Abstract for presentation at the

International Conference on Country Music

Nashville, Tennessee, May 22-24

Vignettes of Pre-1950 Country Roots Music in Idaho*
P. Gary Eller (Nampa, Idaho)** and John Larsen (Givens Hot Springs, Idaho)
Owyhee County Historical Society

Abstract.  Idaho was the last of the lower 48 states to be explored and settled by non-Native Americans.  Not until the big gold strikes in the 1860s did appreciable numbers of penetrate the rugged Idaho wilderness.  Even in the 1920s and 1930s, it was still impossible to travel from northern Idaho to southern Idaho without going through Montana or Washington.  Thus, Idaho’s musical development is unique.  This paper will highlight five interesting Idaho songs from five periods from 1860 to 1950.  This span includes the boisterous early mining camp days (1860s),early ranching and interstate railroad construction (1880s), timbering and second wave of mining (1900s), early radio impact (1920s), and depression/World War II era (1930-1940). 

*This work was supported by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council, administered by the Owyhee County Historical Society, Murphy, Idaho.
**7490 Sky Ranch Road, Nampa, Idaho 83686
            208-442-8844
            pgaryeller@aol.com