Latah County
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The Latah County Historical Society held an opening reception for its
newest exhibit, World War I: Latah County Stories at the McConnell
Mansion, on April 27, 2017. The exhibit is the first in a series of
learning opportunities the Society will present in the next 18 months in
tandem with the American centennial of WWI involvement.
The
reception is free and open to the public from 5-7 p.m.
The people in Latah County are in for a treat on Saturday, April 8, 2017
when they learn about the history of the Spokane and Palouse Railroad,
part of the North Pacific Railroad Company. The first train arrived in
Genesee from Spokane in 1888. The talk will include the immediate impact
the railroad had on the Genesee community and other local towns.
The presentation will be given by Earl Bennett at the Genesee Senior
Center at 7:00 PM. in Genesse, Idaho. Earl H. Bennett is on the Board of
Trustees of the Idaho State Historical Society and the City Historian
for the Genesee.
Lite refreshments will be available at this FREE
event.
Latah County Historical Society, Executive Director Dulce L. Kersting,
has called for a Stakeholder meeting of representatives of local history
groups. The gathering will be on 23rd March at 9:30am at the Troy
Historical Society building at 421 Main Street, Troy, Idaho. It will be
informal with coffee and pastries provided by the Latah County
Historical Society.
Ms Kersting has indicated that many of our
communities have historic preservation groups, and there are other
agencies like hers, which are tasked with celebrating all of the countys
history. Each group does important work, but I dont think that we always
know about the successes of our peer organizations. That is why I am
proposing a general meeting of representatives from each of our countys
heritage groups (formally organized or not).
The goal of this
meeting would be to meet one and other, hear about past and present
projects, discuss common challenges, and potentially even find partners
for future projects.
Dulce L. Kersting
Executive Director
Latah
County Historical Society
208.882.1004
dkersting@latah.id.us
At noon, Saturday, September 24, 2016 some 60 friends of Troy gathered
for a couple of hours to picnic and celebrate the 100th anniversary of
Duthie Park. Duthie Park Day was a bring your own picnic, chairs, and
spend time sharing with old friends afternoon. The park is hidden in a
secluded spot on the north slope of the town. The air was warm and the
sheltered park was a delightful place to relax and visit without wind,
traffic or more than an occasional cloud drifting by.
The City
Council member in charge of parks and recreation, Commissioner Jim Corr,
representing the Mayor of Troy, read the proclamation. Latah County
Commissioner, Dave McGraw, and Caroline Nilsson Troy, State District
Representative, were in attendance. The Troy Historical Society
sponsored the event.
The event celebrated the establishment of
Duthie Park in 1916 as deeded to the city by William M. Duthie, a
prominent businessman in Troys early history. A monument sits in a grove
of trees noting Duthie Park, 1916, a gift to the City of Troy. He lived
in Troy with his home and a dairy above the ravine where the park is
located. After raising his children in Troy, he moved on to Lewiston
where he was successful in other business ventures. He died there in
1928.
It was truly a community event: the Troy/Deary Community
Band, lead by Emily Raasch, opened with the National Anthem followed by
several patriotic and cheerful tunes. After proclaiming Duthie Park Day,
and comments by David Purtee, President of the Troy Historical Society,
the band played another group of musical numbers. Other participants
included the Troy Volunteer Fire Department with Paul Groseclose,
providing rides on their antique fire truck for the young and old. The
local branch of the Umpqua Bank provided ice cream and the Latah Credit
Union donated bottled water as refreshments.
In August 25, 2016, the Latah County Historical Preservation Committee
meeting was called to order by the clang of the old time red bell. This
summer the bell tower was rebuilt on the building that dates back to the
1890s. The one room schoolhouse is being refurbished by the Elwood
School Historical Association, a cheerful group of area residents that
are working a miracle.
When Latah County was settled in the late
1880s, the school bells signaled the end of harvest around the one room
school houses on the ridges. This year the melodious clang of the Elwood
School bell on Texas Ridge welcomed a group of students of the past -
although they were not elementary school children.
The Elwood
Community is near Deary on the northern end of Texas Ridge, a ridge that
runs north from Moscow Mountain south to Kendrick. It is open with views
of Tamarack Butte to the east and blue sky all the way to Moscow.
It is recorded that in 1920 there were 44 students, aged 6 to 21,
crowded into the single room eager to learn from a single teacher. That
number slowly melted away until the school was closed in 1946. And the
Elwood School was not the only one on Texas Ridge. Within three miles
were two other schools.
The Association acquired the building in
the Spring of 2013 and began refurbishing work. By the fall of that
year, once boarded up windows were replaced and new doors were hung. By
2015, a new roof adorned a sparkling white freshly painted building. The
only difference from pictures taken when the building was the center of
the farm community, was the absence of the bell tower and the children.
The joy of the sound of the bell was only exceeded by the Elwood
School Historical Association members pride who pull the rope. Their
smiles were contagious and we all applauded their work and dedication.
On July 7, 2016, the members of the Latah County Historical Society
(LCHS) and the public honored the Talbott family with a reception at the
McConnell Mansion. The Talbotts were awarded the ESTO PERPETUS AWARD
from the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) earlier.
The
award, takes its name from the state motto, 'Let it be perpetual' and
recognizes people and organizations who have preserved and promoted
Idaho history through professional accomplishments, public service or
volunteerism, and philanthropy. Over the past sixteen years, ISHS has
recognized the inspiring local preservation efforts of more than 100
individuals and organizations from throughout the state of Idaho.
The Talbott family have been involved with LCHS in many different
roles, from that of generous donors, to volunteer work with the
collections, to years of service on the Board of Trustees. Jeanette and
her late husband John became members in the early days of the
organization. Their children Steve and Chris served as Museum Curator
and Administrative Assistant in past years.
On May 21, 2016, a group of family and friends gathered at
the Ellis and Dorothy Anderson Farm on Burnt ridge northeast of Troy, to
celebrate the 100 year old farm and to present Dorothy Anderson and her
family with a plaque and certificate as an Idaho Century Farm. The award
was for recognition of their family farming on this land for over 100
years. The award and congratulations was presented from the Idaho State
Historical Society, the Idaho Department of Agriculture and the Idaho
Governors office.
The Anderson Family Farm is one of over 400
farms recognized in Idaho as Century Farms and one of only 40 farms in
Latah County.
Contributed by David & Karen Purtee
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This page was last updated 09/23/2023