Stevens Historical Research Associates

8/11/2011 Local Water Organizations Hosting October 18 Conference on Boise River

Boise-area residents value and love the Boise River for its proximity to downtown, the recreational opportunities it offers, and the water it provides for local farmers.  But the Boise River is not the same river it once was.  The meandering series of shallow channels that criss-crossed the valley floor in the late 19th century has been replaced with a far more defined river channel bordered by residential and other urban uses.  The Boise River now receives storm run-off containing pollutants which people in the 1890s could not have imagined.  The local irrigation districts have to contend with keeping the water clean in their canals, as well, faced with runoff from the fertilizers used on their members’ fields.  And, the specter of climate change has rendered all users uncertain of their water supply’s future.  This messy set of concerns only begins to describe the complex web of issues related to Boise River management.  (If you examine this historic video narrated by former Boise City Council member Bill Onweiler you will get a sense of the River’s history and its significance to the City of Boise 1970: The Boise River Greenbelt.)

To encourage conversation and collaboration, a group of local organizations is hosting a series of Brown Bag lunches leading up to their October 18th conference on private and public opportunities for ecosystem restoration on the Lower Boise River.  SHRA is pleased to be a sponsor of these programs.

The Lower Boise River was the subject of a recent Feasibility Study by the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The Feasibility Study was aimed in part at evaluating potential sites for additional water storage infrastructure – i.e. dams.  Now, the group of local water leaders hosting this program series are going to talk about other opportunities which the river presents.  Participants include members of the non-profit community such as Idaho Rivers United, as well as members of the irrigation and scientist communities.  The series presents the opportunity for the myriad people and groups that use the Boise River to talk about and envision its future.  Please plan to come to the Brown Bag lunches and especially the event on October 18, which will feature a keynote address by Boise State University president Bob Kustra.

Click here for details on the Brown Bag Lunch series: Idaho Rivers United brownbagflyer

Click here for information on the October 18 Vision to Reality workshop (more…)

11/12/2010 County Records and Haunted Hotels

I had occasion to be in Baker City, Oregon last week on a research trip.  The city itself has made a concerted effort to preserve its historic architecture, and the small downtown is charming.  City Hall is a beautiful turn-of-the-century (20th) quintessential stone hall with a clock tower, and there are many National Register plaques gracing other buildings, as well. I even was treated to staying at the 100+ year old Geiser Grand Hotel, which is rumored to be haunted.  Fortunately I am not able to confirm that point one way or the other…

What really struck me during my time in Baker, however, was how incredibly well-preserved the Baker County records were.  My colleagues and I do a lot of historic research in County Courthouses across the West.  County records are vitally important to environmental research in the West.  An incredible amount of stuff happened at the county level in the 19th century.  Mining claims were filed at the county, water claims were filed at the county, roads were built with county money, and many, many other things.  But unfortunately, many states have done a poor job at preserving these records.  Oregon is an outstanding exception to the rule.

I originally discovered the wealth of county material through the Oregon State Archives web site, which does a fine job of making the records searchable.  I then discovered that much of the archival material was actually kept at the county courthouses around the state instead of at the State Archives in Salem.  That discouraged me because of my long experience in other courthouses which are disorganized, unkempt, and easily compromised.  That was until I actually arrived at the Baker County Courthouse.  The two vaults where the records were kept were immaculate and incredibly well-organized.  I had a finding aid from a few years back, but when I arrived I was told that the Oregon State Archives staff had just been there to do an audit, and that there was an updated finding aid.  What state spends money on these things anymore?  None I had been to recently, that’s for sure!  But Oregon has done its citizens a huge favor by keeping these records accessible and easily searchable.  Having these records so accessible to researchers like me and other SHRA historians will go a long way toward helping judges and lawyers sort out the difficult answers that lie in the past, and I firmly believe that it will save the state a great deal of money in the long run.  So hats off to Oregon for keeping a budget alive for archives in these difficult times!  I look forward to going back and examining in more detail the county surveyor books, court records, and water rights filings and knowing exactly where to find it all!