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The Wood River Museum of History & Culture is proud to showcase this ceramic insulator from the original power poles that once stretched from Cold Springs up to The Roundhouse on Bald Mountain. This seemingly modest object is a fascinating piece of our local history, representing a significant era in the development of rural electrification and infrastructure in the mid-20th century.

Ceramic insulators like this one began to replace their glass predecessors post-1950, reflecting advancements in materials, science, and a growing understanding of the demands of electrical transmission. While glass insulators were widely used prior to this period, they were gradually phased out in favor of ceramic due to the latter’s superior durability, higher resistance to electrical leakage, and ability to withstand harsher environmental conditions.

The power line that this insulator once served was a crucial link in providing electricity to the iconic and cherished Roundhouse restaurant on Bald Mountain. Getting electricity up the mountain was particularly challenging due to the rugged terrain and severe weather conditions. This insulator not only survived these elements but played a vital role in ensuring a reliable power supply, enabling the local community to flourish and modernize.

This specific insulator, with its distinctive form and glaze, tells a story of innovation and perseverance. Each component of the power line had to be robust and reliable, and ceramic insulators were a key part of this resilience. Their adoption marked a significant transition in electrical infrastructure, representing a move towards more advanced and dependable technology.

By examining this ceramic insulator, we can appreciate the ingenuity and effort that went into building and maintaining the electrical networks that have become integral to our daily lives. It stands as a testament to the engineers and workers who navigated the rugged landscapes of the Valley to bring power to isolated communities. This artifact not only illuminates a technical evolution but also highlights the human endeavor behind our modern conveniences.

Wood River Museum of History & Culture, 2022.01.323.

by Ruth Ware

Five beautiful couples.
One deadly game.
Who will escape alive?

Lyla Santiago has spent months working on a research project that could be the key to getting a permanent job in her field. So, she can’t really drop everything to go to a desert island with her actor boyfriend Nico to film One Perfect Couple, a new reality TV show that Nico is sure will lead to his big break – can she?

Two weeks later, Lyla finds herself boarding a boat to an isolated luxury resort in the Indian Ocean.

The rules of the game are simple. Ten strangers have to survive together on the island – and the last couple standing scoops the prize. There will be sun, sea, laughs and plenty of flirting. What could possibly go wrong?

But when a huge tropical storm cuts them off from everything, the group must band together. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla realizes that someone is playing this game for real – and they’ll stop at nothing to win.

Ten might have arrived, but who will survive to the end?

Praise for Ruth Ware:

• ‘A rocket ride that will satisfy the biggest thriller addicts out there’ DAVID BALDACCI
• ‘Deliciously dark and utterly addictive’ LUCY FOLEY
• ‘A breathless action thriller which packs an emotional punch’ CLARE MACKINTOSH
• ‘Hits the ground running and doesn’t let up till the last chapter’ ERIN KELLY
• ‘A cracking read – and that ending!’ SHARI LAPENA
• ‘Every Ruth Ware novel is a unique and unexpected gem and this one is no exception. A heady, tense, slow-burn dream of a book, multi-layered and steeped in atmosphere and peril. I loved every page’ LISA JEWELL
• ‘Absolutely brilliant murder mystery – seamless, flawless, perfectly clued and utterly gripping’ SOPHIE HANNAH
• ‘Impeccably crafted and totally compulsive – you’ll be sad to reach the final page and realize you have to say goodbye’ JP DELANEY
• ‘Ruth Ware is in a league of her own’ JACK JORDAN

Find it in our Collection here.

Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

by Hampton Sides

On July 12, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment?

Hampton Sides’ bravura account of Cook’s last journey both wrestles with Cook’s legacy and provides a thrilling narrative of the titanic efforts and continual danger that characterized exploration in the 1700s. Cook was renowned for his peerless seamanship, his humane leadership, and his dedication to science–the famed naturalist Joseph Banks accompanied him on his first voyage, and Cook has been called one of the most important figures of the Age of Enlightenment. He was also deeply interested in the native people he encountered. In fact, his stated mission was to return a Tahitian man, Mai, who had become the toast of London, to his home islands. On previous expeditions, Cook mapped huge swaths of the Pacific, including the east coast of Australia, and initiated first European contact with numerous peoples. He treated his crew well, and endeavored to learn about the societies he encountered with curiosity and without judgment.

Yet something was different on this last voyage. Cook became mercurial, resorting to the lash to enforce discipline, and led his two vessels into danger time and again. Uncharacteristically, he ordered violent retaliation for perceived theft on the part of native peoples. This may have had something to do with his secret orders, which were to chart and claim lands before Britain’s imperial rivals could, and to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. Whatever Cook’s intentions, his scientific efforts were the sharp edge of the colonial sword, and the ultimate effects of first contact were catastrophic for Indigenous people around the world. The tensions between Cook’s overt and covert missions came to a head on the shores of Hawaii. His first landing there was harmonious, but when Cook returned after mapping the coast of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, his exploitative treatment of the Hawaiians led to the fatal encounter.

At once a ferociously-paced story of adventure on the high seas and a searching examination of the complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration, THE WIDE WIDE SEA is a major work from one of our finest narrative nonfiction writers.

Find it in our Collection here.

by Dolly Alderton

Jen has dumped Andy, and he’s handling the breakup in exactly the way all his friends and family might have expected: very, very badly. Crashing at his mother’s house and obsessively photographing his hairline, Andy embraces the rites and rituals of every breakup:

…the ill-advised decision to move onto a houseboat, the forced merriment of a lads’ night out, the accidental late-night text to the ex…

…all resulting in a never-ending shame spiral. Even as Andy tests the waters of a new relationship, he finds himself drawn back to Jen, revisiting old texts and emails, trying to figure out what truly went wrong.

Find it in our Collection here.

One of the great highlights of the archives of the Center for Regional History is its vast collection of newspapers, dating as far back as 1881. These newspapers, of which the Wood River Valley has had many over the years, give an incredible glimpse into life in the valley throughout its settled history.

However, in a January 31, 1883, issue of the Wood River Times Weekly, amongst articles describing happenings around town, local politics, and news from the wider world, one particularly grisly headline stands out in a large bold font: THE BELLEVUE HORROR.

This article describes an event that occurred in the early morning hours of January 27. Shortly after one, Bellevue residents were startled to hear two pistol shots ring out, followed shortly by cries of fire in the streets. As locals were roused from their beds and rushed into the streets, it was soon found that the home of Mrs. Ella Newton was engulfed in flames. The crowd attempted to locate and rescue Mrs. Newton, but to no avail. Only after the building had been entirely consumed by the flames were her charred remains pulled from the wreckage.

Speculation began immediately as to the mysterious cause of Mrs. Newton’s untimely death. Some claimed murder, as two revolvers were found near Mrs. Newton’s remains, one of which contained two spent shells. It was suspected that the fire had been started to cover up a foul crime.

Others suspected Mrs. Newton herself started the fire and then ended her own life. Her husband, Mr. Lewis Newton, was out of town on business, but the couple were struggling greatly financially. Mrs. Newton had already pawned off some of her jewelry to afford provisions, and many considered her to be a prideful woman who would sooner end her life than to make public her destitute circumstances.

A final theory was that the fire was an accident. Mrs. Newton was also in poor health, and reportedly partook of opium to ease her pains. Some signs pointed to the source of the fire being a coal-oil lamp, which Mrs. Newton may have been unable to escape while under the influence of opium.

None of the grim possibilities could be determined to be the truth, and thus what truly happened on that late night in Bellevue remains a mystery.

To access our extensive newspaper collection, reach out to The Center for Regional History.

Step into the rhythmic heartbeat of tradition with a recent addition to our collection—a handcrafted drum by Pete Yellowjohn, a revered Traditional Elder, Bundle Keeper, and Medicine Man of the Shoshone Bannock Tribe. Crafted with meticulous care and adorned with symbols of ancestral reverence, this drum stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Indigenous craftsmanship.

Fashioned from stretched buffalo hide, the drum’s surface is adorned with masterfully hand-painted images of the local fauna—a mountain lion and bear—entwined amidst vibrant depictions of native flora. Each stroke of Yellowjohn’s brush tells a story of kinship with the land and its inhabitants, echoing the spiritual connection deeply rooted in Shoshone Bannock culture. Complementing the beautiful paintings on the buffalo hide, the drumstick is a work of art in itself—a slender willow branch wrapped in supple deer hide, embellished with brass tacks.

But more than an object of beauty, this handcrafted drum and its accompanying stick serve as custodians of tradition, embodying sacred knowledge that is passed down through generations. In the hands of Yellowjohn and his predecessors, the art of drum-making transcends mere craftsmanship—it becomes a sacred act of remembrance, a vessel for preserving cultural heritage in a rapidly changing world.

As you view this masterpiece of Indigenous artistry, imagine its rhythmic pulse transporting you across time and space, inviting you to listen not just with your ears, but with your heart—to the echoes of the past, the whispers of the ancestors, and the timeless melody of tradition.

From the Pete Yellowjohn Collection (2023.15.01), Wood River Museum of History and Culture.