Summer 15

Under my theme on this trip of 'forgotten' war memorials. While this is clearly not ignored (the new flag), the location of "Freedom Won Park" is such that it isn't exactly inviting to visit (see adjacent pictures).

Etched into the concrete at Freedom Won Park, "129th Cbt. Engr." -- I've never noticed such personalization at a war memorial.

The monument on the right notes that this is "Freedom Won Park", dedicated in 1981; the plaque in the middle below the statue calls for the sacrifices of the military to be an "inspiration to courage and patriotism." Too bad the monument is in the middle of the street and thus not regularly an inspiration.

Payette, ID post office built in 1937 with New Deal funds. livingnewdeal.org/projects/post-office-payette-id

A somewhat more prominent sign than I've typically seen on Odd Fellows Temple. At the top of the building are signs indicating this was built in 1920 as the Payette Equity Exchange.

In a town that seemed to be all fairly conventional looking buildings from 30's to 50's, a small house or office building with a daringly different streamline moderne style on the front.

Snake River and UP railroad line near Weiser, ID; the opposite side of the river is Oregon.

Abandoned Weiser Flat Grange building, east of Weiser, ID. See adjacent picture.

Weiser Flat Grange, meets 1st and 3rd Friday (not any more)..... The Grange was a national organization, with local chapters, founded in 1867 to look out for the affairs of farmers including problems encountered by the local farmer as well as more national issues such as relations with shippers (railroads), price supports, and other government land use policies. Per the Wikipedia article the original Grange movement lost influence but the efforts of the Grange continue through a redefined Grange and through other organizations. www.nationalgrange.org and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmers%27_movement

Looking more closely at memorials on this trip, I found some surprising ones. This one in Riggins, ID looked fairly fresh and didn't, like many, stop with WWII (see adjacent photo).

I was surprised at how that wars were broken out on this; Lebanon-Granada seemed like an odd clustering, as did Panama with Iraq (and no mention of Afghanistan). Surprising too was the number of names listed. I had assumed that these were the number who had died, but these numbers would seem to be quite high for a town of 419 (per Wikipedia) -- it might be that these are all who served.

I had noticed in Riggins, which is just south of this point, multiple companies that offered rafting on the Salmon River. A small campsite next to the highway offered a good opportunity to watch some go through what looked like fairly easy rapids. (I had to stand in the shade, and the sun was very bright, thus the contrast on these is a little off.)

Shooting the rapids on the Salmon...

From the old US-95, looking across the new. The Salmon River is on the far side of the new US-95, the water at the bottom of the picture seems to be a section that was cut off.

Part of what must have been the original road that became US 95. Per the link below, US 95 in Idaho is based on what was Idaho's North and South Highway, which was completed in 1926. www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/us95.cfm

Documentation of the beginning of the Nez Perce war in 1877 at White Bird Canyon in Idaho, in this initial battle the Indians won.

From a viewpoint near the top of the climb out of White Bird Canyon, looking back towards White Bird, site of battle between Nez Perce and U.S. Army.

Additional documenation of the Nez Perce War indicating that the Indians knew they they would lose their territory in the end. The photo is of the military camp. Good documentation of the war: www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1549.html