Idaho Potato Museum facts for kids
The Idaho Potato Museum is a super cool place in Blackfoot, Idaho, all about the amazing potato! It's a museum dedicated to showing how important potatoes are, especially in Idaho.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The Old Train Station Building
The building where the Idaho Potato Museum is today used to be a train station. It was called the Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot and belonged to Union Pacific Railroad. Workers started building it in October 1912, and it was finished on August 15, 1913.
For a long time, people in the local potato business wanted to show how important potatoes were to Idaho's economy. They also wanted to display cool potato items. When Union Pacific Railway gave the old train station to Blackfoot City, someone suggested turning it into a potato museum. Everyone thought it was a great idea!
The First Team Behind the Museum
A group of people from the Blackfoot potato industry and local government worked together to start the museum. This team included:
- Dean Yancey
- Allan Larsen
- Keith Hinckley
- Brian Finnigan
- Dean Hill
- Walter Gay
- Rex Call
- Claude Johnson
- Maureen Hill
Getting Community Support
Not everyone in Blackfoot was excited about the idea at first. Some people wondered, "Why would tourists come all the way to Idaho just to see a potato museum?" But the team didn't give up! They kept working to get the community excited.
In February 1988, they invited the director of the Buffalo Bill Museum from Cody, Wyoming, to speak. He talked about special museums and told the people of Blackfoot that "sometimes we don't see the gold in our own backyard." This meant they had something special right there!
As more people started to support the museum, the team had to pick a name. Many felt that "museum" sounded like a place with "dusty, old things." So, they decided to call it the "Idaho's World Potato Exposition" to make it sound more fun and interesting for everyone.
The First Opening Day
The old train station building had been empty for many years and needed a lot of work. It didn't even have restrooms! So, a "working-bee" was held, where people volunteered to clean and get the building ready.
A trial opening happened in the summer of 1988. About 2,000 people from the local area came to see it. It was a big success! There weren't any real displays yet, just signs with ideas about what the museum would show.
After the successful trial, Maureen Hill volunteered to be the director without pay. She continued in this role until 1989, when the expo officially opened for tourists. In its first year, 5,000 visitors came to see it!
Who Helped Fund the Museum?
Many groups and people helped the museum with money and supplies. These included:
- Companies in the potato business, like Basic American Foods
- Local potato farmers
- People in the local community
- Bingham County
- The City of Blackfoot
How the Museum is Managed
The potato expo has been managed by different groups over the years.
Nancy Batchelder was the first full-time paid director. She worked for four years. Nancy and Maureen Hill are famous for their "Free 'Taters for Out-of-Staters" idea, which was a great way to get people to visit.
In 2002, Sandi Thomas became the director. The museum was having money problems then, but Sandi managed to keep it running.
In May 2002, the mayor of Blackfoot, Scott Reese, suggested that the Blackfoot Chamber of Commerce should manage the museum. Everyone agreed, and the staff moved into their new offices in June 2002. The old "Idaho World Potato Exposition Corporation" officially ended, and a new group called "Potato Museum, Inc." was formed on September 17, 2002. It now operates as the Idaho Potato Expo.
A new board of directors was chosen for the Potato Museum, Inc. Deby Barrington became the president of the board. Merlin Wright was the director for both the museum and the Blackfoot Chamber of Commerce. In 2007, Merlin Wright left, and Stephanie Govatos took over. Stephanie was the director for four years before moving to Florida.
As of 2012, Tish Dahman is the Museum Director.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The museum's displays come from both the community and businesses. One of the most popular things to see is the world's largest potato crisp! It was given to the museum by Pringles.
The world's largest potato chip is huge, measuring 25 by 14 inches! You can also see a timeline of how potatoes have been eaten in the US. This includes when French fries first appeared on the White House menu during Thomas Jefferson's time as president.
There are also 1,600-year-old pots from Peru that people believe were the first containers used just for storing potatoes. The museum also has a Hall of Fame that honors people who have made important contributions to the potato industry.
Gift Shop and Cafe
The "Spud Seller" gift shop is right next to the museum. It sells all sorts of items with a potato or Idaho theme. It started small, selling items that people made and left there. But now, the shop buys items from many different companies, showing how much it has grown!
In 2016, the museum fixed up the old baggage claim area of the train station, which used to be for storage. They opened the Potato Station Café there! The café opened on Memorial Day weekend. You can buy baked potatoes, French fries, and other potato-based foods like potato bread, potato cupcakes, and even chocolate-dipped potato chips!
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