LEGACY PROJECTS
A legacy for Idaho.
The America250 in Idaho commemoration, culminating in 2026, is a national effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. America250 in Idaho aims to advance the ideals of the American Revolution – equality, liberty, and justice – through meaningful community engagement while recognizing and highlighting Idaho’s journey in America’s legacy.
Tell Us Your Story
As Idaho prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the America250 in Idaho Task Force would like to hear from you! In partnership with the Idaho State Historical Society and TheirStory™, a remote oral history platform that helps communities collect, preserve, and engage with the audiovisual stories of their members, the America250 in Idaho Commemoration hopes to collect as many memories, experiences, and stories from Idahoans as possible.
Please respond to only one prompt question per recording session and limit your recording to three minutes.
Need help getting started? For questions or further assistance please contact HannaLore Hein, Idaho State Historian & America250 in Idaho Task Force Vice Chair via email at hannalore.hein@ishs.idaho.gov.
Terms and Conditions
By submitting an oral history you are agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined below.
I certify that I am 18 years of age and an adult consenting to the following terms and conditions. I donate to the Idaho State Historical Society a recording to be included at their sole discretion for historical and scholarly purposes as they see fit, including but not limited to the exclusive rights of reproduction, distribution, preparation of derivative works, public performance, and display in print, visual, electronic, or other available media, including but not limited to the internet. The Idaho State Historical Society shall not be liable for any misuse of the recordings provided. The recording provided is not copyrighted by any other individual or entity and I affirm that I have the legal right and title to provide said recording to the Idaho State Historical Society.
State Agency Task Force Projects
Throughout the America250 in Idaho celebration, state partners will promote America250 in Idaho initiatives through ongoing impactful projects.
Boise State University Institute for Advancing American Values
Reading the Republic (January 2025–April 2026)
Course developed and piloted by Dr. Andrew Finstuen.
Explores the philosophical, civic, and moral roots of the American experiment.
- Offered as:
1-credit online course (BSU students)
3-credit honors/major course
Free public online format
Reading Idaho (April 2025–April 2026)
Developed with faculty from Boise State, University of Idaho, and College of Southern Idaho.
A regional history course exploring Idaho’s social, legal, and cultural development.
Will be released in three formats (1-credit, 3-credit, public access).
Civics for All (January 2025–May 2026)
A course designed to teach the “why,” “how,” and “what” of civic participation in a democracy.
Focuses on the ethics of engagement, systems of government, and public policy.
Pilot delivery planned for Spring 2026.
Idaho Signature Documents Project (Late 2025–March 2026)
In partnership with Idaho’s public universities and ISHS, this online archive will feature foundational documents from Idaho history.
The portal will be hosted on the America 250 Idaho website and publicly launched in late 2025 or early 2026.
Idaho Commission on the Arts
The Idaho Commission on the Arts is eager to engage the Idaho arts community in A250. Our constituents include arts and cultural organizations, arts administrators, schools, students, painters, writers, dancers, actors, singers, and tradition bearers across the state. To welcome these Idahoans into A250, we have identified the following projects for branding under the America250 in Idaho Commemoration:
Grants
- Public Programs in the Arts
- Arts Education Projects
- Artist Fellowships
- Traditional Arts
Programming
- Creative Aging
- Creative Placemaking
- Apprenticeships
Digital Content
- Video profiles of award-winning artists and communities of practice
- In addition to branding these existing projects, the Commission is also exploring the possibility of commemorating the 40th anniversary of our fellowships in conjunction with A250.
Idaho Commission for Libraries
The Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) is preparing to support America 250 in Idaho through statewide reading initiatives and public programming that encourage civic dialogue, historical reflection, and family engagement in local libraries. These efforts leverage the Commission’s long-standing partnerships and extensive reach into communities large and small across the state.
Let’s Talk About It – Special America 250 Theme (Fall 2025-Fall 2026)
In partnership with the Idaho Humanities Council, ICfL is planning the development of a new America 250-themed installment of the popular Let’s Talk About It reading and discussion series. This well-established program brings community members together in libraries to explore important historical and social themes through literature and guided discussion. The new theme, currently under development, will align with the values of America’s 250th anniversary and include titles related to American ideals, founding stories, and civic experience.
Idaho Family Reading Week 2026 – America 250 Focus (November 2026)
Each November, libraries across Idaho participate in Idaho Family Reading Week, a statewide program that promotes reading as a family activity. For 2026, the Idaho Commission for Libraries will adopt an America 250 theme for the week’s events, which will include:
Themed story times and book displays Craft and activity kits designed around American history and civic life.
Opportunities for families to explore U.S. history in fun, age-appropriate ways Family Reading Week serves as a valuable point of entry for Idahoans of all ages to engage with the themes of America 250 in a setting that is both educational and community-centered. The Commission will provide participating libraries with promotional materials, event ideas, and support to maximize local participation.
Through these initiatives, the Idaho Commission for Libraries will help ensure the semiquincentennial is a statewide conversation—reaching every corner of Idaho through the trusted setting of public libraries.
Idaho Department of Commerce
Marketing & Tourism Engagement
America 250 Idaho content is regularly featured in Visit Idaho’s monthly industry newsletter, beginning Summer 2025, ensuring that tourism and economic stakeholders are informed and engaged.
A dedicated blog series on the Visit Idaho website highlights Idaho-based destinations and commemorative experiences tied to America 250 themes.
Future content will spotlight events, exhibitions, and regional stories throughout 2026, with resources for local and regional tourism partners to promote participation.
Idaho Department of Education
Spirit of US: K–12 Statewide Commemorative Program
Timeline: August 2025 – May 2026
Structure: Monthly themes based on foundational American values. Students submit original work (essays, art, performances) with local and statewide recognition.
Support for Educators:
Lesson plans, curated reading materials, and standards-based content
Read-aloud resources, place mats, stickers (K–6)
Posters, Constitution booklets, and writing prompts (7–12)
Recognition: Raffles in December 2025 and May 2026. Classroom and state-level prizes supported by sponsorships.
Legacy Project: A coffee table book and digital archive hosted on the SDE YouTube channel.
Salute to America
Launch: Fall 2025
Idaho high school bands are invited to perform patriotic music throughout the 2025–26 school year. Supported by the Idaho Commission on the Arts and the Idaho Music Educators Association, this initiative reinforces civic pride and supports community programming.
Participating instructors and students will be formally recognized.
Idaho Department of Labor
The Idaho Department of Labor’s (IDOL) initiatives align and support the America250 in Idaho commemoration in several key ways.
Economic Strength and Innovation:
- The department’s efforts to connect job seekers with employment opportunities and improve employment rates contribute to Idaho’s economic momentum. This aligns with America250’s focus on celebrating Idaho’s role in America’s prosperity and attracting investment and opportunities to the Gem State.
Education and Workforce Development:
- IDOL’s workforce development programs and vocational rehabilitation services support the America250 goal of empowering Idahoans’ hearts and minds. These initiatives foster critical thinking and prepare learners of all ages for the workforce, contributing to Idaho’s economic strength.
Volunteerism:
- Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, embodies the uniquely American spirit of community engagement and civic responsibility. This organization inspires and empowers Idahoans to address unmet needs through service and volunteerism, reflecting a longstanding national tradition. Volunteerism has been a cornerstone of American society since its founding, and Serve Idaho exemplifies this ethos through various programs:
- AmeriCorps: Serve Idaho oversees several AmeriCorps programs, including Reading Corps, which helps young students improve their literacy skills, and environmental initiatives that preserve Idaho’s natural beauty.
- AmeriCorps Seniors: This program engages volunteers aged 55 and over in meaningful service opportunities, fostering intergenerational connections and utilizing the skills and experience of older Americans.
The American tradition of volunteerism, as exemplified by Serve Idaho, reflects core national values such as self-reliance, community support, and civic engagement. This grassroots approach to addressing social issues through citizen participation has been a defining characteristic of American society, distinguishing it from many other nations where such services are primarily government driven. By connecting Idahoans with diverse volunteer opportunities, from environmental conservation to education and public health, Serve Idaho continues to uphold and strengthen this uniquely American tradition of community service and civic responsibility.
Idaho Transportation Department
The Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) mission is your safety, your mobility, and your economic opportunity. The agency’s work aspires to enhance quality of life through transportation. In support of America250 in Idaho, ITD invites residents, visitors, and communities to tell your America250 story through photographs and to learn about the state’s transportation history via two repositories of digital photographs from all over the state.
Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) is aligning its programming with America 250 by incorporating historical interpretation and civic themes into both long-standing and newly developed events across the state. With more than 30 state parks and an annual calendar filled with public gatherings, IDPR is uniquely positioned to engage Idahoans in commemorative experiences that highlight our shared heritage and the natural landscapes that have shaped it.
Three Island Crossing – 25th Anniversary of the Oregon Trail History Center
August 9, 2025, Three Island Crossing State Park
This key event marks the 25th anniversary of the Oregon Trail History Center, located at one of the most significant Oregon Trail crossing sites in the American West. The event will be officially branded as an America 250 celebration, drawing on the themes of migration, westward expansion, and early American ingenuity. Interpretive programming, reenactments, and community festivities are planned to honor this landmark anniversary.
Future Commemorative Events at Key Park Openings and Celebrations:
In 2025 and 2026, IDPR will integrate America 250 through thematic storytelling into several park campground grand openings and milestone events. Idaho State Parks is coordinating additional plans for A250 celebrations such as:
Ponderosa State Park – Opening of the new Kokanee Cove facility
Eagle Island State Park – Grand opening of the new campground and recreation pond
Bear Lake State Park – New visitor center and campground facility
Additional A250 Event Concepts Across the State Park System:
Farragut State Park – Commemoration of World War II and naval training history at the renovated Brig Museum
Harriman State Park – Frontier ranching and railroad interpretation at the Railroad Ranch and the Ashton-Tetonia Trail, fishing on the Henry’s Fork and at Henry’s Lake State Park
City of Rocks / Castle Rocks – Oregon Trail and westward migration storytelling
Land of the Yankee Fork (Bayhorse Unit) – Mining history event at the Bayhorse ghost town site and historic Challis Hot Springs
Bruneau Dunes State Park – Space exploration celebration, connecting astronomy and American innovation
Hells Gate State Park – Lewis and Clark bicentennial legacy interpretation along the Clearwater and Snake Rivers
Thousand Springs State Park (Ritter Island) – Agricultural development and water reclamation in southern Idaho
Winchester Lake State Park, Farragut State Park and Priest Lake State Park – North Idaho logging and milling history commemorations
Through these efforts, IDPR will promote America 250 and engage park visitors across Idaho—honoring both national heritage and local narratives, while expanding public access to civic and environmental education. The agency is coordinating these events in partnership with local communities to ensure broad participation and statewide visibility.
Idaho Public Television
Production Initiatives
Idaho Experience: Through the Eyes of Sacajawea (March 2026) – Examines the life and enduring cultural significance of Sacajawea through tribal stories and scholarship.
Idaho Experience: Objects and Artifacts of American History (March 2026) – Features historical objects that connect Idaho’s stories to national heritage.
Outdoor Idaho: Outdoor Volunteerism (December 2025) – Celebrates civic engagement and land stewardship by everyday Idahoans.
Civic Spark (Summer/Fall 2025) – 30-minute special with interstitials focusing on Idahoans’ civic stories and contributions.
A250 in Idaho Documentary (TBD) – A comprehensive record of how Idaho commemorated the nation’s semiquincentennial.
Public Engagement
A250 Trivia Nights – Rolling out statewide in local venues from September to November 2025.
Museum on Main Street Film Series – Ahead of Her Time screening available July 11, 2025 – January 16, 2026 at MoMS host sites.
The American Revolution Screenings – Fall 2026 programming at universities, libraries, and potentially Idaho State Parks.
Educational Initiatives
Comprehensive 4th Grade Multimedia Project – Launching August 2026; includes Idaho-focused content aligned with national themes.
PBS Learning Media Grant Curriculum – A 5th-grade “Enduring Questions” module developed and released by December 2025.
Idaho State Historical Society
Idaho State Archives
The Idaho State Archives will contribute to America 250 in Idaho with a series of exhibitions and public programs that examine key historical developments that shaped the state and its relationship to the nation. Through documentary collections, exhibits, and educational events, the Archives will highlight Idaho’s agricultural legacy, territorial formation, and significant historical milestones.
“Fruitful Idaho” (October 2025 – May 2026)
Opening during Archives Month in October 2025, “Fruitful Idaho” will explore the settlement programs and agricultural efforts that supported the permanent growth of Idaho communities. The exhibition is organized around three central themes:
Reclamation – Examining federal and state water development projects and their role in agricultural expansion
Agriculture – Highlighting the development of fruit and vegetable production across the state
Farm Labor – Presenting the contributions and experiences of workers who helped build Idaho’s agricultural economy
The exhibition will feature Payette Valley fruit crate labels, along with historical maps and documentation tied to the Carey Act, Homesteading, and federal reclamation efforts.
A public opening reception will be held on October 29, 2025, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., and will feature a keynote address by Dr. Bob Reinhardt (Boise State University), who will speak on the region’s agricultural and environmental history.
A More Perfect Union: Abraham Lincoln and the Idaho Territory (October 2026 – Spring 2027)
This culminating exhibit will explore the creation of Idaho Territory during the Civil War, placing it within the broader national context of President Lincoln’s leadership and the preservation of the Union. The exhibit will feature presidential proclamations, territorial records, and correspondence from the era, offering visitors a focused look at how the Idaho Territory emerged during one of the most pivotal periods in American history. Related public programs and lectures will accompany the exhibit.
Together, these projects emphasize the Idaho State Archives’ role in preserving and presenting Idaho’s legal, agricultural, and political history as part of the larger American story.
Idaho State Museum
United We Celebrate: The Traditions That Bring America Together
Syringa Gallery, March 7, 2026 – January 3, 2027
From artifacts commemorating America’s Centennial and Bicentennial to vibrant images of Idaho hometown annual fourth of July celebrations, this exhibit honors milestones of American history and reflects on how we come together as a community to celebrate our heritage. Explore national holidays, public gatherings, and cultural rituals that bind communities together across time and place.
Four Score and Seven Years Before
Treasures Gallery, February 14, 2026 – January 3, 2027
From the personal collection of David and Nancy Leroy, explore objects and documents connected to three pivotal epochs of American history that led to the creation of our nation and state. Meet the founding doers and thinkers at the heart of the American Revolution, the establishment of Idaho Territory amidst the Civil War, and Idaho’s Constitutional Convention. What hard fought ideals have endured from the founding of the United States to define life in Idaho today?
It’s a Grand Old Flag: Symbolism of the Stars and Stripes
Statuary Hall, Idaho Capitol – December 2025 to November 2026
This special A250 exhibit explores the evolving meaning, myth, and memory of the American flag. From historic flags to personal expressions of patriotism, the display invites visitors to reflect on the flag’s power to unite, provoke, and symbolize the American promise through Idaho’s past and present.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
Update and reissue Saints & Oddfellows: A Bicentennial Sampler of Idaho Architecture in 2026
This architectural guide to the state was originally published as part of Idaho’s US Bicentennial commemoration in 1976. Appealing to those interested in architecture, history, and travel, the revised book will be divided into seven chapters comprised of 350 entries describing buildings, sites, and structures from across the state that represent every era of Idaho’s built environment.
Events
