Idaho Meanderings

This blog contains history, photos, etc. related to Idaho from the late 1800's/early 1900's. My mother, Brenda Steunenberg Richards, was born in ID. Much of it pertains to the assassination of my great grandfather, Gov. Frank Steunenberg, the trial of Bill Haywood & grew out of the 100 year commemorations of those events. Along the way I toss in a bit of the Wild West, old guns, radios, military, etc. Your comments are welcomed. If using my images, please just ASK. Thank you.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Pinback Button

Pictured is a Whitehead & Hoag Pinback Button dated 1894/1896 on the reverse side. A few of you may have seen me wearing it on my lapel during the stage play back in March 2007 at the Boise Little Theater and at the the premiere in November 2007 at the Egyptian Theater. It was also pictured in The Advocate, December 2006 edition, that was sponsored by the Idaho Legal History Society. That complete edition was dedicated to a discussion of Frank Steunenberg's assassination, the Haywood trial and related events.

This pin may be very small (7/8") but it is a very prized possession. From what I understand, this was one of a series produced of all the state and territorial governors around 1894-1898. I have this one and would sure like to find a couple more for the family collection. I know a fellow Idaho collector that has one and the two are all that I have ever seen. I would like to pry that one away but appreciate the historical interest and can't blame him for not wanting to part with it. So apparently these are quite rare and I am happy to have one in the family. I would love to hear from any pin collectors out there that might have more information.

Read more about the Whitehead & Hoag Company at:
http://www.virtualnewarknj.com/busind/misc/whitehead.htm

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Idaho Meanderings Update

Although still posting and checking this blog from time to time, I am not as active as I was in its earlier years. I have ventured out a bit into some Facebook History groups but will have to see how that goes. The jury is still out. However, please do not hesitate to comment, contact me directly or to pass along historical notes of interest. I started the blog over a decade ago and I do apologize for the many links that are no longer active and some formatting changes by Blogger that scrambled a few posts. I try to update pages when I am linking or utilizing them for other sites but correcting every link is a near impossible task. Enjoy the history.

GUNS, WARS, MILITARIA, WILD WEST, GUNSLINGERS

Lawmen (?). Guarding/ protecting the star witness.

True West. "A Case for Murder" "Mass bombings, revenge and labor upheaveals come to a head at a murder trial 100 years ago"-Mark Boardman
The West. The Regeneration of Harry Orchard. Oct. 1969
The American West. The Bomb at the Governor's Gate. Winter 1965
The American West. Portrait for a Western Album-"Big Bill" Haywood: Champion of Western Miners. Sep/Oct 1979
Old West. The Middle Years of Bob Meldrum. Spring 1970
Frontier Times. Wyoming's Mysterious Badman (Bob Meldrum). Winter1961
Frontier Times. Martial Law in the Coeur d"Alene. Nov. 1971
American History Illustrated. The Lion & the Fox-The Story of the Big Bill haywood Trial. April 1978
American Heritage. Shootout in Burke Canyon. Aug. 1971

Hallicrafters S-40A

QUOTES

"If you destroy the labor unions in this country, you destroy liberty when you strike the blow, and you would leave the poor bound and shackled and helpless to do the bidding of the rich."
Clarence Darrow

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."
Robert F. Kennedy

"History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days."
Winston Churchill