Photo Stories from the Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History

For Women’s History Month, let’s look back to some of the leading ladies of the mining town known as Ketchum. In this image we see the grace and elegance of Teresa Parks, Sarah Jane McCoy, and Frances Venable standing in their fur coats in front of the Ketchum Kamp Hotel, sometime between 1926 and 1937. All three of the ladies had moved to Ketchum sometime between 1880 and 1884, and raised their families in the tough conditions of the Wood River Valley during its mining days before Sun Valley existed.

They all witnessed many changes in the Wood River Valley, such as the opening of Sun Valley. Parks would sadly pass in January of 1937, but Venable and McCoy would continue to live in the Wood River Valley until their deaths in 1955 and 1951 respectively. Venable would be known affectionately by locals as Mother V and her home was a favorite meeting place for local youth of the Wood River Valley. The McCoy family ranch is today known as the Reinheimer Ranch and is considered by some as the entrance to Ketchum when driving north.

To find out more about these women and their family stories in the Wood River Valley, visit the Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History.

Historic Photo Stories from the Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History

By Olivia Terry

When Sun Valley first opened its doors to the world in 1936, W. Averell Harriman recognized the need for a ski jumping hill in order for the resort to offer Four-Way Competitions.

Under Harriman’s direction, Norwegian born Alf Engen and Sigmund Ruud located Ruud Mountain. The mountain would become the resort’s center for ski jumping, where jumpers from around the world would compete on the mountain’s jump for prestigious competitions, like the Annual Harriman Cup Tournament. Jumpers flew into the air where they were judged on both distance and form.

This image, from the Union Pacific Collection, shows Engen, Nils Eie, and Birger Ruud in good form, jumping on Ruud Mountain during  the Sun Valley International Open, circa 1938.

Engen became known as the United State’s best ski jumper and spent many years at Sun Valley. In 1937, he became the Sports Consultant and Superintendent of Recreational Facilities at the resort, and directed and competed in skiing competitions until 1948. He also coached the 1948 U.S. Olympic Ski Team with co-coach Walter Prager. 

Come see The Regional History Museum’s latest exhibit in collaboration with John Lundin, Skiers in Flight: Ski Jumping Roots in Sun Valley to learn more about Sun Valley’s rich history of ski jumping. Visit the museum in Forest Service Park during open hours, Wednesday thru Saturday, 1-5pm. 

Historic Photo Stories from the Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History

Silver Creek draws nature lovers from all over to fish its waters and walk its paths while looking for wildlife.

This image of Silver Creek from the Sandra Hofferber Collection, shows the riparian area, the land that borders bodies of water, with snow on the ground, ducks on the water, and mountains peeking out in the background.

Historically, the creek has been used for irrigation for farmers along its banks. It was also used for ice harvesting in the winters of the 1900s, when thousands of pounds of ice were shipped via the railroad to other towns like Glenns Ferry in the state.

Today, Silver Creek Preserve is famous  for its world renown fly-fishing and the variety of wildlife that it draws. It is also well known for the conservation work and partnerships it has with community members and other organizations. 

The Community Library’s Winter Read Exhibit, Reel Legends : Fly Fisherwomen of the Wood River Valley takes a look at four women who share a relationship with fly-fishing areas like Silver Creek, and what the sport means to them. The 2022 Winter Read Virtual Kickoff and the exhibit opening will be on Monday, January 31. Click here for more details about Winter Read and upcoming Winter Read events.