"These happy golden years are passing by, these happy golden years." Laura Ingalls Wilder

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

"The Big Burn" 1910 Fire


This coming weekend will be the 100th anniversary of the tragic 3 million acre forest fire that consumed much of the northwest including areas of Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Canada.  Monday we took a trip up to Wallace Idaho to see the Historic Nine Mile Cemetery where some of the fire fighters that lost their lives are buried.  Our son Patrick, a federal forest firefighter, has been working to spruce up the graveyard in preparation to this weekend's activities.  It's a very moving experience to tread upon the site where so many heroes are laid to rest, including U.S. Veterans, miners, and various pioneers from a bygone era.  To read more about these devastating fires check out these links:
 

USDA Forest Service’s Northern Region 1910 Fire Commemoration Information web site

Outdoor Idaho August 20: The Day the Fires Burned

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, book by Timothy Egan


2 comments:

Constance said...

"The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and The Fire That Saved America" is on my to read list. Such a shock I know since I'm a TR fanatic! I purchase almost all of my books used and so I've been waiting for that one in particular to come down in price (it's still *$9.00). TR and Pinchot were the founders of the National Forest Service and Pinchot in particular was an adversary of John Muir. The author has written another book that I am interested in, The Worst Hard Time, on the Great Depression.

I know that when I have the historical background on a subject, it makes a deeper impact on me when I visit those places! While on vacation last month I read David McCullough's "The Johnstown Flood". It was an excellent book but then, it's David McCullough and along with Stephen Ambrose, they are my favorite Historians!. Ambrose's biography on Eisenhower is next on my Biography list!
Connie

Jim said...

You are right, M&M. It is hard to walk where you know those revered have walked before you did. It is harder still if you have to walk on their grave, especially in a church isle.
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In 1980 we went to the Holy Land. I have saved my shoes because I know they have crossed Jesus' path soooooo many times! I can't describe that feeling when I just think about it.
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