Photo of Museum of Idaho, from Visit Idaho
My great thanks to the Museum of Idaho for the wealth of its resources and the helpfulness of the team there. They helped Cat’s Cafe, Eagle Rock Trilogy Book One come to life in the most realistic way, and my early research for the trilogy a complete delight.
When I started researching the early development of Eagle Rock, I found a considerable amount of useful information on the internet. But what really allowed me to understand the living conditions in this small railroad town and its citizens were two curators of the Museum of Idaho in Idaho Falls. In 2021, I spent a day with Museum Curator Carrie Athay who had already selected a large number of documents that let me review primary and secondhand accounts of life in Eagle Rock in the 1880s. With the assistance of Museum Intern Kayla (Tillotson, I believe), I was able find the majority of photos that are presently in the book that represent what the town actually looked like in its early years.
The richness of history museum collections is so inspiring. My research continued at the Museum at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis a few weeks ago, and these experiences are certainly some of the most fun of retired life as an author. I plan to go back to the Museum of Idaho this spring to gather more information and photos for Book Two.
For anyone in the area, this museum is a great experience and well worth a leisurely
tour through its many exhibits. I am looking forward to my next visit and expect I will find more than
enough to make Books Two and Three as enjoyable and factual as Book One. Here’s a look at the Museum of Idaho.
