The State of Idaho has traditionally relied on natural resources and their extraction to attract settlers and provide for the economic well-being of the state. Idahoans' reliance on and struggles with the environment for their sustenance and livelihood create many avenues for the study of Environmental History.

The Idaho State Historical Society serves as the archives for the State of Idaho, and is the official repository for records of Idaho's governors, state agencies, counties, and cities. The Society also has an extensive collection of books, periodicals, microfilm, manuscripts, photos, moving images, maps, oral history interviews, and the published reports of state agencies. All of these collections are housed at the Public Archives and Research Library, 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd., Boise ID 83712.

Our regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. -5 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Linda Morton-Keithley, Administrator: 208-514-2320 E-mail

Kathy Hodges, Oral Historian: 208-514-2315 or 208-334-3863 E-mail

Carolyn Bowler, Archivist: 208-514-2314 E-mail

Topics and collections of specific interest for environmental historians include:

• Water in Idaho: Irrigation and Dam Building
  
• Agriculture and Homesteading
  
• Idaho Soil Conservation Districts
  
• Civilian Conservation Corps
  
• Idaho's Forests: Logging, Firefighters, and the Forest Service
  
• Mining
  
• Transportation: Railroads, Streetcars and Roads in Idaho
  
• Tourism
  
• Conservation Movement in Idaho
  
• Miscellaneous Collections