Features
8/8/14 – Smallpox in the Archives, a Look at the Spread of Disease in Canyon County, Idaho
In November 1906, a smallpox epidemic broke out in Canyon County, Idaho. It was reported by citizens in Emmett that “people broken out with smallpox were walking the streets,” presumably spreading the disease without knowing it. For the next two years, county physician Dr. William Waldrop traveled extensively around the expansive rural county tending to… Read the Rest »
7/23/14 – World Cup Reflections
In the months leading up to the 2014 World Cup, headlines abounded with speculation on Brazil’s readiness. As thousands of tourists descended upon the various host cities, it was clear that Brazil’s infrastructure was not up to snuff. Barely finished stadiums, hastily constructed airport terminals (one of which was under a tent) and numerous uncompleted… Read the Rest »
6/12/2014 – The World Cup through the Lens of History
On June 12, 2014, the 20th FIFA World Cup officially kicked off in San Pao, Brazil. For precisely a month, more than a billion eyes will diligently watch as 32 teams compete in the sport’s marquee event. A fan only needs to watch one game to realize the World Cup is a public celebration steeped… Read the Rest »
6/6/14 – Timber Harvesting and Wildfire in the National Forests: The Emergence of Multiple-Use Management
Editor’s Note: This is the third installment in a series of blogs by SHRA Environmental Analyst/Researcher Naomi Heindel on the history of the United States Forest Service. You can read the first two installments here and here. In my previous blog, the second in this series on the history of the Forest Service, I discussed the… Read the Rest »
5/23/14 – Breaking Trails at the Dawn of the National Parks System
Editor’s note: Today’s blog post is from Jennifer Stevens. My 12-year old son recently asked me why I read the obituaries in the paper. I didn’t have to think very long before I answered: I love people’s stories. Environmental history is – like all history – cut from the cloth of people’s stories. Human interaction… Read the Rest »
5/2/14 – Flying Before 9/11: a Review of The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking
Editor’s note: Today’s blog is from our office manager and (one of our) resident book worms, Jill Johnson. In late November 2000, I found myself tired and long way from home. Having just arrived in Auckland, New Zealand from the U.S., my powers of observation were not the best. Nonetheless, when I boarded my onward… Read the Rest »
4/7/14 – The Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness Area
Editor’s Note: Today’s blog post is courtesy of SHRA’s graduate student intern HannaLore Hein. Last fall, as a board member of the Center of the American West, I was lucky enough to attend their annual Board Member Retreat. Every year the Center’s staff plans a four day excursion to a western location so board members… Read the Rest »
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 »
1/10/14 – History at the Movies, Part 1
There’s no better time to think about the role that history plays in making movies with the movie award season just around the corner. Conversely, it’s interesting to explore the role that movies play in making history. This March will mark the 86th annual Academy Awards, and over the past eight decades, a cavalcade of… Read the Rest »