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2011 Esto Perpetua Awards and Luncheon
The “Esto Perpetua” award will be presented to seven individuals and one organization for outstanding accomplishments in preserving and promoting Idaho’s heritage at the Idaho State Historical Society’s annual luncheon and awards celebration on Friday, October 7, 2011 at the Idaho State Historical Museum in Boise.
Esto Perpetua award plaques
“Each recipient has demonstrated a truly exceptional level of achievement in their efforts to preserve a part of Idaho’s heritage,” says Janet Gallimore, ISHS Executive Director. “They represent a geographical balance, which clearly illustrates the widespread care that Idahoans share when it comes to our state’s historical preservation.”

Named for the state motto which translates to “let it be perpetual,” the Esto Perpetua award tradition began in 1999 to honor individuals or groups for professional accomplishments, public service, volunteerism and philanthropy related to preservation of Idaho’s heritage.  The Esto Perpetua awards program has been produced by the Idaho State Historical Society for the past thirteen years to engage communities by building on shared experiences and inspiring further action and understanding.

Congratulations to the 2011 Esto Perpetua Award winners:

Gary Bettis, Portland, OR, is a former Archivist with the Idaho State Historical Society who brought innovative changes during times of both tough budget challenges and expansive growth, setting the foundation for the current Idaho State Archives.

Steve Branting, Lewiston, has long involved students in some of the most significant preservation and interpretation projects undertaken in Idaho, which have been recognized nationally.  He has also researched and written extensively about the history of Lewiston and has led efforts to preserve and interpret some of the city’s most significant historic sites.

Fred Dykes, Pocatello, is a long time member of both the Bannock County Historical Society and the Oregon-California Trails Association and has researched and written extensively on the history of southeast Idaho.

Harold Forbush, Rexburg, has been actively involved in the Upper Snake River Valley Historical Society since the mid-1960s, and was one of the state’s pioneers in collecting oral histories.

Long Valley Preservation Society Volunteers have preserved and interpreted a wide array of historic structures in the former community of Roseberry, as well as supporting a robust research center and museum.

Patty Miller, Boise, is Executive Director of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center and has volunteered for local and statewide organizations to enhance the professionalism of Idaho historical organizations.

Dick Southern, Gifford, is a volunteer and major contributor to the Ilo-Vollmer Historical Society and has provided first-person interpretation of Idaho pioneer William Craig to numerous schools and other groups.

Dick Wisdom, Donnelly, has been a mainstay at the Long Valley Preservation Society for more than 20 years, supporting the work of the research center, repairing buildings, constructing storage shelves, raising money and in just about every other way being identified as one of the key volunteers of this very energetic group.

The luncheon will also honor three recipients of the 2011 American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Award of Merit.  The highest national award given in the field, the AASLH bestows these awards to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all Americans.
 
  • Mountain Home Air Force Base for its publication, Mountain Home Air Force Base Modern:  The Capehart-Wherry Housing Project.
  • Basque Museum and Cultural Center for its “Hidden in Plain Sight:  The Basques” exhibit that was  at Ellis Island, New York prior to installation in Boise.
  • Idaho State Historical Society for its permanent exhibit “Governing Idaho” in the Garden Level of the State Capitol.

Teacher and naturalist Jack Nisbet will provide the keynote presentation “Opening Up Idaho: from First Contact to First Scientists, 1805-1836.”  The presentation will track changes in the natural and human landscape of Idaho, beginning with Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery, North West Company fur agent David Thompson, and the Astorian overland trek in the early years of the 19th century.  He will focus on the people these explorers left behind, and how they influenced the routes and impressions of collectors who arrived over the next three decades, especially David Douglas and John Kirk Townsend.

Tickets to the luncheon are $30 and reservations must be made by Friday, September 30.  For information and tickets call (208) 334-2682 or toll free (877) OLD-GEMS or order online.

ISHS Launches New Website
If you have logged on to the ISHS website in the past week, you probably noticed things look a little different.  After a year-long process involving many staff and stakeholders, we are pleased to launch our new website with great new features.  All state agencies in Idaho are required to convert their websites to a new state template.  ISHS decided to take advantage of this opportunity to redesign and update our website.  New features include an interactive Idaho history timeline, an interactive map highlighting ISHS historic sites and national historic landmarks, a photo gallery and much more!
screenshot of new website
The new layout is designed to enhance visitor experiences and provide easy access to history resources, special event and exhibit information, education programs, and specific information about legally required services.

young boy at MCTLLive History!
Museum Comes to Life
The Idaho State Historical Society’s living celebration of history returns in its 38th year with new performances and exhibits at the Idaho State Historical Museum and surrounding Julia Davis Park in Boise.  The event takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 24, 2011.  Admission is free.

Music will be one of the many highlights this year.  Featured in the Lewis and Clark Pavilion in Pioneer Village will be Marimba Boise, an African-style xylophone ensemble inspired by the dance music of Zimbabwe (10:00-11:45 am), Hillfok Noir, old-time songster music (11:45 am-1:30 pm) and Boise’s local Banjo Band (1:45-3:30 pm).  Rounding out the fun will be the Boise Highlanders playing their pipes and the wandering musicians from Owyhee Mountain Fiddle Shop.  

The Civil War Re-enactors will have a new encampment and will be east of the Museum, between Pioneer Village and the Black History Museum.  Younger members of the group will be demonstrating reels and other easy dances of the era and the women will provide etiquette lessons on proper ways to serve tea.  Daughters of the American Revolution will be on hand with a new tent area and Celebration Park will be back again with their Indian Lifeways exhibit, sharing their expertise on Indian lifestyles of the past 12,000 years.  From days of yore, the Society for Creative Anachronism will be at the festivities, depicting Renaissance life in huge tent-houses south of the Rose Garden.  Exhibits inside the museum will include leather stamping and braiding, how to make hats, tin can footstools and rug hooking, to name a few.    Catch the Japanese dolls that will be on display by the Syringa doll club and don’t miss the parlor with a 1911 couple telling about news of the day.  The Marionette group has scheduled performances for 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in the theater space downstairs.  

The annual program presents a last-Saturday-in-September chance for people of all ages to watch history come to life.  The day’s festivities create a new form of time travel, enabling people to experience – or in some cases remember – what life used to be like.   Museum Comes to Life is sponsored by the Idaho State Historical Society and the Friends of the Historical Museum.  For more information or for additional schedule details, call 208-334-2120.

Volunteers Needed for Frightened Felons
The annual Halloween event held at the Old Idaho Penitentiary uses games, activities and exhibits to educate and entertain visitors about the Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site and its prolific history
Originally a one-night program filled with historic tours, Frightened Felons proved to be a hugely popular Halloween destination.  Due to its continued success, this year the activities will now include more “inmate” actors, a performance by The Fool Squad, live music, beverages, and a special “Thriller” performance.  Frightened Felons will feature a “family-friendly” night Friday October 28th and a more mature-themed evening Saturday October 29th from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

"Frightened Felons" at the Old Idaho Penitentiary
The Old Idaho Penitentiary is looking for volunteers to help at this year’s Frightened Felons event to provide visitors with a fun, educational evening.

Help is needed in the following areas:
•    Actors
•    Game Hosts
•    Exhibit Hosts
•    Security/Rule Enforcement
•    Clean-up/Maintenance
Contact 208-334-2844 or e-mail Amber Beierle for more information.

Dia de los Muertos
Traditional and Contemporary Altars and Art coming to the Idaho State Historical Museum- October 25th to November 5th
Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead), which falls the day after All Saints Day, is unfamiliar to many North Americans.  Celebrated in Mexico and other central American countries, Day of the Dead is a festival of family memory.  The holiday is based on the belief that once a year, a deceased person’s soul Dia de los Muertos altarreturns to be with its family.  The spirits that come to visit are received with elaborate altars covered with food, photographs, flowers, and family heirlooms for them to enjoy.  The altars also contain traditional folk art with colorful perforated paper designs (papel picado), decorated candles, and skulls (calaveras) made out of sugar or paper mache.  In some regions of Mexico, family members travel to cemeteries to decorate their loved one’s graves and share a meal with the deceased.  Unlike Halloween, which comes a few days before and shares some of the skeletal imagery, the holiday is not meant to be scary.  Instead it is a celebration of memory, ancestors, and family.
 
This year, the museum will celebrate Dia de los Muertos with an exciting exhibit and event.  Throughout the museum, artists and school children will create elaborate altars in traditional and contemporary style.  On the evening of the holiday itself, Wednesday, November 2, from 5-9 p.m., we will host a grand celebration with food, music, and kid’s activities.  The Dia de los Muertos exhibit is sponsored by The Friends of the Historical Museum, the Mexican Consulate in Boise, The Boise Department of Arts and History, The Idaho Arts Commission, and Zamzows.
Save the Date
Mark these upcoming events on your calendar now and watch your inbox for additional details!  Or, check our website for more information.

Museum Comes to Life
Annual history festival
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Idaho State Historical Museum

Esto Perpetua Annual Luncheon and Awards Ceremony
Friday, October 7, 2011
Idaho State Historical Museum

“Frightened Felons” Halloween Event
October 28-29, 2011
Old Idaho Penitentiary

Adopt an Artifact Event
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Idaho State Archives




Idaho State Historical Society Board of Trustees
Judy Meyer
District 1, Hayden Lake
Earl Bennett
District 2, Genessee
Bill Butticci
District 3, Emmett
Jesse Walters
District 4, Boise
Tom Blanchard, Chair
District 5, Bellevue
Jim Johnston
District 6, Pocatello
Hope Benedict
District 7, Salmon

Janet L. Gallimore
Executive Director

Foundation For Idaho History Board of Directors
Bill Butticci, Emmett
Kamion Garner, Boise
Dixie Grant, Boise
Adrienne Hendricks, Boise
Jim Johnston, Pocatello
Rick Latham, Boise
David Leroy, Boise
Dustin Kuck, Boise
Carol MacGregor, PhD, Cascade
Tim Olson, Boise
Martin L. Peterson, Boise
Ann Rydalch, Idaho Falls
Adrienne Swain Smith, President, Boise

The Idaho State Historical Society is an extraordinary system of cultural and historic resources comprised of the Idaho State Historical Museum, Idaho State Archives, State Historic Preservation Office, and Historic Sites Program. We seek to inspire, enrich and engage all Idahoans by leading the state in preserving, sharing, and using history and cultural resources relevant to today to inform and influence the future.

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