News Items about the Museum of Idaho
Museum of Idaho opens new exhibit,
"Bonneville County, 1911-2011: A Centennial Celebration"
IDAHO FALLS - The Museum of Idaho is thrilled to open its new exhibit to the public,
"Bonneville County, 1911-2011: A Centennial Celebration", on Thursday, April 1, 2010.
This display will be housed in the bottom floor of the Carnegie Library as part of the
museum's in-house displays.
This exhibit was put together with memorable pieces from the Museum of Idaho's own
collections department, which on its own consists of over 20,000 artifacts important
to the culture and history of this area. In addition, this display will host several
items on loan from the Bonneville County Heritage Association. "A Centennial Celebration"
exhibit boasts treasured artifacts representing local businesses, the Idaho National
Laboratory, transportation, war efforts, local schools, agriculture, recreation, religion,
and civic entities. The organizations, industries, people and stories within this display
truly embody what Bonneville County is and how far it's come in one hundred years.
"This display is truly a trip down memory lane," exclaims Museum of Idaho's Executive
Director David Pennock. "Whether you are a visitor to the area, or have grown up in
Bonneville County, this exhibit will certainly stimulate wonderful conversation. It
was important for the Museum to put this historically rich display together to tell
the story of this magnificent county in Idaho. What a pleasure it has been to bring
this centennial celebration to the Museum of Idaho for all to enjoy."
|
The Museum of Idaho Welcomes
Rare Prehistoric Giant Sloth to its Collection
The Museum of Idaho is excited to announce the arrival of a life size skeletal cast of a
rare prehistoric giant sloth as part of their growing collections. This fascinating creature was
donated on behalf of Allen and Joann McCrady to the Museum of Idaho.
"It is an incredible addition to our collection and makes a wonderful Ice Age sidekick to our
Columbian Mammoth," states Museum of Idaho's Executive Director David Pennock. "The generosity
of Mr. and Mrs. McCrady is invaluable to our institution and this piece will certainly be an
integral part of our collections department. There is nothing like this anywhere in the region,
whatsoever. What a phenomenal educational opportunity for us all; we know that the public will
enjoy this magnificent specimen for years to come".
This particular sloth is referred to as Harlan's ground sloth (Paramylodon harlani). It was
about the size of an ox and was native to these parts of Eastern Idaho. It is one of the two
ground sloth's found trapped in the La Brea Tar Pits in California. This sloth was definitely
a giant, with a length of about 13 feet and stood upright. It is believed to have died out
sometime during the Pleistocene (2 million - 10,000 years ago). An interesting feature of the
Harlan's ground sloth were the small bones deep under the skin around the neck, shoulders and
back which may have served as armor against attacking predators.
|
|
|
|
| © 2008 The Museum of Idaho, All Rights Reserved. |
|
