Idaho State Historical Society facts for kids
The Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) helps protect and share Idaho's amazing history and culture. It's like a special team that makes sure we remember the past!
This society started way back in 1881, even before Idaho became a state in 1890. It became an official state group in 1907. Today, the ISHS has over 50 staff members and more than 100 volunteers. They manage the Idaho State Historical Museum, which is the official state museum. They also run the Idaho State Archives, where you can find old state records. Plus, they have an office that protects historic places and archaeological sites. They also look after important historic spots like the Old Idaho State Penitentiary.
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What is the Idaho State Historical Society?
The ISHS began in 1881, just 18 years after the Idaho Territory was created. It was first called the Historical Society of Idaho Pioneers. Its main goal was to find and save Idaho’s history. Because of their early work, the Idaho State Historical Society became an official state agency in 1907.
The ISHS is in charge of keeping Idaho’s rich history safe. This includes both recent history and very old history from before written records. A special group called the Board of Trustees helps decide what the society does. This board is appointed by the governor and represents different parts of Idaho.
The society started with a small "library and cabinet" to save important items. Now, it includes several big parts. These are the Idaho State Historical Museum, the Public Archives and Research Library, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the Historic Sites Program. The ISHS now helps over 100,000 people each year in person. It also helps another 700,000 people through its website.
Idaho State Historical Museum
The Idaho State Historical Museum is in Boise, Idaho’s capital city. It is the official state history museum. It started as a small collection of interesting items. Now, it is the biggest and most visited museum in Idaho.
The museum has many hands-on programs. These programs teach visitors about its large and varied collections. It is the official place where artifacts (old objects) from Idaho’s history are kept.
The museum has over 250,000 objects in its collection. It has a main exhibit that shows Idaho’s history. It also has exhibits about the state’s many cultures, jobs, and experiences. The museum also creates and hosts special temporary exhibits. These exhibits cover many different historical and cultural topics.
The museum also helped create the J. Curtis Earl Exhibit at the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. This exhibit has one of the largest collections of old weapons and military items in the country. The museum also built and takes care of Pioneer Village next door. This village has some of Idaho’s oldest buildings. These include the Isaac Coston log cabin (from 1863) and the Thomas Logan adobe house (from 1865).
The Idaho State Historical Museum was one of the first museums in the western U.S. to be approved by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). It was the first in Idaho to get this approval. The museum follows strict rules for museums set by the AAM. It welcomes over 30,000 visitors every year. About 12,000 of these visitors are schoolchildren! The museum also sends educational kits and exhibits to communities all over the state. It also helps smaller museums and individuals with advice.
Public Archives and Research Library
The Idaho State Archives (ISA) lets the public and researchers look at a huge collection of materials. These materials are about the history of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. The collection covers many different topics, places, and time periods. The ISA is open to everyone. It helps over 12,000 researchers each year, both in person and online. The staff also helps government groups in Idaho with managing their records. They also offer workshops for the public on how to do research.
Public Archives
In 1947, Idaho lawmakers decided that the ISHS should be in charge of state archives. The society was asked to create a single state archive. This was to "preserve and protect the historically important state, county, city, and village archives." This helps people use Idaho records for official reasons and for history research.
The law also said that people in charge of old records could give them to the ISHS. This is for records that are not used often but are important to the state, county, or city. The ISHS can also make sure these records are collected.
The archives help set rules and offer training for managing public records. This includes:
- protecting important records
- organizing and keeping files
- managing digital records
- preparing records for microfilm
- storing and finding old records
- keeping microfilm copies of important records safe
- information on how to prepare for and recover from disasters
- rules for how long to keep records
- how to transfer old records to the archives
Research Library
The Research Library lets anyone look at its collections and get help. You can visit in person or ask questions online. The collection is very wide-ranging and focuses on the history of Idaho.
The library has many different types of materials, such as:
- about 65,000 cubic feet of old papers and state archives materials
- about 30,000 rolls of microfilm, including Idaho newspapers from 1863 until today
- about 500,000 photos (prints, negatives, slides)
- about 5,000 old movies and videos
- a large collection of oral histories with about 3,100 interviews (audio, video, and digital)
- about 32,000 maps and building plans
- about 25,000 books and magazines that you can browse
- other materials like public archive records, newspaper clippings, and special indexes
- a recreated 1890 census and county records
- records from the Old Idaho State Penitentiary
- help with family history (genealogy)
- microfilm access to many of Idaho's first newspapers
The library has been working with the Northwest Digital Archives. This helps people find manuscript collections within the library. They create "finding aids" to help people understand what collections are available. For example, they have a finding aid for oral histories from guards at the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. These interviews cover the prison, its buildings, prison riots, and prisoner rights.
The Historical Society also has a collection of 3,000 negatives, scrapbooks, and prints. These are from Idaho photographer Everett L. "Shorty" Fuller (1906-2000). Fuller’s photos show street scenes, parades, and daily life in Boise during the 1930s and 1940s.
Idaho Oral History Center
The Idaho Oral History Center (IOHC) collects recorded interviews of Idahoans. These people have lived through much of Idaho's history. The collection has almost 3,200 interviews. They are recorded on both audiotape and videotape. Most of them have been organized, and many have been written down.
Since 1999, the IOHC's Oral Historian and staff have done interviews. They also process interviews given to the IOHC by individuals. The IOHC put basic information about interviews from 1969 to 1998 on its website. The interviews cover topics like pioneer life, the Civilian Conservation Corps, mining, and the women's movement of the 1960s and 1970s. They also cover different ethnic groups in the state. Researchers can listen to interviews at the library. Most are also available through interlibrary loan services.
The Center offers information on how to do oral history interviews. They do this through workshops and guides. The Idaho Oral History Center is an official partner and archive for the National Veterans History Project.
State Historic Preservation Office
The Idaho State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) started in 1966. Its job is to lead efforts to protect historic places in Idaho. The Idaho SHPO does many activities across the state. One of its main jobs is to manage the National Register of Historic Places program for Idaho.
The SHPO also keeps Idaho’s records of archaeological sites and historic buildings. Right now, there are about 70,000 properties in this list.
The SHPO works with state and federal agencies, cities, counties, and Native American tribes. They try to reduce the impact of new buildings on historic properties. They also help builders get federal tax benefits for properly fixing up old buildings. The office is in charge of planning preservation activities. It also oversees the Archeological Survey of Idaho. This includes taking care of its collections and leading archaeological digs in Idaho.
Historic Sites
The Historic Sites program looks after important places in Pierce, Franklin, Rock Creek, and Boise. This includes the National Historic Landmark Assay Office in Boise. The State Historic Preservation Office is located there. These sites let visitors experience places important to Idaho’s history.
The Historic Sites managed by the ISHS include:
- Pierce Courthouse in Pierce. This is Idaho’s oldest public building.
- Rock Creek Station and Stricker Homesite. This site is southeast of Twin Falls. It was a popular camping spot along the Oregon Trail. It was also the first trading post between Boise and Fort Hall. This area was a main center for trade in south-central Idaho before railroads arrived.
- Franklin Historic Properties. These include the Lorenzo Hill Hatch House and the Pioneer Relic Hall in Franklin.
- The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site, the Assay Office, and the Bureau of Reclamation Building in Boise. The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site is the largest site managed by the ISHS. It is also one of the largest National Register of Historic Places sites in Idaho. The society's main goal at this site is to explain its history to visitors. They hope visitors will then help protect it.
Programs at or about the Old Penitentiary include:
- self-guided tours for the public
- guided walks for the public
- special programs for school groups
- exhibits inside the prison buildings
- an educational video called "Doing Time"
- information and resources about the Old Idaho Penitentiary online. This includes an educational kit and worksheets.
Notable Artifacts
- Nampa figurine
