Idaho State Historical Society

The Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) is a historical society located in the U.S. state of Idaho that preserves and promotes Idaho’s cultural heritage. The society's vision is to inspire, enrich, and reach out to all Idahoans by providing leadership in the areas of preservation and dissemination of the state's dynamic cultural heritage.

The society was founded as the Historical Society of Idaho Pioneers in 1881, nine years before statehood in 1890, and was established as a state agency in 1907. Employing over 50 staff and over 100 volunteers; it includes the Idaho State Historical Museum, the official state museum; the Idaho State Archives, which provides public access to state archives, for which it is responsible, in addition to a variety of other reference material; the State Historic Preservation Office, which maintains records of historic places and archaeological sites in the state; and the Historic Sites Program, which oversees a number of historic sites including the Old Idaho State Penitentiary.

The ISHS was established in 1881, eighteen years after the Idaho Territory was established, and nine years before statehood in 1890. Initially named the Historical Society of Idaho Pioneers, its goal was to discover and preserve Idaho’s heritage. Early efforts of the Historical Society led to the establishment of the Idaho State Historical Society as a state agency in 1907.

The ISHS is charged with responsibility of preserving Idaho’s rich history and prehistory in accordance with Chapters 41 and 46 of Title 67 of the Idaho Code, and other statutory capacity assigned by Titles 14, 31, 33, 58, and 63. A board of trustees has statutory authority for setting policy for the society, which serves as an agency of the State Board of Education.

From its original “library and cabinet” meant to preserve “literary and scientific objects” the Society has evolved to include the Idaho State Historical Museum, the Public Archives and Research Library, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Historic Sites Program, and the Administration unit. The ISHS has a seven-member Board of Trustees appointed by the governor to represent Idaho's seven judicial districts. The Society now directly reaches more than 100,000 people annually and serves an additional 700,000 on its web site. http://www.history.idaho.gov

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