Idaho Humanities Council awards $2,000 to Idaho State University Department of History

The Idaho Humanities Council awarded 41 grants this February including a $2000 grant to the Idaho State University Department of History.

The Idaho Humanities Council (IHC) is a non-profit, state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities program.  This year they awarded over $85,000 in grants to both organizations and individuals.

The $2000 grant given to the ISU Department of History will go toward funding the "Pocatello: American Crossroads" project.  It will be used to digitally scan and archive historical southeastern Idaho photos.  These photos will help develop an interactive website that will be accessible to both viewers and researchers.

"This project is a great collaborative effort between a number of campus departments as well as organizations within the community," said Tom Hallaq, an ISU professor and project member.  "It is exciting in many ways, not only because of the historical stories, but also because of the technology that will be used in the project." 

The website will give people the opportunity to explore the heritage of a major railroad town and its contribution to the early development of the West.

Idaho State History Department Chair, Kevin Marsh is the project director.  ISU's Hallaq and Dawn Christiansen are also involved as well as Richard Smith from RAS & Associates and Derrick Sharp from Whisper Mountain, Inc., both of Pocatello.

###