ITD launches ‘Travel Back through Idaho History’ photo collection
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Zane Hopen, KPVI
POCATELLO — For some, it’s a trip down memory lane. For others, it’s enlightenment. For the Idaho Transportation Department, it’s giving back.
“There are so many historical photos that really belong to the people. All these state agencies, we collect these over the years and they reflect our history,” ITD spokesperson Reed Hollinshead said.
The ITD launched its 30,000-photo archive on May 1, making historic photos of the state of Idaho available to the public.
It allows anyone interested to easily access photos as old as 100 years, giving them a look at what the Gem State used to be like.
Since its launch a little over two weeks ago, the department has had over 20,000 people access the database.
“I can confidently say that people that will go out there and look will come back many, many times because it’s just fascinating,” Hollinshead said.
It gives something different to different generations, but the hope for the department is that it keeps expanding and is used in schools, libraries, and other forms of education.
One local librarian was so excited about it, he decided to get involved the second he heard about it and actually corrected the ITD on a number of labeling mistakes.
“It gives us an idea of what things really looked like, the scope of the building, I mean walking through old town (Pocatello) knowing what it used to look like, it takes on a character of its own,” said Trent Clegg, a Marshall Public Library librarian.
And seeing how far the state has come, could maybe help it go even farther.
“It’s a really good way to orient where we want to go. Take a look at where we’ve been, so that we can have a better idea of where we want to go,” Clegg said.
This article was originally published by KPVI. It is used here with permission.