March 12, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
Cost:
Free
CSI North Side Campus
202 14 Avenue East, Gooding, ID United States

Additional Information

The College of Southern Idaho’s North Side Community Education Center is hosting their second presentation during their mid-winter lecture series at the campus in Gooding on Tuesday, March 12. The March lecture is by Kelly Kast and is titled “Out of the Sagebrush and Back Again: The Carey Land Ace and Old Town Sites in South Central Idaho. The lecture begins at 7 pm at the CSI North Side Campus, 202 14 Avenue East (the “Round Building” at the ISDB Campus) in Gooding, and is free and open to the public.

The lecture, “Out of the Sagebrush and Back Again: The Carey Land Act and Old Town Sites in South Central Idaho,” features the story of how thousands of pioneers trekked across the high plains, rugged mountains, and high desert steppes to reach the Pacific Coast, with a few finding Idaho worthy of settlement. As one pioneer voiced in his journal, Idaho was "an ugly, semi-arid wasteland of sagebrush and lava rock." Idaho's true potential was not realized until the Carey Act of 1894 allowed private capital to build dams and irrigation projects. As entrepreneurs headed west to capitalize on Idaho's "liquid gold," land speculators followed. These speculators developed town sites in hopes of enticing easterners to move west. At one time, the Magic Valley boasted nearly 80 of these sites. Learn the remarkable story of those who did their best to take Idaho "out of the sagebrush.

Kast was born and raised in Gooding County, Idaho, and has spent many years researching and writing about the intriguing history of south Central Idaho. Kast was a staff writer for the Gooding County Leader for seven years and its editor for three years. She has published many history articles with Idaho Magazine. Kelly currently works for the Idaho State Police and is researching and writing the history of the ISP for its 75th anniversary.

For more information about the CSI North Side Campus Lecture Series, call (208) 934-8678 or (208) 732-6290.