Join Tom Blanchard, a local expert on the history of mining in the Wood River Valley, Stanley Basin, Yankee Fork and Bayhorse. In Tom's words, "What I've learned was that I could not understand the history of our area without a knowledge of the mining history of Idaho and the west." First gold, then silver, brought an influx of settlers to what was then the Idaho Territory, and while many of those original settlers moved on when mining faltered, their influence still holds sway in today's Idaho. "Miners, with their support communities, were our “founding fathers,” bringing their values from the more developed regions of the US. We still reflect those values in many ways." 

Tom will focus on the Yankee Fork mining area during this talk. The Yankee Fork dredge and its operations and aftermath, plus the towns of Bonanza and Custer will give attendees a snapshot into one mining area that is a great example of the effects mining has had on the development of so many areas in Idaho. His decades of research will be shared and will be a great preview of a field trip that is coming up on June 13 that will include a visit to the Yankee Fork Dredge and to the ghost town of Custer. Sign up for the field trip here.

Tom and his family moved to Bellevue fifty years ago where both he and his wife Florence became involved with the local history and politics.

Registration recommended to join us in person. To watch live online (no registration needed): https://vimeo.com/event/5850726. The recording will be available to watch later on The Community Library's Event Archive.

More information will be released soon on the June 13 Mining Field Trip - we will visit the Stanley Museum, the Yankee Fork Dredge, and the ghost town of Custer.