Historical society outlines fundraising, archives move and America250 projects; displays USS Idaho silver service

The Idaho State Historical Society told the Joint Finance for Appreciation Committee it needs a mix of ongoing and one-time spending authority to support the Old Idaho Penitentiary, consolidate archival storage and implement commemorative programming tied to the America250 observance.

Budget requests presented by the agency include $103,200 ongoing (Old Idaho Penitentiary staff, funded from the penitentiary’s miscellaneous revenue), $62,900 ongoing for an archivist technician (1 FTP) to increase digitization and cataloging, a $450,000 one-time request in FY2026 for moving costs to consolidate off-site collections into the State Archives, and $1,650,000 in general-fund reappropriation authority for America250-related projects. Director Janet Gallimore explained that approximately $1.4 million of the America250 portfolio is already obligated to specified projects (documentary, curriculum and partner grants) and that some amounts are committed through memoranda of understanding with partner institutions.

Why it matters: The society said many grants, donations and earned-revenue projects require legislative spending authority even when cash already exists in a society account; the agency noted this is a normal part of governmental accounting and grant administration. Gallimore described the move plan: staff estimates include relocating roughly 30,000 boxes of records and roughly 50,000 three-dimensional artifacts into the State Archives in a phased multi-month effort to improve storage standards, security and public access.

Site operations and the Old Pen: The society described an interpretive and business plan for the Old Idaho Penitentiary that led to requests for additional staff focused on education and earned-revenue generation (two educator positions, a rental coordinator, a store manager were cited as part of a staffing plan). Gallimore said the Old Pen’s educational reach is intended to grow (the agency cited a target of increasing student visits from 6,000 to 12,000), and that the site operates largely on earned revenue and donations.

Commemoration and artifacts: As part of the hearing, the historical society displayed two items from the USS Idaho silver service (a cake tray and an engraved fruit tray) and described a partnership to curate Idaho artifacts aboard the newly christened USS Idaho (Virginia-class submarine). Gallimore said that the society and naval partners are coordinating so that items placed aboard ships in the future can be curated and returned to Idaho collections when appropriate.

Ending: Committee members asked for more detail on fundraising results, Old Pen visitor and revenue outcomes for recently hired staff, and an implementation schedule for the archives move; the society agreed to provide fund-balance and program-outcome data to the committee.