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S1E12 The History of Idaho State Parks
In 1908, Idaho’s first state park was created by an Act of Congress. It was named for Sen. Weldon B. Heyburn, who famously said “[state parks] are always a subject of political embarrassment.” This presentation traces the roots of the system from the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899, through the war years of the Farragut Naval Training Station, to the brilliant gift deed Gov. Robert E. Smylie arranged with Roland and Averell Harriman to create a dedicated park agency resulting in today’s system of 30 state parks.
Rick Just worked for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation for 29 years. Among other duties he was the agency historian. Rick has written two books on Idaho’s state parks and several more on other Idaho subjects. He writes a daily history blog called “Speaking of Idaho” which has about 9,000 followers. He founded the non-profit organization Friends of Idaho State Parks in 2013 and currently serves as the organization’s president.
Watch the video here.
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By Idaho Humanities CouncilIn 1908, Idaho’s first state park was created by an Act of Congress. It was named for Sen. Weldon B. Heyburn, who famously said “[state parks] are always a subject of political embarrassment.” This presentation traces the roots of the system from the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899, through the war years of the Farragut Naval Training Station, to the brilliant gift deed Gov. Robert E. Smylie arranged with Roland and Averell Harriman to create a dedicated park agency resulting in today’s system of 30 state parks.
Rick Just worked for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation for 29 years. Among other duties he was the agency historian. Rick has written two books on Idaho’s state parks and several more on other Idaho subjects. He writes a daily history blog called “Speaking of Idaho” which has about 9,000 followers. He founded the non-profit organization Friends of Idaho State Parks in 2013 and currently serves as the organization’s president.
Watch the video here.