SHEEPHERDING: Thanks for the memories

The Coeur d’Alene Press article date Aug. 21 once again brought back memories of a now distant time.

As a young boy I lived in Hailey during the early ‘30s, a town 12 miles South of Ketchum, where the current Sheepherding Event takes place. Each spring in Hailey, about the time school let out for the summer, the train would arrive with cattle cars loaded with sheep headed for the summer range. The arrival time I think was based on when the snow pack in the hills had melted. We used to have a lot of snow during those years.

The train would off load the sheep in the stockyards in Hailey where they would be formed into flocks headed for summer range. We young boys would gather at the stockyards to offer our “help” in the off loading, hoping our efforts would be rewarded with a lamb that we could raise during the summer and sell in the fall. I only know of one instance where this happened, a boy who lived down the street from me got one and he grazed it on his front lawn during the summer. I think he sold it for $3.50. A sizeable amount for a kid in those days.

The herders were of Basque nationality, as I remember. They were excellent sheep men, having brought their expertise with them when they migrated from Spain. They were also very considerate men, for they put up with the “help” we kids offered. I was rewarded one year with a “watch fob,” which is a device to attach to a pocket watch. I never had a pocket watch but I tucked it in my Levi pocket and wore it anyway.

There is one thing about growing old, you have memories like this that let’s you relive times long past. Thank you again for printing the article. It is nice to know that in my day a common summer occurrence is now a Festive Event.

FRED HAMELRATH

Hayden