Pocatello Historical Preservation Commission planning Annual Scavenger Hunt
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POCATELLO — The Pocatello Historical Preservation Commission is giving history buffs a chance to dig into the city’s history while having a night of fun with its Fifth Annual Scavenger Hunt.
This event is planned for Oct. 24 and will be held at Mountain View Cemetery. The hunt opens at Brady Chapel. From there, hunters will search around the cemetery for the gravesites of notable Pocatello citizens from throughout the city’s history.
HPC spokesperson Jim Anglesley said the hunt is an opportunity to have some fun while learning interesting tidbits of Pocatello history.
“We’re inviting the public to come learn a little bit about the Brady Chapel, as well as some of the people who are buried in the cemetery and may have had some notable history that they have contributed to Pocatello and it being the way it is today,” Anglesey told EastIdahoNews.com.
Donations will be taken at the event and a food truck will be onsite to feed hungry participants. The proceeds from the donations, as well as 20% of food sales profits, will go towards the restoration of the Brady Chapel. The chapel is a beautiful, gothic meditation chapel that was erected by the Brady family.
“It’s getting close to being 100 years old,” Anglesey said. “We’re in need of donations to preserve and restore the building for its 100-year anniversary.”
Brady Chapel reaches its centennial in 2022 and this scavenger hunt is just one of many projects the Pocatello Historical Preservation Commission has undertaken around the city.
“The Commission’s mission is to oversee historic preservation throughout the city,” said Anglesley. “They also oversee any type of restoration efforts in the Downtown Historic District. With this project, they’ve been tasked with raising these funds to preserve and protect the Brady Chapel, which is a significant landmark.”
The chapel was built as a memorial for James H. Brady, who served as governor of Idaho from 1908 to 1911 and then as a U.S. senator from 1913 until his death in 1918. The chapel was dedicated in 1922 on the same day that the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.
Angelsley said the scavenger hunt is not only a chance to donate to help preserve an important historical site but also for the public to enrich itself by learning about the history of Pocatello and the people who made the city what it is today.
“You’ll learn more about Pocatello and where we as a city have come from, learning about how people contributed to the city, as well as how that has become a piece of the city,” he said. “This event is a great way to get out and we hope it gives people an opportunity to get out while we’re still maintaining social distancing measures. It will be a good opportunity to be outside and enjoy a fun event and maybe learn a bit about Pocatello.”
The Pocatello Historical Preservation Commission’s Fifth Annual Scavenger Hunt will be held at Mountainview Cemetery in Pocatello on Saturday, October 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free but those who wish to donate are encouraged to do so.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing guidelines will be observed and masks will be required whenever it is impossible to maintain six feet of physical distance.