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DTSTART;TZID=America/Boise:20260528T173000
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SUMMARY:George Blackmon’s Dreams in the White Clouds
DESCRIPTION:This presentation explores the life of George Z. Blackmon (1854
 -1936)\, one of the first black settlers to central Idaho. Blackmon was bor
 n into slavery in Kentucky in 1854. He first experienced freedom as an o
 rphan at age 10. His dreams of freedom and community eventually brought him
  to the East Fork mining district in the White Cloud Mountains just north o
 f Ketchum. But before arriving in Idaho\, Blackmon worked as a steamboat �
 �fireman” on the Mississippi River\, learned to read in a Quaker househo
 ld in Minneapolis\, and gained professional experience mining in Helena\, M
 ontana\, and Deadwood\, South Dakota. But it was in the mountains of centra
 l Idaho where he finally settled.\\n\\nThis presentation poses the questio
 n\, why did he choose central Idaho as his home? Through in-depth research 
 of recently acquired collections at the Community Library\, I argue that Bl
 ackmon believed this region\, more than any other\, would realize his dream
  of creating a community and thriving financially. However\, neither of the
 se dreams was realized. Blackmon was never able to build a thriving black c
 ommunity in the region and never profited from his mining ventures\, even w
 hen he located profitable ore. Overall\, this is a story about the dashed d
 reams of one of central Idaho’s most interesting early settlers.\\n\\nReg
 istration recommended to join us in person. To watch live online (no regi
 stration needed): https://vimeo.com/event/5839460. The recording will be a
 vailable to watch later on The Community Library's Event Archive.\\n\\nDr.
  Erik J. Freeman is an assistant professor of history at Idaho State Univer
 sity with a focus on the American West. At Idaho State\, he regularly teach
 es classes on the American West\, Nineteenth-Century America\, and Idaho Hi
 story. His first book\, A Radical Convergence: Latter-day Saints and their 
 Utopian Socialist Origins\, will be published with the University of Illino
 is Press in December 2026.
URL:https://visitsunvalley.com/events/george-blackmons-dreams-in-the-white-
 clouds/
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