Longtime residents and visitors of Sun Valley Resort have no doubt heard of Averell Harriman, who gave Count Felix Schaffgotsch the assignment of finding a place that Union Pacific Railroad could build a resort that would entice Americans into riding Union Pacific trains.

Not so well known is the story of Union Pacific’s publicist Robert Strahorn, who purchased the Hailey townsite in the late 1800s and constructed railroad lines locally that allowed Union Pacific to lay the foundation for what would become Sun Valley Resort.

Ketchum history buff John Lundin will recount the story of how Strahorn developed places for Union Pacific and the Great Northern in a free presentation at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, at the Hailey Public Library.

Eye on Sun Valley’s Karen Bossick sat down with John Lundin to explore this amazing story.