Tom Blanchard talk to focus on the impacts of mining
By Hayden Seder
Back by popular demand, mining historian Tom Blanchard will speak at the Hailey Public Library on Thursday, Aug. 8, at 5:30 p.m., on local Idaho mining history.
Blanchard gave a talk on the subject in the spring of this year that had so many people interested, folks had to be turned away. The talk is one of a series of lectures about the early history of Hailey and the Wood River Valley given to commemorate the Hailey Library’s yearlong Centennial Celebration.
“So many people had to be turned away when Tom gave this talk last spring that we wanted to offer it again,” said Kristin Fletcher, Hailey Public Library program specialist. “His breadth of knowledge about state and local mining history is remarkable. He’s always digging up new stories to share, so it’s never the same talk twice.”
Blanchard holds a master’s degree in American history with a specialty in the American West as well as a degree in historiography from San Francisco State University. He has also taught these same subjects at the College of Southern Idaho for several years and has done programming on Idaho mining throughout the state for the past 30 years.
“Because Bellevue and the Wood River Valley began as mining communities, it is hard to talk about local and state history without talking about mining,” Blanchard said. “In the process of specializing in Idaho mining, I have gathered a personal library and shelves of mining documents from multiple sources.”
Blanchard’s talk will be on the history of mining in the early period throughout Idaho and will focus specifically on the importance of mining in Hailey. In the period of 1879 to 1885, Hailey, Bellevue and Ketchum were all in competition to be the prime community of the Valley. Each community was just taking off and mining was an important function of that. Hailey was fueled by Bullion Gulch, Bellevue fueled by Galena Gulch and Ketchum by the Independence/Warm Springs Mine as well as Triumph.
“Bullion came on quickly and produced high values very early, so a lot of money was coming into Hailey,” Blanchard said. “Mining had a positive effect on Hailey’s early growth and helped it set some values that have continued today.”
Blanchard explains that Hailey is an example of what was happening in mining communities across Idaho at that time. Like a young child being imprinted on by its parents, Hailey imprinted values like optimism, opportunity and high expectations on itself during its formative years throughout the early 1880s, something that has stuck with it for the duration of its life.
While there hasn’t been mining in the Wood River Valley in years, there are mining practices in Idaho. Two large mines are in development phases and another has gone through the permitting process and is starting construction. Phosphate mines in eastern Idaho have been going continuously since World War II.
“Mining is a successful industry in Idaho and in its success it has mechanized; machinery has replaced manpower,” Blanchard said. “It’s considered one of the most efficient industries there are. As a result, cost has gone down. Its profitability has been hinged on replacement of labor with technology.”
For those interested in learning more about Idaho history, the Hailey Public Library will host several more lectures before year’s end, including “The Life and Work of Ezra Pound, Hailey’s Native Son,” with Ted Dyer on Aug. 29. Historian John Lundin will speak on the Oregon Short Line railroad, the history of the Wood River Valley’s resort hotels, Sun Valley: Hailey Hot Springs and Guyer Hot Springs, and Blanchard will speak in the fall about early water rights battles and the arrival of electricity in the Wood River Valley.