Former Staff
3/7/14 – Competing Interests: Grazing, Timber, and the U. S. Forest Service
Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a series of blogs by SHRA Research Associate Naomi Heindel on the history of the United States Forest Service. This installment focuses on the tensions, those of a century ago and those of today, between the Forest Service and western grazing and timber interests. As I wrote… Read the Rest »
2/26/14 – Meet Mark Steel
Editor’s Note: Today’s blog post is from SHRA’s Stephanie Milne-Lane. Growing up, my parents’ kitchen table was the landing spot for a variety of disparate objects like backpacks, bills, and water bottles. But no matter how much was thrown on top, a small archive of Newsweek magazines could always be found beneath the daily rubble…. Read the Rest »
12/13/13 – The U.S. Forest Service: Setting the Scene
Editor’s Note: Today’s blog post is by SHRA Research Associate Naomi Heindel. What is the greatest good? Who makes up the greatest number, and who is often left out? How long is the long run? The United States Forest Service has struggled with these and similar questions for decades, as it has attempted to satisfy… Read the Rest »
11/22/13 – Favorite Reading Rooms: Archives II
Reading rooms are a funny thing. Some are quaint and a breeze to navigate. Others are a maze both in how records are organized and where you can find a seat. At a recent staff meeting, our researchers began talking about their favorite archives and reading rooms. We’ve researched in a range of places, including… Read the Rest »
6/7/13 – Talking History
At SHRA, we specialize in putting history to work. For us, this most frequently means combing archives and weaving narratives from a variety of written or photographic records. However, SHRA is also proud to be a part of the growing trend of oral history projects that are occurring across the country. Currently, the oral history… Read the Rest »
5/24/13 – Celebrating 150 Years of History in Boise, Idaho
Providing environmental litigation support keeps SHRA busy with clients across the United States. Our historians love digging into primary source documents on topics relating to historical mining, land use, irrigation practices, and other issues. We also take great pride in working in general public history and jump at any opportunity to get involved with projects… Read the Rest »
11/30/12: Abraham Lincoln and the Gem State
If it seems like you come across Abraham Lincoln at every turn in Idaho’s capital, you wouldn’t be far off. You might encounter him while walking through Julia Davis Park, driving along Capitol Boulevard, or grabbing a cup of java. The iconic Lincoln continues to keep a hold on our national imagination, as well, with… Read the Rest »
9/7/12: The Evolution of American Public Education
With autumn approaching, school buses and children carrying backpacks have again become a common sight in most communities. And, as in most election cycles, many communities are facing ballot measures over school funding, union rights, or some other related issue that will have a major impact on their public educational institutions. In Idaho, a ballot… Read the Rest »
8/23/12: SHRA’s Stephanie Milne Shares Her Path to a Career in Public History
“What are you going to do with that?!” It’s the question I was asked most often while attending graduate school. Fortunately, the Master in Applied Historical Research (MAHR) Program at Boise State University allowed me to answer that skeptical question. The Boise State University History Department has innovatively developed a two-prong approach to the study… Read the Rest »
8/10/12: Remembering the Great Fires of 1910
As Idaho, Colorado, and other western states suffer through another season of wildfires that claim lives and homes and pollute the summer air, we remember our region’s long history of forest fires and the evolution of the U. S. Forest Service’s approach to them over the past 100 years. Author and journalist Timothy Egan has… Read the Rest »