This episode lacks it's usual intro and editing. On this episode of The IdaHistory Podcast, Shane Plummer of the Boise Bubble Podcast sits down with Mark to discuss their trip up to the ghost town of Stibnite,  Idaho, a mining community that supplied 40% of America's domestic antimony and tungsten supply during WWII. These metals were used to strengthen tank armor, produce more effective munitions, make fire retardant materials and much more. Everything from Sean Connery in a bikini to observances from a long abandoned mining site are discussed on this episode of The IdaHistory Podcast.   A note to listeners, Jeff and Mark have ended their partnership as co-hosts of the IdaHistory Podcast and the show is on hiatus until a new format and possibly name might be developed.  Thanks for listening and supporting Jeff and I! 

Or was he the Harry Potter of the Confederacy? Jeff Standifer grew up on the Texas frontier but made a name for himself in the Idaho mines. He was a celebrity in his own time but has since been forgotten, probably because he was a secret agent, working for the Confederate States of America. Check out Brave as a Lion: Jeff Standifer and the Knights of the Golden Circle on Amazon!

Elias Pierce knew there was gold to be found on the Nez Perce Reservation, but it was too dangerous for him to find it. That's when a young maiden volunteered her services as a guide, and led Pierce to the first major gold find in Idaho. On this episode, we talk about Jane Silcott, her people, and how she helped usher in the first permanent settlement in Idaho.

After the wild events in Arizona, including the shootout at the OK Corral, and his Vendetta ride, Wyatt Earp was looking for a slightly more peaceful life. So he packed up and headed to Idaho Territory to take part in the Coeur d’Alene gold rush.

This week we bring you the tragic stories of the people who were aboard the RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage, whose ultimate destination was Idaho. We talk about their lives before they decided to travel across the Atlantic to the Gem State, their intentions in Idaho, and what became of them. Intro and outro music- Near My God to Thee, via Violin Online.

Tunnels do not possess national identities as far as Jeff and I know, but there are tunnels and passageways, spaces really, under the buildings of Boise. However, if you're imagining tunnels with little doors behind which hundreds of "Chinamen" lived, smoked opium, and pet their Siamese Cats that ran from 8th and Idaho all the way to Julia Davis Park's lagoon, you have a vibrant imagination, but not much of an understanding of the facts behind why major systems don't exist.

"Love in the Library" by Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the story of George and Tama, and how they met and fell in love in the Minidoka Relocation Center, a concentration camp for Japanese-Americans. Their story is one of heartbreak, sadness, joy and happiness. This week we talk about how American citizens came to be forced into concentration camps, and then Jeff interviews the granddaughter of George and Tama. We finish the conversation with a discussion on how book bans and the language we use can end up with our neighbors torn from their homes, and their entire lives ruined. Check out Maggie's website here https://www.prettyokmaggie.com/

James "Bo" Gritz was a hero to many. He was the most decorated soldier in the Vietnam War and helped negotiate an end to the standoff at Ruby Ridge. Gritz was also rumored to be the inspiration for John Rambo, of the First Blood movies. However, he was also a leader of the Christian Identity movement, an anti-Semitic, right-wing philosophy. Because he was afraid that someday Jewish people would use the United Nations to kick off the New World Order, he built a survivalist community near Kamiah, Idaho.

During World War Two, Idaho was home to around 21 prisoner of war camps for German and Italian soldiers captured in Europe and North Africa. They came here to help the war effort by providing farm labor, but many came to love America for the humanity shown them as prisoners. The United States has never been perfect, but even while our government imprisoned its own citizens, it also did all it could to live up to the Geneva Conventions of 1929 while imprisoning German and Italian soldiers, a task our Axis Power foes and our Soviet allies hardly bothered with.

On July 3rd, 1909, a Mysterious Stranger sparked a fire that would go on to destroy Nampa's business district. The perpetrator was never brought to justice, but Nampa was rebuilt. We talk about that as well as the even more tragic Drake Drug Store Fire of 1937. For photos referenced in this episode be sure to check out idahistory.com/nampafireworks