Topic: History

The path of a legend is rarely linear. Heroes seldom set out to do what they are, ultimately, best known for. Resilience is a remarkable life skill. And you need to know when to leave the stage.

Bald Mountain has no shortage of ski runs and for that matter, no shortage of wackily-named runs. Sure, “River Run” is quite tame as is “Warm Springs” (if only that side of the mountain were actually warmer). But what’s the deal with “Flying Squirrel” or even “College”? We went back to the archives, both written and oral, and here’s what we learned.

It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when people could not drink in pubs on St. Patrick’s Day - - at least in Ireland. Up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that all pubs closed on March 17, as it was a religious holiday honoring the Christian Saint Patrick. Yet by the mid 1990s, the Irish government had changed its mind and decided to use St. Patrick’s Day as a way to encourage tourism and the bar doors swung open. Now, almost one million people descend on Dublin for the St. Patrick’s Festival.

And Ireland is not alone. Russia, Japan, Singapore, United States and various other countries also enjoy this green holiday. In fact, the first parades took place not in Ireland, but in the United States in the 18th century.

The modern secular celebration first began in 1737 when Irish immigrants decided to celebrate their heritage publicly in Boston and New York City. In 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots.

Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished. Yet, this good old celebration also carried its prejudices. The Irish, especially the Catholics, were despised in the United Sates and as a result had trouble finding any kind of job (hence the old sign: No Irish Need Apply.) When the Irish marched for St. Paddy’s day, they were often mocked, with journalists portraying them as drunken buffoons.

Yet, such a large number of immigrants eventually gave the Irish enormous political clout. They organized, mobilized and created their own strong voting block known as the “green machine”. As a result, the annual St. Patrick’s Day parades became a display of power and pride, and a requirement for political candidates. In 1948 President Truman attended the NYC parade.

Years later, most of the anti-Irish sentiment in the United States has dwindled and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are just about everywhere. Sun Valley likes to take part in the tradition by serving delicious green beer at the base of Warm Springs, as well as a fabulous and silly parade-like Pub Crawl down Main Street, Ketchum. So put on your green and gear up to celebrate the Irish this Monday, March 17.

Years before Sandra Hofferber became The Community Library’s Regional History Librarian, she was studying to become an actor under William Esper at Rutgers University. As her old black and white headshot shows, Hofferber was a bonafide babe. Yet her acting temperament did not match her looks; directors wanted her to be “a sweet-Polly-pure-bread, running around in [her] underwear on stage.” She was better playing what theater gurus call “the bitch.”

After time, she and her husband, Michael, decided New York City was not for them and the two headed west. They first relocated to Seattle, but were soon suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and moved to Prineville, Oregon, where Hofferber says they eventually “suffered from lack of cultural affective disorder.” Their solution: Sun Valley.

Michael Hofferber had been trying to drag the couple to Sun Valley for years. “For Michael who grew up in Boise, Sun Valley was like ‘Never Never Land.’” But Sandra always said no. “I thought it would be too cold.”

In Sun Valley, Michael took a job with the Wood River Journal while Sandra worked odd jobs around town until an opening for a Regional History Librarian came up. She applied and then waited, and waited, and waited. “I think they must have thought, ‘what is an actress going to do at a library?’ But with my MFA in acting, one of the things I studied was history and period histories, and I really liked it,” She says.

Six weeks later, in 1990, Hofferber landed the job. She worked at the Library for half a decade before relocating to Baker City, Oregon in order to spend more time raising her son. “Baker City was a beautiful place. Yet we just found ourselves being really homesick for Sun Valley.” So in 2007, they returned, remarking that “there is just something about driving over the top of Timberman Hill and seeing the valley laid out in front of you that just feels like home.” Last year, the Hofferbers returned and sure enough there was an opening at the Library when Chris Milspaugh, the former Regional History Librarian, retired.

Her two stints as Regional History Librarian have made Hofferber an absolute treasure chest of Idaho history. She knows fun facts about shady banking practices used to bankrupt farmers in the Midwest so they would move out West, and that most people on the Oregon Trail had moved before, meaning they either always thought the grass was greener or they had lost many farms already. Hofferber has grown to love the region and its history because it is so varied. “It really is a melting pot state. People came from all over, from different walks of life, different backgrounds, and different religions.”

And as for Sun Valley, she really doesn’t mind the cold. In fact, she doesn’t seem to notice it - - perhaps because she is too busy. “What I love about Sun Valley is that there is something to do anytime. If you are bored, well then, it is probably your own fault.”

To meet Sandra Hofferber and to learn more about Idaho’s history, visit the Community Library’s Regional History Department. There you will not only find Hofferber, but also over 500 oral histories, fantastic photographs of past avalanches, mining towns and Hollywood stars and much more.

A short drive north of Ketchum, just 24 miles, brings you to the beautiful Galena Lodge. While visitors flock to Galena daily for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, or just to relax and grab a warm bowl of soup, Galena and its surroundings have a rich history that not many people know about.

Galena was first settled as a mining town in 1879. People mined for silver and lead ore, metals that were also called Galena, hence the town’s name. At its peak, Galena was home to more than 800 residents, which at the time was a larger population than Ketchum. And with saloons, restaurants, shops and even a brothel, town was booming. But by 1890, when all the ore was mined, Galena had become a ghost town.

For years, the structures at Galena sat empty until 1924 when the Barber family opened the Galena Store and some guest cabins. With the development of the Sun Valley Resort, Galena began to see more visitors. After a series of ownership transfers, the Gelsky family finally built the current Galena Lodge in 1960, using remains of the old town for the lodge’s interior.

The Lodge continued to transfer ownership many times, and even sat empty for a while. Finally, in 1994, the “Help Save Galena Campaign” was kicked off and the Blaine County Recreation District took over This public purchase was made possible in large part by the late Senator H. John Heinz III, who made a huge donation on behalf of the cause.

Today, Galena Lodge is full of life. And, you can even see remnants of Galena’s mining past. Take a loop on the Cowboy Cabin Trail and visit the old cabin that is still used for horseback riding in the summer. Or, head out the Pioneer Cemetery Trail and you will see that gravesites for some of the late miners that frequented the area.

A trip to Galena is well worth it. Whether you just want to enjoy the scenery, or get a little history lesson by going snowshoeing with a ranger, Galena has a little something for everyone. And while you are out on the trails, make sure to think about the many people that walked there before you.

In 1936 a giant ski slope was constructed inside Madison Square Garden to show off and promote skiing to the 200,000 spectators. Ski "god" Hannes Schneider and famed racer Otto Lang took to the slope which was built of wood and covered in shaved ice.

Perhaps best known for their singing, the von Trapp family actually helped bring cross country skiing into the American mainstream when they open the von Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont.

What began as a celebration of George Washington's Birthday has morphed into a holiday where we honor all of the leaders of our country. To find out more, click here.

From a means to traverse Greenland to the Austrians' development of downhill skiing, skiing has evolved from a means of transportation to a means of exhilaration. Luckily we no longer break with a stick between our legs.

America's first major ski resort, Sun Valley, opened in 1936 as a way to increase winter business on the Union Pacific Railroad. The small farming community was suddenly invaded by skiers and celebrities alike.