A Train, a Mine Shaft, a Sheep Camp-Floats Celebrate Blaine County History

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Idaho didn’t become the 43rd state of the United States of America until July 3, 1890--114 years after the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

But that didn’t stop Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross and even Abraham Lincoln from taking part in Hailey’s Fourth of July Parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the America’s founding.

For Ben Franklin, it was a no brainer. After all, the Fourth of July Parade in Philadelphia had been cancelled due to triple-digit heat. As for Abraham Lincoln—well, who’d want to march in the humidity of Springfield, Ill.?

Hundreds of people lined Main Street Hailey on Saturday, many of them from places like New Jersey, Minnesota and Texas.

“We came from San Diego,” said Nick Eppers, as he looked at a brood of children dressed in red, white and blue. “But I’m originally from Indiana, and I much prefer this parade to what they do in San Diego. There, everyone seems more divided. Here they’re just out to celebrate America.”

The focus of this year’s parade was on the history of Blaine County. The City of Carey staged a float featuring pioneers with an old hand plow, rocking chairs and campfire. Three men worked the Minnie Moore Mine on Bellevue’s float, with one handing a gold pan full of candy out to the kids.

Hailey’s float pulled Basques and sheepherders playing an accordion and guitar around a campfire, a Trialing of the Sheep Festival wagon, bringing up the rear.

And a train put together by the Blaine County Historical Museum ushered in the Union Pacific Railroad, which paved the way for the founding of Sun Valley as America’s first destination ski resort.

A two-sided mountain range representing Bald Mountain showed a skier on one-side accompanied by a telescope heralding Sun Valley’s place in America’s first Dark Sky Reserve. Other modern-day activities appeared on the other side—in particular, the Sun Valley Music Festival, represented by cellist Ellen Sanders and two people enjoying a symphony picnic.

Sun Valley Resort followed the float with one of its Pisten bully groomers and other equipment broadcasting its role hosting the 2025 and 2027 World Cup Alpine Ski Finals last.

Sun Valley Mayor Peter Hendricks and his wife Lisa-Marie Allen, an Olympic figure skater, led the charge. But they appeared, not in their wool Kitzbuhel, Austria, outfits denoting Sun Valley’s sister city, but in cowboy garb.

“We thought it’d be too hot for Kitzbuhel,” said Allen. “But we are excited to be part of all this.”

The Blaine County Historical Museum, which organized the historical section of the parade, trotted out a train representing the Union Pacific Railroad, which built Sun Valley Resort to give passengers a reason to ride the train.

Five members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe led off the historical section of the parade, reminding paradegoers that Native Americans had been coming through the valley to dig camas root and fish for salmon long before white settlers showed up.

Honest Abe Lincoln signed an act of Congress creating the Idaho Territory in 1863.

Youngsters turned out in stars and stripes.

The U.S. Forest Service rolled out the first Smokey Bear poster.