Engaging the youth in our communities to conduct research and contribute information to the site has been a goal of yampavalley.info since its inception, a goal that was more than realized by three educators from Soroco High School and a historian from Oak Creek.
Valerie Broadbent, Ed Hayne, and Chuck Keating combined their English, Social Studies and Science classes and had 40 students trained on how to add content to yampavalley.info. The students then researched 21 sites of historic interest in South Routt County. They photographed the site, located and scanned historic photos, wrote a brief history of each place, and used ArcView GIS mapping software to map the location.
The information they collected has a “Fielderesk” (John Fielder) feel to it when you visit their pages. Today’s photos sit alongside their historic equivalent and we are offered glimpses of South Routt’s colorful history. You discover that Oak Creek once had a bottling company that rivaled the sodas of their day, the transition of the Midland Hotel from a “sporting house” to a senior citizen retirement home to its present day Oak Creek Inn, as well as the stories behind other prominent homes and businesses.
Mike Yurich, founding member of the Historical Society of Oak Creek & Phippsburg, assisted the efforts of the students by reviewing their work and sharing historic materials.
Valerie, Ed, Chuck and Mike are receiving our 2004 Award of Excellence for their efforts to preserve history and actively engage the youth in our communities. Such a project would never have been possible without their guidance and vision and is a model for all of the schools in our valley.
Related Links:
South Routt Sites of Historic Interest
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