Twin Falls Public Library: New in Local History: March/April 2026

What's New in Local and Idaho History

@Twin Falls Public Library

March/April 2026

Historical Photos at a Click!

One of the projects we've been continuously working on for a few years is our digital historical photo database. While quite a number of our photos were digitized years ago, the software they and their metadata were stored in are virtually obsolete. And, since they are basically only available inside the Library using that software, we wanted to make them more accessible.

We started moving some of them online in 2019, but it's been a slow process because we have to convert the metadata to newer standards and ensure that information, images, and links to photos are properly mapped. Since we own the Bisbee glass plate negatives, we haven't had to worry about copyright, but that will be an issue as we move into our general collection. We are happy to say that we are close - at about 90% - to having all of the Bisbee photos online.

You can access those photos and some of the Harald Gerber collection here - or click the photo below. And, keeping checking back as we add even more of our awesome local historical photo collection!

Upcoming Local History Events

When Strategy Met Opportunity: Women's Suffrage in Idaho

Tue, Mar 17 • 6:30 PM

Herrett Center at CSI

Dr. Samra Cullum-Williams will talk about the rocky road to women's suffrage in Idaho, which was the 2nd state to grant women that right.

Lewis and Clark in Idaho: The Botanical Contributions

Sat, Mar 21 • 1:00 PM

Twin Falls County Museum

Tom Schwarz from Orton Botanicals will talk about the Lewis and Clark Expedition's contributions to Idaho native plant knowledge.

Do You Remember?

A look back at some photos from the 1972 Twin Falls Times-News "Progress '72" series, partnered with some "now" photos from Google Street Images.

Do you remember when Wilson-Bates was on Main?

Do you remember when Globe Seed & Feed was on 4th Ave S?

Do you remember what the old Lincoln school looked like?

New Books on Idaho Topics

Education and Freedom at Minidoka: The Diary of Superintendent Arthur Kleinkopf

by Arthur Kleinkopf, Friends of Minidoka, eds.

A reprint from the original typewritten diary, this memoir gives a first-hand account of working at the Minidoka Incarceration Camp from the perspective of the Superintendent of Education Arthur Kleinkopf. This publication includes a foreword by the Kleinkopf family, an essay by Neil King, the first Superintendent of the Minidoka National Historic Site, and historic images of incarcerees and WRA staff.

End of Days: Ruby Ridge, the Apocalypse, and the Unmaking of America
by Chris Jennings

The gripping story of the Ruby Ridge siege, showing how the historic standoff between federal agents and a white-separatist family set the stage for the conspiracy-laced politics of the Trump era. The strain of doomsday Christianity that gripped the Weavers, he shows, was grounded in a particular reading of biblical prophecy that can be traced back to the 1870s and up through the twentieth-century rise of Christian fundamentalism to the right-wing conspiracism that now defines American society and politics. The events at Ruby Ridge acted as an accelerant for this spreading worldview, and are essential to understanding the crisis that our nation confronts today.

Foraging Idaho
by Christopher Nyerges

From ferns to trees, roots to fruits, native plants to the many introduced exotics, this guide uncovers the edible wild foods and healthful herbs of Idaho. Helpfully organized by families, with a guide for each environmental zone, the book is an authoritative guide for nature lovers, outdoorsfolks, and gastonomes.

Photo Finish

Wide view, from the air, of a very dry Shoshone Falls.

{Photo: G56; Photographer: O. A. "Gus" Kelker}

Questions, Comments, or Suggestions? Let us Know!