Wallace's Fall for History Festival returns with mining war deep dive
University of Idaho Professor Katherine Aiken is one of the keynote speakers at this year's Fall for History Festival.
Courtesy photo
WALLACE — For those who explored the mining wars of 1892 at last year’s Fall For History, the organizing committee has two words: There’s more.
The unrest of 1892 didn’t end with the decade. It simmered for seven years before erupting into an even more bitter conflict with repercussions felt across Idaho.
This year’s event, "Fall For History — Decade of Dissidence Part 2," will feature tours, speakers and a panel discussion examining the revolutionary tensions of the era.
The weekend kicks off Thursday, Oct. 2, with a reception at the Bordello Museum, including refreshments and a guided tour of the upstairs quarters where “ladies of the night” once conducted business.
The event on Friday, Oct. 3 will focus on perspectives from miners, unions, the business community and the wives who navigated the uncertainty of the time. A panel discussion at 2 p.m. will feature historians Mike Dexter, Bruce Flohr, Charles Mooney, Steve Turley and Leah Clausen.
The keynote presentation, “Organized Lawlessness: The Events of 1899 in the Coeur d’Alenes and Their Aftermath,” will be delivered by Katherine Aiken, professor emeritus at the University of Idaho. Aiken, an expert in Idaho mining history, is the author of "Idaho’s Bunker Hill: The Rise and Fall of a Great Mining Company." Her talk begins at 7 p.m. Friday at the Wallace Elks Club.
On Saturday, Mooney and Turley will lead bus tours through Burke Canyon, where both historians grew up. Mooney’s deep knowledge of the area is reflected in his book, "Burke — The Illusive Dream." Tours depart at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, historian Ron Roizen will present “Prosecution Nightmare: The Criminal Justice System’s Response to the 1899 Chapter of the Mining Wars” at the Sixth Street Theater.
Saturday evening features the annual Fall For History dinner program. Guests will enjoy a Cornish game hen dinner followed by short films produced by local filmmaker Nancy Hanks. The evening also includes a silent auction.
The weekend concludes Sunday with a tour of five historic buildings typically closed to the public, followed by tea and cookies at the Wallace Historic Photo Museum.
Tickets for individual events and discounted weekend packages are available at www.WallaceID.fun or by calling the Historic Wallace Chamber of Commerce at 208-753-7151.