TheCommunityLibrary

In 1955, a group of pioneering women decided that one important thing missing in the Wood River Valley was a free public library. The tax base at the time was too small to support a library, and although they had no money, no books, and no building, they were undaunted. The Community Library was established and continues to run today without funds from any federal, state, or local agency and without ever borrowing a single penny. For over four decades the Library has been supported by generous contributions from the community, imaginative fundraisers, and donations to the Gold Mine thrift store. The Regional History Department of the library was established in 1982 as a research and resource center and a depository for the preservation and long-term storage of two-dimensional historical materials relating to the Alturas and Blaine County regions of Idaho. This collection includes thousands of historical photographs made by local photographers dating back to the late 1880’s. The photography collection also includes 2,500 color images from the post – WWII Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Wood River Valley area of Idaho. These images were made by Union Pacific Railroad photographers when the Sun Valley ski resort was owned by the railroad company. The images document; the life and times of the first destination ski resort in the United States, people engaged in sports and leisure activities of all types, the fashions of the day, and most especially the pristine beauty of the slopes, valleys, and streams of this part of Idaho. We are opening our Zazzle Store with select color images from the 1954 to 1958 Union Pacific collection. You may choose to order high quality prints, or unique gift items displaying images that document this colorful time in history. All proceeds from the sales on this site go directly to supporting the Community Library of Ketchum. We will be adding more images from our extensive collection to our store as times passes so please check back. Thank you for your support!