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Bicentennial: Idaho Historical Museum & Programs
THE IDAHO STATESMAN, Boise, Tuesday, April 6, 1876 Idaho History Casts Spell on Museum -' By JULIE T. MONROE The Idaho Statesman "These are neat!" That's the ultimate compliment a fourth grader can give. The objects of admiration _ are marionettes bouncing to life on the downstairs stage of the Idaho Historical Mu- seum. The "Pigtails and Goldpans" show, in which Junior League members sneak some Idaho history in along with the entertainment, is part of a museum tour given to thousands of schoolchildren every year. On their tour, the 60 Koelsch Ele- mentary School fourth grade stu- dents and their teachers — Bethene Card, Marian Cross and Irene Gar- rison — are initially divided into two groups. While one group, sees the marionettes, the other listens to Rosalie Barbour, museum edu- cation director, talk about early Idaho history. The half -hour show proceeds with a minimum of "shhh " -ing and a maximum of giggles. The good guys on stage are Chinese workers Hing Wong and his Stupid Cousin. The bad guys are miners O'Rourke And Kelly. The scoundrels are out to steal a ceramic pot which they think contains gold, but which ac- tually contains the ashes of Chi- nese Grandfather. O'Rourke asks the audience where the pot is. "The Chinese have it(" comes the reply. "Behind the bench? Is that what he said ?" asks Kelly. More giggles as O'Rourke and Kelly find the pot behind the bench. But, needless to say, Grand- father is recovered and all ends well. , In the next room, Barb about Indians, trapper sionaries and miners. The are. fascinated as she she old mining instruments trading beads, a trappers can't ask aquestion they swer. Hands shoot in the know!). Who were the fi men in Idaho? "Lewis an( What caused the .popu boom? "Was it the goh Why is this an especially I for studying history? "It' centennial!" - Then comes the real fui DAVID ANDERSON TRIES HEFTY TRAPPER'S GUN OUT FOR SIZE ... he's the nine - year -old son of Mr. and Mrs. Freddie Anderson )I 996t6t T QDO= uaxol- aajjo�ip.zuoggsLp/tuoo-ouilaoi id•mnnnnn//:sdllq I o n museum our in S choo c 1 ren P1 ast old - dering around the museum. The Girls walking slowly p fashioned doll display: "Do you id Kelly. The scoundrels are out children are asked not to run, but la with dolls ?" "Not any more." steal a ceramic pot which they Barbour says, much to their appalk p About the Battleship Idaho dis- ink contains gold, but which ac- ent relief, that they are free to talk Snazzy ship "' tally contains the ashes of Chi because "what fun is a field trip if ° play-. The two - headed calf, the model ne Grandfather. you can't share it ?" of a 19I steam shovel, the old O'Rourke asks the audience The kids "shhh" themselves in bank teller's window are particu- ,here the pot is. the old-fashioned schoolroom. Thy larl fascinating to the students. In g "The Chinese have itl" comes are less subdued about the other the midst of antiques and artifacts, he reply. exhibits, their questions provide a contrast "Behind the bench? Is that what About the stagecoach: "Oh, to the es as much as their c}enim to said ?" asks Kelly. neat! They just put this in!" and tennis shoes do. More giggles as O'Rourke and With an'air of superiority: "I've Teacher:. "Look at the spit- More find the pot behind the been here before." loons!" )ench. But, needless to say, Grand Boys rushing past old-fashioned Student: "What are they ?" lather is recovered and all ends t, v nknlav: "UQh, dolls!" well. In the next room, Barbour talks about Indians, trappers, mis- sionaries and miners. The children are. fascinated as she shows them old mining instruments, Indian trading beads, a trappers gun. She can't ask a question they can't an- swer. Hands shoot in the. air (Oh, I know!). Who were the first white men in Idaho? "Lewis and Clark!" What caused the .population to boom? "Was it the gold rush ?" Why is this an especially good year for studying history? "It's the Bi- centennial ?" , __,__ Then comes the re LECTURE ON IDAHO Hino l un z D�.,.•..., -• - _ __ _ _ Koelsch students Robbie Mills, left, Danny Fahy, Joe Centanni Museum Comes to Life Dick Braese and his son, Rick, will be among those help- ing the Idaho Historical Museum "come to life" from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Braese will man the old-fashioned print shop exhibit. The other historical folk represented will in- clude a piano player, blacksmith, madame, long rifle men, square dancers, spinners, fiddlers and gold panners. there will be musical groups, displays of antique vehicles and a model railroad in action. The free event is sponsored an- nually by the Idaho Historical Auxiiary at the museum in Julia Davis Park. Wednesday, September 14, 1977 — "A Part of Life in Idaho Alice Dieter Delightful History for Idaho 4th Graders A book just published by Caxton's in Caldwell won't make the best- seller lists this year. But I am will- ing to wager that it will be read with delight by growing numbers of Idaho fourth graders in the years to come. It is "Discovering Idaho," a history, by Dwight William Jensen. (The Caxton Printers, Ltd., $10.95). For those who don't remember (as well as those who do), Dwight Jensen was the producer, director r and anchor of the 10 p.m. news on Channel 2 while it was still KBOI i Radio and Tele- vision. That was back when Mayor Dick Eardley, as news director, headed a team of in- dividualists that tested his abilities to the point where he felt qualified to take on the whole city. I contributed to his testing as one of the team. But Dwight constituted a team all by himself. An Idaho -born newsman with a sense of history and a range of perception that left no room for provincialism, Dwight relished his work, and he worked at it more en- ergetically and productively than al- most anyone I have ever known. "Discovering Idaho" reflects that breadth and energy as well as a number of other Jensen character- istics. The long -term result could be that there eventually comes forth a generation of Idahoans so sturdily rooted in their own past that they understand today as a continuation of what has gone before and them- selves as participants. In the process, I hope they will also gain something that is the es- sence of the personality of the author — a sense of the importance of themselves. It is a quality some- times confused with self - importance, but really its antithesis. Dwight Jensen, with his strong sense of the importance of himself, possesses an equally strong sense of the importance of other selves. He brought it to his work, he brought it to his friendships and his feuds, he brought it to his coverage of the news, and he has certainly brought it to his textbook for fourth graders. Dwight always understood his evening newscast as a segment in an on -going saga and built into his scripts an understanding of the in- terrelationship of events. He knew where Idaho was on the map, but he never confused "isolated" with "insignificant." The day's news is part of history. It is not, was not and never will be merely a string of incidents. Neither are the people who live it any less than the stuff of history. That's the way he reported, and that is how he has written the history of this state from its Paleo- lithic beginning. The book explains how history is written and deals with how myths Persist, such as the inaccurate busi- ness about "Idaho" once being an Indian word. It deals clearly with the mutuality of Indian -white con- flict over land and resources. Idaho children of both heritages can read the book with pride and understand- ing. It deals with the unique reli- gious heritage of the state as well; and explains clearly and simply such complexities as how mining produced an agriculture. And it makes the business of living ... tanning and stretching a deer skin, boiling wood ashes into lye for soap, cooking on an open hearth ... a real experience, sweaty work that produced aching muscles as well as a viable existence. Dwight has a productive way with words. Unlike those of us who sit at our typewriters and drip blood, get- ting the pages smeared, torturing the syntax and gumming up the keys with the xxxxxx's that mask our misspellings, Dwight sits down, eyes his machine with a sardonic look of confident control and types out clean, perfect copy without a pause. The result is easy to read. He can think and talk that way, too. I once watched in awe as he ad- libbed an entire telecast, detail- ing a fast - breaking story and then summarizing the day's lesser events with clarity and style. For this book he has written clear, crisp sentences of suitable length and vocabulary for his fourth grade audience. His most astute critic has been his daughter, Julia, who left the fourth grade behind as her father worked on the text. But his ear for her speech, his respect for her intellectual discoveries and his delight in sharing a world with her have given all Idaho a legacy of that important time in both their lives when Julia Jensen was 10 years old. (Alice Dieter is a Boise writer working as a corporate journalist.) Historical Museum names 6 r By MICHAEL ZUZEL Idaho Statesman Six Idahoans were named hon- orary curators of the Idaho His- torical Museum on Sunday, in re- cognition of their "expert knowl- edge, wise counsel and service" to the museum, Director Arthur Hart said. The awards were presented as part of the opening of the mu- seum's newly completed 9,000• square -foot addition. The $532,000 expansion project includes 7,000 feet of additional exhibit space and a new entrance -lobby area. Hart said the six new curators have, over the past 10 years, pro- vided expert advice and assist- ance to the museum and the Idaho Historical Society. "With the small staff we have, we can't have experts in every field," Hart said. "This is to honor the people who have helped the Society in their areas of exper- tise." The six people and their new titles are: • Robert Auth, curator of Mili- tary History. A nationally known artist and a teacher in the Boise School District, Auth has assisted the museum in the areas of mili- tary and fur trade history, Hart said. • Richard Braese, curator of Printing Arts. A local printer, Braese restored a nun tique printing presses ciety, Hart said, and h in the organization's pr ects. 0 Duane Garrett, Historical Photograph mercial photographe has provided expert archival photography, I • John Mutch, cura mismatics. An author for of trade tokens, N Idaho Museum expansion r By RAY SOTERO The Idaho Statesman The first thing visitors will see after walking inside the soon -to-be- completed $542,000 expansion to the Idaho Histori- cal Museum will be its old entrance. "It wasn't a great building, ever," Ar- thur Hart, director of the Idaho Histori- cal Society, said about the original build- ing during a tour Saturday. "But at least the new lobby will be keying off the old entrance." The remodeled entrance to the 40- year -old museum is part of a state - funded 9,000 - square -foot expansion. It in- cludes two new display rooms that Hart said will make a handsome showcase for 140 never - before -shown pieces of an- tique machinery when the museum 35mm projector that toured Idaho, holds its grand opening Jan. 15 and 16. showing movies to miners. Hart said the energy - efficient addition will provide growing room and is a wel- come improvement to the "cultural complex" that includes the museum, the Boise Gallery of Art, the Boise Public Library and nearby Julia Davis Park. "Our problem has been we've had more stuff in storage than we've had room for in the museum," Hart said. Those antiques will be used to fill the new display rooms after construction is finished next week. They include a horse -drawn mower, turn-of- the - century coffee grinders, sewing machines, type- writers and a mid -1910s hand - cranked Hart said the exterior of the mu- seum's chiseled, patio-style entrance will provide a "flow of space" and cov- ered area for annual "Museum Comes to Life" festivals. It also will provide space for tour groups to assemble and shake off the snow from their boots before en- tering the museum. At the same time, the angled patio pil- lar leaves an unobstructed line of vision for Capitol Boulevard motorists to see nearby cabin -style structures cared for by the Historical Society, he said. Inside, the entrance will be high- lighted by a ceiling - mounted, 70•year -old Transportation THE IDAHO STATESMAN, Boise, Sunday, .tune 6, 1982 ... �.. �.... ..�...y�....� .. L.... ■ w A parade of old -time cars and trucks carrying state dignitaries, veterans and families, square - dancing, mimes and tours of the grounds gave a festive mood to the Old Idaho Penitentiary on Sat- urday. The highlight of activities was the grand opening of the Idaho Transportation Museum in the former Multipurpose Building. An estimated 2,000 people visited the museum during the day, accord- ing to Idaho Historical Society personnel. Among the vintage cars was a 1919 Model T speedster owned by Leonard and Thelma Howard, 1501 N. 21st St. Howard said the vehicle was popular in its time and a similar one won the India- napolis 500 one year. State Auditor Joe Williams and his wife rode in the parade in a 1909 Buick, while State Treasurer Marjorie Ruth Moon rode in a style in a 1915 Reo Roadster. In addition to El Korah Shrine Temple's old paddy wagon, com- mercial vehicles in the parade were Garrett Freightlines' Reo truck, Dr. Pepper Bottling Co.'s Ford truck, the Idanha Hotel's Packard limousine and Triangle Dairy's old milk delivery truck. Modes of travel from a time predating horses in Idaho through gasoline engines are shown in the museum. Exhibits allow visitors to turn their thoughts back to a time before cars, airplanes and gasoline shortages. All of the two-dozen exhibits are property of the Idaho Historical Society. Most have been in stor- age for several years because the Historical Society had no place to show them, according to curator Kathleen Dodson. The Multipurpose Building, built in 1923, is the third phase of a restoration and renovation proj- ect at the Old Penitentiary at the east end of Warm Springs Avenue to supplement the Historical So- ciety's Natural Museum at Julia Davis Park. An electrical museum is located in a building east of the Transportation Museum. ��m n a m e s 6 h o n o r a r y c u r a t o r s e , I y I n t h e i r a r e a s o f e x p e r - h e s i x p e o p l e a n d t h e i r n e w e s a r e : R o b e r t A u t h , c u r a t o r o f M i l i - H i s t o r y . A n a t i o n a l l y k n o w n i s t a n d a t e a c h e r i n t h e B o i s e o o l D i s t r i c t , A u t h h a s a s s i s t e d m u s e u m i n t h e a r e a s o f m i l i - d . f u r t r a d e h i s t o r y , H a r t R i c h a r d B r a e s e , c u r a t o r o f n t i n g A r t s . A l o c a l p r i n t e r , B r a e s e r e s t o r e d a n u m b e r o f a n - t i q u e p r i n t i n g p r e s s e s f o r t h e s o - c i e t y , H a r t s a i d , a n d h a s a s s i s t e d i n t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n ' s p r i n t i n g p r o j - e c t s . " D u a n e G a r r e t t , c u r a t o r o f H i s t o r i c a l P h o t o g r a p h y . A c o m - m e r c i a l p h o t o g r a p h e r , G a r r e t t h a s p r o v i d e d e x p e r t a d v i c e o n a r c h i v a l p h o t o g r a p h y , H a r t s a i d . " J o h n M u t c h , c u r a t o r o f N u - m i s m a t i c s . A n a u t h o r a n d c o l l e c - t o r o f t r a d e t o k e n s , M u t c h c a t a - l o g e d t h e s o c i e t y ' s c o i n c o l l e c t i o n , H a r t s a i d . " E r n e s t O b e r b i l l i n g , c u r a t o r o f M i n i n g T e c h n o l o g y . A m i n i n g e n g i n e e r a n d a u t h o r , O b e r b i l l i n g a s s i s t e d t h e m u s e u m i n i t s m i n i n g d i s p l a y s , H a r t s a i d . " D a l e W a l d e n , c u r a t o r o f A m e r i c a n a . A w e l l - k n o w n B o i s e c o l l e c t o r o f a n t i q u e s a n d a g e n e a l - o g y e x p e r t , W a l d e n h e l p e d d e " v e l o p t h e m u s e u m ' s a n t i q u e c a m - e r a c o l l e c t i o n , H a r t s a i d . H a r t s a i d t h e s i x , n o n e o f w h o m a r e e m p l o y e d b y t h e H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y , h a v e m a d e v i t a l c o n t r i b u - t i o n s t o t h e m u s e u m . " T h e y s h o u l d n ' t b e c o n f u s e d w i t h v o l u n t e e r s , " h e s a i d . " O u r v o l u n t e e r s a r e i m p o r t a n t , a n d w e h o n o r t h e m a s w e l l . . . T h e s e p e o - p l e c o u l d b e s t b e c a l l e d ' e x p e r t v o l u n t e e r s . ' " T h e m u s e u m h o p e s t o n a m e o t h e r h o n o r a r y c u r a t o r s i n t h e f u - t u r e , H a r t s a i d . = , , - S T A Y E , S M A k S U N D A Y , D E C E M B E R 5 , 1 9 8 2 ��x p a n s i o n . n e a r s c l u s e u m 3 5 m m p r o j e c t o r t h a t t o u r e d I d a h o , s t a i n e d - g l a s s d o m e t h a t o r i g i n a l l y h u n g 1 1 6 . s h o w i n g m o v i e s t o m i n e r s . i n s i d e t h e l o b b y o f t h e O w y h e e P l a z a . T o I d i t i o n H a r t s a i d t h e e x t e r i o r o f t h e m u - i t s r i g h t s t a n d s t h e o r i g i n a l e n t r a n c e t o a w e ] - s e u m ' s c h i s e l e d , p a t i o - s t y l e e n t r a n c e t h e b u i l d i n g , c o m p l e t e w i t h p i l l a r s b e - 1 1 t u r a l w i l l p r o v i d e a " f l o w o f s p a c e " a n d c o v - t w e e n t h e o r i g i n a l e n g r a v i n g o f " I d a h o m , t h e e r e d a r e a f o r a n n u a l " M u s e u m C o m e s t o H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y . " P u b l i c L i f e " f e s t i v a l s . I t a l s o w i l l p r o v i d e s p a c e E x p a n s i o n o f t h e o l d f r o n t d o o r l e f t r k . f o r t o u r g r o u p s t o a s s e m b l e a n d s h a k e t h r e e o p e n i n g s w h e r e t h e r e o n c e w a s a h a d o f f t h e s n o w f r o m t h e i r b o o t s b e f o r e e n - t e r i n g h a d t e r i n g t h e m u s e u m . s i n g l e d o o r f l a n k e d b y t w o w i n d o w s . J . T h e y s e r v e a s e n t r a n c e s t o t h e m u s e u m A t t h e s a m e t i m e , t h e a n g l e d p a t i o p i l - a r e a s i n t h e o r i g i n a l b u i l d i n g . i l l t h e l a r l e a v e s a n u n o b s t r u c t e d l i n e o f v i s i o n i o n i s f o r C a p i t o l B o u l e v a r d m o t o r i s t s t o s e e E l s e w h e r e i n s i d e , a g r o u n d - l e v e l e n - d e a n e a r b y c a b i n - s t y l e s t r u c t u r e s c a r e d f o r t r a n c e a n d i n s t a l l a t i o n o f a n e l e v a t o r n t u r y b y t h e H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y , h e s a i d . w i l l p r o v i d e a c c e s s f o r t h e h a n d i c a p p e d t y p e - I n s i d e , t h e e n t r a n c e w i l l b e h i h _ f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e . W o r k e r s a l s o i n s t a l l e d i n k e d l i g h t e d b y a c e i l i n g - m o u n t e d , 7 0 - y e a r - o l d o r i g i n a l s e c t i o n f i r e - s p r i n k l e r f t h e m u s e u m ; t h e s y s - V I A N , B o i s e , S u n d a y , . t u n e 6 , 1 9 8 2 t i m e b e f o r e c a r s , a i r p l a n e s a n d g a s o l i n e s h o r t a g e s . A l l o f t h e t w o - d o z e n e x h i b i t s a r e p r o p e r t y o f t h e I d a h o H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y . M o s t h a v e b e e n i n s t o r - i g e f o r s e v e r a l y e a r s b e c a u s e t h e H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y h a d n o p l a c e t o ; h o w t h e m , a c c o r d i n g t o c u r a t o r C a t h l e e n D o d s o n . T h e M u l t i q u r v o s e R u i l d i n o T i p l e t i o n t e r n w a s s t a n d a r d i n t h e n e w s e c t i o n . T h e w i n d o w t o H a r t ' s o f f i c e , w h e r e h e h a s b o r n e t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s a s d i r e c t o r s i n c e 1 9 6 9 , w i l l s t i l l o v e r l o o k t h e l o b b y w h e r e t h e n e w i n f o r m a t i o n d e s k a n d p l a n n e d m u s e u m s t o r e a r e l o c a t e d . " W e h o p e t o h a v e f u n d i n g f o r p h a s e t w o o f t h e e x p a n s i o n c o m p l e t e d w i t h i n t h r e e y e a r s , " H a r t s a i d . T h a t p r o j e c t , w h i c h w i l l r e q u i r e a p p r o v a l b y t h e L e g - i s l a t u r e , w o u l d a d d a n o t h e r 9 , 0 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t o f d i s p l a y s p a c e ' b e t w e e n t h e m u - s e u m a n d C a p i t o l B o u l e v a r d . H a r t s a i d i t t o o k 1 2 y e a r s o f l o b b y i n g t o g e t f u n d i n g f o r p h a s e o n e . " W e ' r e o p - t i m i s t i c w e ' l l g e t i t ; i t d o e s n ' t d o a n y g o o d t o b e p e s s i m i s t i c . " :E "J o on Q' Fr ` "- 5o o•c CJp cO� a o � o "DrD 3 � <'rM) (D W O, O ( p (D O in D 0 n G. ° O n c o ^� oc^ �� m e J c p -1 ""U C 0 no C m LO `iiLid �m 06 a cn _n (D 0. bz ° (-D a pac °aO v ^m oocns° yp o -.0 0 p cr (D "i C w aC) °/ (D o Z W CD N Cn En ^", v, CD c `' x ^ v, o c a _ o ° -M ^ .�wadcn(D=r - s3�"OL w c w .»o ID C,. TMc>v c oq m °' ° S W6" •o p C< CD -i(D y_. 5 yncocoo ao p . v m Oo�- 1a�'cD+ ac'oaCDO vJ can -"y w 'C - =^� c ui•a'o a cnGO p.<�� ID (D 21 co N w n nc o-o �p °<_,Zn = o cD o aw (D CD a°•° o �° B o m �'o x< g' s can�(D 1 C pc �.00 0sv � o_ 5' iv n n xCD w m� g� n A a� Qw c _ :roc �N atu n j a= ° (D L,) h" a Oro o^ W Q y W C]. 0 7' o" n' n O n � N C ; a' m� �' o n o v E n 0 0 (D 0 oaca °����aav �� ^� can <p ® m o m ac n ( y ac � ='cn o �� D � `' < Nw ° woCL yo°o kco11 sv : C_ _ =_ D cD C: (D (D in o`nn� y ��v_ D �° Q A Mp n o ., oo CO co > aA fD � ID p w �a cn ° Wp 0cp min v Saturday, March 1}0; 1979 Historical Society to get $5,000 U.P. International Sen. Frank Church has announced that the Heritage Conser- - vation and Recreation Service, part of the Interior Department, has approved a $5,000 grant for the Idaho State Historical So- ciety. The money, Church said, will help finance rehabilitation of the plumbing system at St. Michael's Cathedral in Boise. Rehabilita- tion will include installation of a fire protection system to meet the city's safety codes. The grant is being made under the Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Church said. The act provides funds for the protection and restoration of historic buildings. Logan house has stood for 115 years Museum to dedicate historrc Borne adobe Bc;sE•s Mayor Lcga.n House, an historic adobe origi- nally located at 116 S. 6ih St., wail be ded;,:a ed at 2 p_m. S,;nday at it3 new hcr-e in Fioreer Volage at the Idaho Historical M.aseum in Julia Day s Park. The house, which is one of the city's oldest, was built in 1365 and was still stan'd;rg on Nov. 11, 1370 when it was moved to the park. It is the last of a cluster of mud -brick buildings located on and near Main Street. Thomas E. Logan, a prominent downtown businessman and mayor, bought it in 1868. The house was designated for preservation and resto- ration because adobeibuildings are rare this far north in the United States. Nearly every building of similar con - struction in the region has either fallen into ruins or has been boarded over, thus disguising the original charac- ter, museum officials say. Logan, who operated a series of businesses on Main Street, bought the adobe house from James Crawford for $2,000. Crawford had obtained the house from Charles W. Slocum, his partner in Crawford, Slocum and Co , a pioneer business in Boise since July 1863, when the t:;wns ;ie was established. l.oe,an was appointed postmaster by President Grant in 13x9. He was first elected mayor in July 1874 and served three additional terms. Logan died in May 1394 on a train near Shoshone, on a return trip from California. Museum wing opens Vintage machines shown in expand By TOM KNAPPENBERGER The Idaho Statesman To Mandy and Erin, 7- year -old friends poking through the Idaho Historical Museum's newly opened addition Saturday morn- ing, the Motorola television set was just a curious antique. For two girls born in the mid - 1970s, an early 1950s TV with its small screen encased in a large wooden console was as odd as the stand -up, hand - cranked cream separator was to many urban, older folks. But even today's energy - saving inventions soon become yester- day's curious antiques. Mandy Hill and Erin Archam- beault were two of scores of chil- dren and parents who toured the 9,000 - square -foot addition opened to the public for the first time Sat- urday, which was "Young Idaho Day." The $542,000 addition to the 33- year -old museum off Capitol Boulevard allows the display of about 140 items that had been tucked away in storage because of lack of space. "Machines That Changed Life in Idaho" is the chief display, fil- ling the addition's lower half. Items on display ranged from typewriters, kitchen utensils and hand - cranked washing machines to vintage logging equipment and a player piano (which was popu- lar with the kids). Displays up- stairs feature quilting, spinning, weaving and sewing demonstra- tions by area men and women. There is 7,000 square -feet of ex- hibit space on both floors plus a 2,000 square -foot lobby that holds some exhibits and a souvenir shop. Guided tours and puppet shows Saturday were special fea- tures for the young visitors. "I like it because of the clock and the pretty decorations," Mandy said of a 1930 table -top radio with curlicues surrounding a small clock face. Erin's mother, Cathy Archam- beault, 3908 Leland Way, said her family comes often to the mu- seum and had been eagerly await- ing this weekend's grand opening. Museum Director Arthur Hart said he, too, has been waiting. For years, he routinely asked the Idaho Legislature for money to expand the Museum that was begun in 1941 but not completed until 1950. The addition, with its angled front doors, preserves the original art deco-styled museum entrance inside the new lobby. The old en- trance itself becomes a display. Capping the top of the addi- tion's 2,000 - square -foot lobby is the golden glass dome from the Owyhee Hotel. Hart said the lack of display space not only cut down on ex- hibits, but it discouraged donors who knew their gifts would likely end up gathering dust in storage. Hart said the machine theme was chosen because "almost every one has its counterpart in our homes today, they just look different." The machines proba- �I J STTAT ESMAN SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 1983 ed Historical Society home Julie and Erin Archambeault, left and center, and Mandy Hill view old office machines bly will remain on display for at least a year, he said. A fashion ex- hibit of Idaho clothing is planned for February. The addition also has space for a future art gallery of Idaho paint- ings. A second phase, which would expand the museum westward to- ward Capitol Boulevard, is far in the future, Hart said, given the poor state of government fi- nances. However, the museum has more than enough artifacts to fill the planned 9,000 square -feet addition and is collecting more all the time, he said. "We don't draw the line at any particular time," Hart said. "If it's 5 years old, we'll take it. It makes more sense to collect them now than to wait 100 years and not be able to find them." The museum will be open today from 1 to 5 p.m. with an awards ceremony to honor six museum workers set for 2 p.m. " �� . V v y l j v c m u l e s s o m e o e t o r e i t s r e m o v a l i n J u l y 1 9 7 7 O r n a t e d o n n e o f O w y h e e H o t e l f i n d s h o m e a t s t a t e m u s e u m B y A R T H U R H A R T O n e o f t h e m o s t d r a m a t i c f e a - t u r e s o f t h e n e w I d a h o H i s t o r i c a l M u s e u m w i l l s t r i k e v i s i t o r s t h e m o m e n t t h e y w a l k i n t h e d o o r . I t i s a p i e c e o f B o i s e h i s t o r y d e s t i n e d t o l i v e o n f o r m a n y y e a r s t o c o m e i n a n e w s e t t i n g . W h e n t h e O w y h e e H o t e l w a s c o m p l e t e d i n M a y 1 9 1 0 , i t w a s h a i l e d b y T h e S t a t e s m a n a s " p r o b a b l y t h e f i n e s t h o t e l o f i t s s i z e i n t h e c o u n t r y . " L i k e m o s t f i n e c i t y h o s t e l r i e s o f i t s d a y , t h e O w y h e e h a d a n o r n a t e a n d l u x u r i o u s l o b b y . T h e p r i n c i p a l f e a t u r e o f t h i s l o b b y w a s a g r e e n a n d g o l d s t a i n e d - g l a s s d o m e . I t i s t h e O w y h e e ' s a n t i q u e d o m e t h a t n o w g r a c e s t h e m u s e u m ' s l o b b y a s b e a u t i f u l a s e v e r a n d v i r t u a l l y u n m a r r e d b y t i m e , e v e n t h o u g h i t w a s f i r s t i n s t a l l e d i n B o i s e 7 3 y e a r s a g o . T h i s d o m e " s h e d o n t h e i n t e r i o r a l i g h t e f f e c t w h i c h c a n h a r d l y b e r o o m s , 1 5 0 o f t h e m w i t h b a t h c o n s i d e r e d a l u x u r i o u s r a t i o i n I d a h o I d a h o 1 9 0 9 w h e n B o i s e a r c h i t e c t s T o u r - , ( t e l l o t t e a n d H u m m e l d r e w t h e Y e s t e r d a y s ��j �� p l a n s . m a t c h e d b y a n y t h i n g o u t s i d e t h o l d c a t h e d r a l s o f E u r o p e " e n t h u s e d T h e S t a t e s m a n i n i t s N e Y e a r ' s e d i t i o n o f 1 9 1 1 . T h e b u i l d i n g o f t h e O w y h e H o t e l b y t h e S c h u b e r t H o t e l C o m p a n y w a s p a r t o f a r e n a i s s a n c e i n d o w n t o w n B o i s e t h a t s a w h a l f a d o z e n b i g n e w b u i l d i n g s e r e c t e d i n a f e w y e a r s . T h e s e i n c l u d e d t h e E a s t m a n , I d a h o a n d E m p i r e b u i l d i n g s , a l l i n v a r i a t i o n s o f I t a l i a n R e n a i s s a n c e r e v i v a l s t y l i n g . L e o J . F a l k , a B o i s e n a t i v e a n d d e s c e n d a n t o f a p i o n e e r B o i s e f a m i l y , m a n a g e d t h e O w y h e e f o r m a n y y e a r s . T h e O w y h e e H o t e l h a d 2 5 0 A l t h o u g h i t w a s a f i r s t - c l a s s J h o t e l i n e v e r y r e s p e c t , w i t h a r o o f e g a r d e n f o r o u t d o o r d i n i n g i n s e a - s o n a n d f i n e m e e t i n g r o o m s , t h e V l o b b y w a s c l e a r l y i t s s h o w p l a c e . I n 1 9 7 7 t h e O w y h e e w a s r e m o d - e e l e d b y i t s o w n e r s a n d t h e h i s t o r i c l o b b y e l i m i n a t e d . I t w a s a t t h i s t i m e t h a t t h e s t a i n e d - g l a s s d o m e w a s g e n e r o u s l y d o n a t e d t o t h e I d a h o H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y f o r p r e s - e r v a t i o n . A f t e r f i v e y e a r s o f s t o r - a g e a t t h e m u s e u m i t i s o n v i e w a g a i n . T e s t i m o n y t o t h e O w y h e e H o - t e l ' s p r o m i n e n c e i n B o i s e l i f e i s t h e f a c t t h a t i t s r e s t a u r a n t s a n d m e e t i n g r o o m s h a v e b e e n r e - m a r k a b l y p o p u l a r . B e f o r e a 1 9 6 8 r e m o d e l i n g f o r c e d a c h a n g e , t h e B o i s e R o t a r y C l u b h a d m e t w e e k l y i n t h e O w y h e e ' s C a n d e l i t e R o o m f o r 5 1 y e a r s . T h e B o i s e K i w a n i s C l u b m e t i n t h e s a m e r o o m f o r 4 8 y e a r s . T h e B o i s e L i o n s u s e d t h e C a n d e l i t e R o o m f o r " o n l y " 3 0 y e a r s . W h e n t h e h i s t o r i c r o o m s e r v e d i t s l a s t l u n c h e o n t o t h e B o i s e R o - t a r i a n s o n M a y 1 7 , 1 9 6 8 , m a n a g e r P h i l M u r e l a g a e s t i m a t e d t h a t m o r e t h a n 1 , 0 0 0 p e r s o n s p e r w e e k h a d b e e n s e r v e d t h e r e f o r 5 8 y e a r s m o r e t h a n t h r e e m i l l i o n m e a l s i n a l l . T h o u s a n d s o f I d a h o a n s w h o o n c e p a s s e d u n d e r t h e O w y h e e l o b b y ' s s p l e n d i d s t a i n e d g l a s s d o m e i n i t s o r i g i n a l s e t t i n g c a n n o w d o s o a g a i n a n y d a y o f t h e w e e k i n i t s n e w h o m e i n t h e m u - s e u m . ( A r t h u r H a r t i s d i r e c t o r o f t h e I d a h o H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y . ) Boise, Monday, January 17, 1983 Copyright © 1983 The Idaho Statesman Statesman Photo by Milan Chuckovich Amber history Rich colors pour through the glass nate and luxurious lobby of Boise's dome in the roof of the newly ex- old Owyhee Hotel, completed in May panded Idaho Historical Museum. 1910. (Story and additional picture on The antique dome came from the or- , the Pioneer page, Page 3C.) The klakho STATESMAN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1980 Museum event offers glimpse of Colonial life By RENE KIMBALL The Idaho Statesman When you needed a new broom in Colonial times, you didn't walk into the nearest supermarket and buy one. You either made your own, or, if a broom -maker had his machine set up anywhere near, you ordered one from him. On Sunday, about 6,000 people who gathered for the annual day when the Idaho Historical Museum "comes to life" got a chance to see how Colonial settlers and pioneers went about their way of life. including how broom - makers practiced their craft. Costumed volunteers dem- onstrated everything from an Old West poker game in the museum's saloon to printing handbills on an an- tique printing press. Artisans and craftsmen were on hand to show the public how lace was made, how an old -time blacksmith's shop was run and how women used to spin and weave their own fabric. Nampa resident Frank Eld, who is president of the Long Valley Preser- vation Society, spent the afternoon showing how Colonial broom- makers practiced their craft. He has been making brooms for about eight years since he taught himself the trade while living in Pennsylvania. "One thing about this business," said Eld as he tied broomcorn to a hand -made broomstick with twine, "it's either a sweeping success or you're grasping at straws." Eld was dressed for his part in three- cornered hat, knickers and knee socks and Colonial -style over - shirt. The brooms were on sale for $10 each in the country store set up for Sunday's event, and the broom - maker says he only sells his wares at similar shows. "I really don't like to do brooms on order," he said as passers -by pushed close to watch him whittle on a pine broomstick. "This is the fun part, let- ting people see it." Eld, a history and preservation buff for most of his life, said he first saw broom - making while visiting the restored Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. At the time he was teaching industrial arts near Valley Forge, Pa. "It just fascinated me," Eld re- called. "I was going to make the machine, but I found this one at an auption." Eld said he was the only person he knew of in the West who still makes round brooms, and there are few You either made your own, or, if a broom -maker had his machine set up anywhere near, you ordered one from him. On Sunday, about 6,000 people who gathered for the annual day when the Idaho Historical Museum "comes to life" got a chance to see how Colonial settlers and pioneers went about their way of life. including how broom - makers practiced their craft. Costumed volunteers dem- onstrated everything from an Old West poker game in the museum's saloon to printing handbills on an an- tique printing press. Artisans and craftsmen were on hand to show the public how lace was made, how an old -time blacksmith's shop was run and how women used to spin and weave their own fabric. Nampa resident Frank Eld, who is president of the Long Valley Preser- vation Society, spent the afternoon showing how Colonial broom - makers practiced their craft. He has been making brooms for about eight years since he taught himself the trade while living in Pennsylvania. "One thing about this business," said Eld as he tied broomcorn to a hand -made broomstick with twine, "it's either a sweeping success or you're grasping at straws." Eld was dressed for his part in i three - cornered hat, knickers and knee socks and Colonial -style over - shirt. The brooms were on sale for $10 each in the country store set up for Sunday's event, and the broom - maker says he only sells his wares at similar shows. "I really don't like to do brooms on order," he said as passers -by pushed close to watch him whittle on a pine broomstick. "This is the fun part, let- ting people see it." Eld, a history and preservation buff for most of his life, said he first saw broom - making while visiting the restored Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. At the time he was teaching industrial arts near Valley Forge, Pa. "It just fascinated me," Eld re- called. "I was going to make the machine, but I found this one at an aulption." Eld said he was the only person he knew of in the West who still makes round brooms, and there are few i people in the East who continue the Colonial craft. A few people have f carried on the tradition ora nm kingY 6------- - - - - -- (Continued from Page IB) flat Shaker brooms, he added. One thing he has learned is that The machine he referred to is a broomcorn, the stiff material used for broom heads, Shaker -style vise fashioned of heavy apparently was brought to America from Europe by oak. Eld fastened handmade broom- Benjamin Franklin. "It makes sticks into the vise, which is turned by a foot treadle connected to it by a sense," Eld said. "He was always looking for the practical." belt. As the broom -maker worked, Broomcorn actually is not corn at tying on broomcorn, he gently pushed down on the treadle to twirl all, although it appears much like corn while growing in the field. In the broom head. fact, Eld said, it is a type of sorghum Getting together the tools needed that grows a wiry top tassle, which is to make round brooms was no easy harvested and stripped of seed be- task, Eld said. He found some in an- fore it is turned into brooms. tique stores, bought others from tool Eld said it's natural that he would collectors and picked up some at auc- tions. take up a lost craft as a serious The Nampa man, who is a sales- hobby. While growing up in Long Val - ley, he said, he was "out trying to man when he's not making brooms find buggy parts to put together a or working on the restoration of Roseberry village near Donnelly, horse -drawn buggy" while other said he had tried to research the his- youngsters were working with model airplanes. tory of broom- making, but with little "I love history,' he said. "It's al- success. "It's like trying to discover who made the first washcloth," he ways been a part of my life. I say 1 live for history and work for a liv- said. ing " TATTERED FLAG, BRASS CANNON AND MOUNTED EAGLEh w courtesy of Duane Garrett ... objects such as these help to tell Idaho's story Museum Concentrates on Idaho History e a o Historical So- ciety collect, and why? Visitors to the State Museum may have won- dered this about our museum in comparison with others they have seen, for there are many different kinds of museums with many differ- ent kinds of displays. Most museums have a definite purpose which determines their col- lecting policy. A natural history mu- seum may show plants, animals and geology; an art museum may show painting, sculpture, graphics and the work of craftsmen in various media; a history museum may show arti- facts which tell the story of life in a local or large area, over a short or long span of time. Since Idaho's State Museum is a part of the Idaho State Historical So- ciety, its defined area of collection and display is the history of Idaho. This represents a time span of many thousands of years, since we are in- terested in prehistory, too, and in all forms of life in what would some- day become Idaho. Prehistoric animals are studied within the field of paleontology, and there are specialized museums in this field. Since there is no such spe- cial museum in southwest Idaho, however, the State Museum trie§ to suggest, in a very limited space, some prehistory too, and especially the prehistory of man. The Indians of Idaho have lived here for many centuries, and the Idaho Yesterdays By Arthur Hart, State Museum naturally devotes considerable space to telling their story. Objects are arranged to show how Idaho native peoples collected their food, traveled from place to place, clothed and sheltered them- selves. The white men who came to what would be Idaho were all looking for something — a route to the Pacific, furs, gold, farm and grazing lands. The story of how they found it, their clash with native peoples, their struggles and hardships in estab- lishing homes in Idaho's mountains and deserts are all part of the story the museum seeks to tell. `, Since museums tell stories with objects more than with words and pictures, their special function is to find and show the right objects to bring history to life. There can be little doubt that a real stagecoach is more meaningful than a picture of one, or that a real interior out of a mansion of the 1890s evokes the life of that period more vividly than a written description. Rows of objects on shelves, no matter how interesting they are indi- vidually, do not tell a story. That is where the museum's role. of inter- preter comes into play — using ob- jects with labels and pictures to ex- plain how they were used by earlier Idahoans. Sometimes, placing many objects together in their natgh-al set- ting, as in a pioneer kitchefi makes their functions clear and natural without labels. Recreating historical arrangements is story- telling too. What does the Idaho Historical So- ciety collect? Objects, photographs and written records that help tell the story of Idaho. Why? Because know- ing more about our heritage is life - enhancing, enriching and just plain interesting. After all, history is "of the people, by the people, and for the people," and in many ways mu- seums can tell it best. (Mr. Hart is director of the Idaho Historical Society.) Statesman, photos by Milan Chu( Parlor figures are dressed in traditional attire of Swedish provinces Museum exhibits memories of Scundinat Imagine waking up on Christmas morning and finding a goat delivering your presents. American children would be nonplussed. But Swedish children would recognize the Christmas goat or Jul - bocken. He delivered their Christmas presents for cen- turies before Santa came along. The Julbocken was a symbol of the devil in medieval Sweden. But through the years, he became first a figure of fun and then a benign creature who delighted children with gifts. Now he's part of a display of traditional Scandinavian Christmas decorations at the Idaho State Historical Mu- seum, 610 Julia Davis Drive. The ornaments and handi- crafts, which can be seen 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday until Jan. 15, have been used to decorate the museum's dining room, kitchen and parlor interiors. Margaret Hill, a member of the Scandinavian Society, of Southwestern Idaho Inc., originally went to Arthur Hart, director of the museum, with the idea of loaning a few decorations to be used to a display case. When Hill came out of the museum 10 minutes later, she had the display case and three rooms to decorate. She and Kerstin Peterson, Harriet Lind and Ann Peter- son, all members of the society, donated crafts and time to turn the rooms into a Scandinavian holiday scene. Start at the dining room. Wall and shelf decorations now include wooden plates, bowls and a small clock painted in traditional rosemaling designs. Wooden beer steins stand on the sideboard. A Christmas tree is decorated with flags from Scandi- The wrapping is plain brown paper Judy Steele navian countries and real candles. Packages under the tree are wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with red twine. Advent candles and oat sprigs decorate the table. The oat stalks are gifts for the animals, Kerstin Peter- son explained. When farm people gave presents, they didn't forget their animals. Sheaves of oats were even tied together and left out for the birds. Today, oat sheaves are still seen on balconies of Swed- ish apartment houses during the Christmas season, Pe- terson said, as a tribute to the past and a gift for the birds. Mannikins of a woman and small girl stand in the par- lor, both dressed in the traditional costumes of a particu- lar Swedish province. Each province had its own cos- tume design. The costumes were used for special occa- sions and served an additional purpose, Peterson said. With all the women dressed alike, no one could make comparisons about whose dress was best or prettiest. Straw goats, pigs and stars decorate the parlor mantle. The windows are hung with large gingerbread cookies, done in heart shapes and tied with red ribbon. The kitchen has another edible decoration — hard- tack. The large circular hard cracker with a hole in the center was strung on poles and hung from the ceiling in earlier times. When someone was hungry, he just pulled down some hardtack, dusted it off, and had a bite. Now, the crackers are decorated with red ribbon and hung as a reminder of the past. Not all of the crafts are for Christmas. The kitchen display includes several copper teakettles from the early 1800s and a rag rug. The parlor includes decorative pil- lows used year- round. And the display case has, among other things, a wall - hanging that Peterson embroidered as a schoolgirl in Sweden and figurines of Santa Lucia and her star boys. The festival of Santa Lucia is not technically part of Christmas. But, because it is celebrated Dec. 13, it acts as the announcement of the season to come. Peterson has fond memories of celebrating Santa Lucia Day as a child. She and her classmates would wait until nightfall. Then, dressed in their long, white night- shirts and tall, pointed hats, they would walk to their teacher's house. The girl chosen to be Santa Lucia would lead the way with her crown of lighted candles. When the group ar- rived at the teacher's house, they would stand outside and sing until their teacher invited them in. There are other memories of Scandinavia locked in the case and behind the railings of the display rooms. They are there for anyone who walks through the mu- seum door. ne tooth, sits atop piano played by Gary Wallenson "if W -lid !//INCRIB �7 its clock back for Boise show! By GARY STRAUSS The Idaho Statesman Time was turned back 100 years Sunday as exhibits at the Idaho Historical Museum were displayed to the public at the seventh annual Museum Comes to Life, sponsored by the Idaho Historical Auxiliary. Patty Gettle, chairman of the event, estimated several 'thousand people attended. For the third time in its seven -year history, the event included numerous outdoor, as well as indoor, exhibits. Auxiliary members, volunteers from the Boise Little Theater, Boise State University, museum staffers and area craftsmen gave demonstrations and assumed roles of yesteryear in a variety of ex- Statesman photo by Chuck Kneyse of poker are, clockwise, J Garland, Dan Mink, Lori Eller and Pat Ryan hibits intended to "bring the at- mosphere of old Idaho to the Idaho Of today," Gettle said. One of the more popular exhibits was a replica of the Overland House Saloon, complete with bar, 1 a cowboy poker game and slinky, dance -hall girls dressed in the tra -' ditional flashy garb of the 1890s. Dance -hall and ragtime music.` were provided for entertainment. Bill Statham, curator of archae- ology for the Idaho Historical Mu -: seum, manned the blacksmith ex -; hibit for the third straight year. For Statham, whose great uncle was a blacksmith, performing the traditional chores of the black smith was an interesting as well as entertaining task. "We get to do things that may look kind of hokey to some peo- ple," Statham said, "but to put in action the scholarly type things we. normally do at the museum is something else. It's interesting to get a feel for how the tools were. and weren't used back then, too." Statham said there's not much work for blacksmiths anymore, ex- cept welding, tool sharpening and demonstrating tasks in historical settings and museums. Statham spent most of his time Sunday carving a wooden spoke for a wagon wheel. "Blacksmithing was more than just forging over iron," he explained. "A lot of them were woodworkers as well as black- smiths." Statham praised the high turnout for the annual exhibition. "It's an event that lets people experience the history of Idaho," Statham said, "and it's a way of getting more history to the public at little expense." Spectators were also attracted to demonstrations by the Idaho chapter of the Civil War Skirmish Association. Dressed in Union and Confederate Army uniforms, Bill Elkins, Dennis Wonders and Paul Mample showed off Civil War car- bines and revolvers and occasion- ally startled the crowd by firing the weapons in the air. Farewell to Whiskey, a Boise bluegrass band, an old -time fid- dlers group and a number of square dancers provided musical entertainment. Other exhibits included a spinning demonstration by Shirley Beautrow of Eagle, who processes her own wool and uses natural dyes. Parade to mark opening of vehicle museum Map shows parade route in A parade celebfating the grand opening of the Idaho Transportation Museum will travel down Warm Springs Avenue this morning, with horse -drawn buggies and the famous Boise State University calliope. The parade will include a stagecoach from Jordan Valley, Ore., a 1932 Triangle Dairy milk truck and a 1947 police car. It will begin at 10 a.m. in Julia Davis Park, will travel along Myrtle and Walnut streets and will end at the site of the museum. at the Old Penitentiary on Warm Springs Avenue. The Idaho State Historical Society has been preparing the museum for the past two years, society administrator Kathleen Dodson said. Most of the two dozen ve- hicles in the collection were donated from around the state. "They've been in our collection for a number of years — in storage," she said. "We just didn't have the space. A lot of the vehicles have never been on display before." Dodson said many of the antique cars required restoration, often an expensive endeavor. The society has several cars that will require extensive work before they can be put on exhibit at the museum. The museum houses a 1903 fire pumper truck, a 1905 horse -drawn hearse, a 1926 Rumely tractor and a collection of transportation toys. Each of the exhibits in- cludes a history and description of the vehicle and its original owners. Some have photographs of the vehicle in its prime. None of the vehicles featured in today's parade are a part of the museum col- lection, Dodson said, but most will be on display at the penitentiary in the after- noon. The museum's grand opening will include a ribbon- cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m.; puppet shows at 2 and 4 p.m.; a square dance exhibition at 5 p.m.; and live music and refreshments throughout the afternoon. There is no admission fee to the museum and penitentiary. Statesman photo by David Tinny Turning back time Kim Snyder, curator of exhibits at the Idaho Historical The machine is part of a new exhibit for the new $542,000 Museum, cleans the gears of a 1920 - vintage coffee mill. addition to the museum. (Story, Page 113.) FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1979 M Latest museum exhibit traces historical path of Snake River Snake River Country Exhibit Idaho Historical Museum Through March 4 By RUTH RUSSEL The Idaho Statesman The Snake River's meandering course through Idaho's history passed the buffalo hunters, the emigrants, the Miners, the land developers, the Mormons. the Japanese, the warring Indians and whites, and the big businessmen who brought irri- gation and farms. The Snake River was and is the lifeline of Idaho, and two Idaho natives have chosen to tell its story in a visual history now on exhibit at the Idaho State Museum. Museum visitors learn why there wasn't much reason to settle Idaho in great numbers until irri- gation developments came. Hatch deserts, steep canyons and stark landscapes made the Snake River Plain formidable to pioneers. "Viewers will find the exhibit devotes quite a bit of its space to telling the story of the big irrigation tracts and the settlement they brought," said Car- olyn Rhodes- Jones, exhibit researcher. The exhibit's 28 4 -by -8 -foot display panels plus a slide -talk tape provide information that follows the themes presented in the book Idaho: A Bicen- tennial History. The book's author, Ross Peterson, worked with Rhodes-Jones to create the exhibit that was funded with approximately $50,000 from the Na- tional Endowment for the Humanities. Peterson is a former resident of Montpelier and serves as chairman of the history and geography department at the Utah State University, at Logan. Rhodes- Jones, of Preston, commutes the 20 miles daily to the university where she is a graduate student and coordinator of the school's local history program. The Snake River Country exhibit includes repro- ductions of old letters and photographs obtained not only from various historical organizations, but from individuals whose families lived Snake River history. Gathering new and old information for the ex- hibit took a year of travel and research. "We completed it in September of last year and then provided a lecture series to travel with the exhibit in Idaho last fall," Rhodes -Jones said. Nine of the lectures are now available on tape to be used with the exhibit. Rhodes -Jones and Peter- son donated the. tapes and exhibit to the Idaho State Historical Society. Idahoans gave the lectures, and where possible, Idahoans did the work on the exhibit, she said. Vince Bodily, Idaho Falls, created the exhibit's il- lustrations and Gilbert De Klotz, a carpenter and farmer living in the Filer area, designed the natu- ral wood display panels. University students with special skills filled in elsewhere. An estimated 50,000 Idaho residents have seen the exhibit during its travels since September, 1978. Future tours are planned with stops in mu- seums and other exhibit facilities in various com- munities in the state. Eventually the exhibit will be displayed perma- nently in Boise, possibly at the Statehouse where it will join other exhibits open to viewing year round. "During the first 100 years of white man's con- tact, rapid and drastic changes occurred which shaped a new, different land," Rhodes -Jones said. The exhibit helps people "wander hack through these one hundred years of change from the time of the trapper to the time of the settler." Most people think of settlers coming in on cov- ered wagons, herding their livestock. But that's not a complete picture in Idaho. A few came to Idaho that way, even in the early 1900s, Ross said. But the majority apparently came by train, at- tracted by the big business enterprises with the big capital investments in irrigation projects that opened tract after tract of farm land. Agriculture is what settled Idaho, and the Snake River provided the lifeblood for agriculture, Rhodes -Jones said. Mining was in the picture as was fur trapping, but those enterprises did not in- volve nearly as many people. The exhibit also touches on the Indian popula- tion in Idaho from the time white man first began documenting their presence, she said. The Indian - white wars in southern Idaho are reviewed in the exhibit along with the effect of the reservation system on Indian -white relations. The first and second waves of Mormon settle- ment along the river are also reviewed along with the influences of the railroads and oasis -like pockets of vegetation that drew the first settlers near the river. Luc rnaxes low -cost, mild soap out of grease, lye and water.— vy JV Time - Honored Soap Recipe Takes Timp- Cax/oc nn,,.,�., ' By JULIE T. MONROE The Idaho Statesman Edna Daniels doesn't recall the days when her grandmother made soap. But she herself was forced, by the shortages of World War if rather than the necessity of pioneer life, to carry on the soapmaking tradition. Daniels, 1000 North Twenty- first, was working in a Seattle restaurant when she learned to make soap. "During the war, things were so hard to get; and in the restaurants, we made our own soap," she re- called. "We used waste grease to m 3k soap for pots and pans." During Wartime, she said, soap was hard to get and the home -made product was cheaper than what was commercially available. That still •bolds true; Daniels said she can - Xr ke a bar of soap for approximate- 4y 3 cents. She is making a lot of soap this summer in preparation for the Bi- centennial Lost Arts Fair scheduled for the July 4th weekend. There, she will be joined by her sister, Mrs. L-� Lost Arts Don Sanford of McCall, in demon- strating the soapmaking process and selling sample bars. They will wear old fashioned dresses and labor over a large cast -iron kettle as their an- cestors did. Daniels' mother, Laura Bowen, said her mother made lye, a neces- sary soap ingredient, by pouring wa- ter through wood ashes. Although Daniels buys commercial lye, her recipe for soap is the one which has been used for centuries. 0 Ingredients are lye, grease and water. (Perfumes can be added or vegetable oils used for fancy toilet soaps, Daniels said.) Daniels renders the lard from pure beef tallow (a hard white fat) to make white soap. The darker, yel- lowish soap often seen is made from waste grease. Six pounds of tallow, one can or lye and a pint and a half of water makes about eight pounds of soap, Daniels said. Sne normally makes the soap in a large enameled pot. "We heat the grease to a certain temperature, then put cold water in the lye. When the lye water gets to about the sane temperature, then we put them together and stir and stir and stir." It takes about 30 minutes of stirr- ing, Daniels said, but the going is re- latively easy because the mixture is th n. The soap is poured into shallow pans and left to sit for 10 or 12 hours before it is cut. The finished product has other ad- vantages besides low cost. It will keep torever, Daniels said, and it is mild. "It's not harsh. If a person has an allergy, they can use this. There's nothing in it like our detergents no- wadays that will burn," she said. "My father used to shave with it." �� q : ; s ��_ ��. a , Model train exhibit allows 'engineers' to do their thing An HO -gauge locomotive chugs past a water tower Boiseans crowd into the west wing of the Idaho Historical Museum to watch the model trains run By CHARLES ETLINGER The Idaho Statesman Members of the Idaho Model Railroad Association were as de- lighted Sunday afternoon as a bunch of kids on Christmas morn- ing would be with new toy trains. However, the model steam en- gines and passenger cars were run- ning on a massive plaster mock -up of the state and its railroad tracks set up in the Idaho Historical Mu- seum. Hundreds of persons, old and and young, railroad buffs and not, crowded around the exhibit's open house to watch trains being piloted. "I wish I had that in my base- ment," murmurred an envious fel- low sporting a "Boondocks, U.S.A." cap. The model train display has been in the western wing of the museum during the 10 years it has been under construction. But the public was only allowed to view it one Sun- day a month and when club mem- bers were there working on it in their spare time. Now model train fans will be able to see it during regular museum hours. A visitor can press a button to start one train running and can hear a recording about Idaho rail- roading. And on the first Sunday of each month, club members will be present for a more elaborate opera- tion. On Sunday, club members were stationed in a booth built over the tracks. Four "engineers" were operating four trains simulta- neously on the display's 1,000 feet of track. The HO -gauge trains, one -87th their true size, are drawn by loco- motives costing up to $400 They slipped through tunnels, over Mark Flitton works the classification yard behind the layout mountains and valleys molded of plaster and past miniature railroad towns. A vague replica of the southern part of Idaho includes effects like "sagebrush" made of dried lichens and a representation of the town of Glenns Ferry, a major division point in the old days. Idaho's first railroad line was the Utah and Northern, built in 1879 from the Salt Lake City area to Montana, said Joel Slagg, vice- president of the association. The models seemed to crawl along the track, not soar at the breathless pace at which kids like to run their toy trains. But Slagg said the speed corresponds to about 30 or 35 miles per hour in the HO world. Slagg, a Boise Cascade computer programmer, said the trains are "a form of relaxation. It gives us the chance to recreate something in miniature." And, he says, "The kids really eat it up." Photos by Chuck Kneyse ��e u m L ) I S p l a y S U C ) M t ! I U L O l d W e l s t y R e A k R ��L I I . A M `TRAPPER' BILL SYES SHOWS OFF HIS HOMEMADE MUSKET AT THE IDAHO HISTORICAL ... hundreds of visitors toured the museum Sunday on its "day of life" Museum Displays Come to Life "Old West' Returns to Boise By RANDY MCCARTHY The Idaho Statesman Dressed as a 19th Century fur trapper, Bill, Syes sat on the lawn out- side the Idaho Historical Museum Sunday and explained the workings of his homemade flintlock musket to a gaggle of youngsters. Then, after showing the children how to load the long rifle, Syes propped the butt of the single -shot weapon against his shoulder and squeezed off a round, setting off a clap that awed his young audience. Syes, 7107 Hill Road, was among a half -dozen members of the Ee- Da -How Long Rifles who, along with a dance -hall girl, blacksmith, poker players and others from the past, helped bring the museum's exhibits to life Sunday afternoon. The hundreds of persons who came to the museum in Julia Davis Park inspected a trio of 60 -year -old autos, whose brass fittings gleamed in the sunshine. They also tapped their toes to square -dance music, quenched their thirsts with 10- cent -a -cup lemonade and threaded their way through a pair of log cabins. Inside, visitors bellied up to the railing and eavesdropped on a high - stakes poker game at the saloon. Shots of red eye at their elbows, four cowpokes at the corner table bet, bluffed and badgered their ways through the game. Meanwhile, Diamond Tooth Lil stood over by the piano, her ciga- rette dangling from a foot -long holder, her black ruffled skirt pulled high and her "diamond" jewelry sparkling at her wrist, neck and mouth. Across the way, a blacksmith toiled over a broken wagon -wheel spoke, a bank clerk waited for her first customer and a frontier home- maker admired a pair of freshly baked loaves of bread. And, making sure the poker game didn't get out of hand and that the bank's money stayed in the safe, the sheriff, his black handlebar mus- tache curling up nearly to the top of his nose, paced from one end of the museum to the other, a shotgun cradled in his arm and a six - shooter strapped to his leg. Also drawing a crowd was a printer, a black bowler atop his head, garders gripping his white shirt sleeves and a bow tie around his neck. With the help of two young apprentices, the printer kept a steady flow of one -page flyers rolling off a hand press. Outside, standing in the shadows of their respective flags, were Con- federate and Union soldiers, whose medals, muskets and manner har- kened back to the Civil War. As they had been more than a century ago, the Confederate marksmen, members of 4th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, were outnumbered and outgunned by the Union soldiers, members of Battery H of the 1st Illinois Field Artillery, who brought along their cannon. Later Sunday afternoon, the sheriff pealed off his mustache and stashed his sidearm, the soldiers furled their flags and carted off their cannon, and Diamond Tooth Lil lost her luster. Long before sundown the "townspeople" turned in and left the museum quiet again. THE IDAHO STATESMAN, Boise, Sunday, May 11, 1980 Boise's oldest home Scouts spruce up historic cabin By CHARLES ETLINGER The Idaho Statesman The squirrels had chewed the roof shingles of the O'Farrell cabin on Fort Street. Windows were broken by vandals. A thick layer of dust coated the wide plank walls and floors. There wasn't much eight members of Senior Girl Scout Troop 88 could do Saturday morn- ing about the roof and the squir- rels, other than to remove a dead one they found in the historic cabin. But amid clouds of dust, the girls were cleaning the inside and replacing the broken glass of Boise's earliest home. "It needs cleaning up. It's really in bad shape," said troop member Twyla Kadel. She ex- plained that the girls wanted to do a service project and picked the one -room cabin because it was the first Boise home. In 1863, John O'Farrell built the cabin with his 17- year -old wife, Mary Ann, in mind, said Mary Lesser, a past president of the Idaho Preservation Council, who was helping with the cleanup. "She was having a baby, and he wanted protection of the fort," Lesser said, referring to the old Fort Boise site nearby. The cabin Boise Girl Scouts Shelley Arnold, left, and Sharon Pickett, clean O'Farrell cabin is just east of the Federal Building on the north side of Fort Street. The girls started at 8 a.m., and by 8:30, old furniture was lining the sidewalk, interrupting the path of curious joggers who stopped to peer in the cabin's open door, which is normally locked. Two old pictures of the couple lay on a table, and there was a large, gold- framed portrait of George Washington nearby. Mary Ann Arnold, who advises the troop, said the girls. were thinking about raising money to repair the roof. "We'd like to gen- erate a little interest that the cabin exists," she added.