The grandmother of Idaho history
Courtesy photo This circa 1962 Ted Anderson painting of a steamboat at Mission Landing has been in Jim Hawkins’ family for several years. Hawkins, whose grandmother Ora was the second state historian, donated the painting to hang in the Idaho State Historical Museum when it opens in spring 2018.
Courtesy photo Ora B. Hawkins was the second person ever to have the title of state historian when she was appointed to the office in 1941. Her grandson, Jim Hawkins, was born in Coeur d’Alene and is a former director of Idaho Commerce. “She was very articulate and very bright,” Jim said.
Courtesy of the Idaho State Historical Society This rendering of the Idaho State Historical Museum shows what it will look like when it opens in spring 2018. It will be about 16,000 feet larger than the original facility, which Jim Hawkins’ grandma Ora was instrumental in establishing when she was state historian in 1941.
During the Great Fire of 1910, which consumed about 3 million acres of North Idaho forests, Ora Hawkins and her family lost their home when St. Joe City burned.
Ora set her baby boys on a raft, said a temporary goodbye to her husband James and got herself and her boys to safety in the next town over.
"They went down the St. Joe and she poled her way to St. Maries," Ora's grandson, Jim Hawkins, said recently.
The next day, they took a steamship to Coeur d'Alene, where they would soon be reunited with James and start a new life.
Ora's determination and instinct for preservation is evident in this example, but also in her work preserving Idaho history, of which her story has become a part.
This hearty and University of Pennsylvania-educated woman was appointed by the Idaho Historical Society board of trustees to be librarian and state historian in 1941. This appointment made her the second person ever to hold the position of state historian.
During her tenure, New Deal funds from the Works Progress Administration allowed Ora and her staff to set the foundation for Idaho's first state museum. Even though construction was halted because of World War II, it began again about seven years later and the Idaho State Historical Museum opened at its current Boise location in 1950.
"It's very gratifying to know that my grandmother, who we all admired, took an active part in a very important venture, and that was to build a state museum," Jim said. "(It was important to her) to be able to preserve the past so that in the future we can look back to see those who worked so hard for what we have here, in North Idaho and around the state."
Jim, a former Idaho Department of Commerce director, recently came across some boxes containing items that belonged to Ora when she was state historian. He found a lengthy annual report for the historical society as well as a rendering for its original building.
Janet Gallimore, executive director and state historic preservation officer for the Idaho State Historical Society, learned of the connection about three weeks ago when she and Jim went to lunch. She said she was completely surprised to learn that Jim's grandmother was Idaho's second historian.
"I almost fell off my chair," Gallimore said. "We try to know everything we can about Idaho, but you can't know every single story. It was one of those 'aha' moments."
This information comes right at the time that the Idaho State Historical Museum is once again undergoing construction.
"When the first museum was being built, Mrs. Hawkins was our state historian," Gallimore said. "You can't make this stuff up. It's just too amazing."
The museum will expand about 16,000 feet and will grow to provide space for community events as well as in-depth and interactive exhibits. The exhibits will include information about Idaho's Native American tribes and their tribal origin stories, Idaho's forests and lakes, mountains and rivers, boomtowns and more.
The construction and related services cost is $8.9 million, funded by the state, and $8 million for exhibition design, fabrication and installation with $4 million coming from private investors and $4 million from the state. The Foundation for Idaho History and the Idaho State Historical Society are leading a $4 million fundraising campaign for exhibits and fabrication. Nine focus groups were held throughout the state to seek input from citizens on what they desired in a museum.
"What I like about this entire museum experience is that it is very immersive," Gallimore said. "What we're trying to do with history is to connect it to people's lives. The best way to do that is to connect it to life today, the cause and effect."
Although she is looking forward to seeing all the exhibits when the museum opens in spring 2018, Gallimore said the tribal origins experience will be a powerful one.
"We have permission from all our tribal partners to show the origin stories," she said. "That shows a huge level of trust that they would share those stories. That's never been done before."
Jim said his grandma would be elated to know the museum is receiving a facelift and will be able to preserve and promote even more Idaho history.
"She would be so supportive and excited. She would embrace it for sure," Jim said. "The preservation of history was so important to her. She would applaud what I have seen.
"We're proud of our ancestors and what they did, proud of what my parents did and our friends (in North Idaho) and what their families did," he continued. "The people in Idaho I find to be resilient and a lot of ingenuity, and I think that's what (Ora) was and what Jan is leading."