Sunday, May 29, 2016

The Silver Valley Was Once Fabulous

Even when I was living in Coeur D' Alene, I would get extremely irritated when CDA would act like the so-called Silver Valley was their personal playground. And if you really want to get me angry, call Hecla Mining a Coeur D'Alene based company. That still sends me over the top. Back in 1965, some of the movers and shakers of the mining district decided that they had enough of CDA capitalizing on the area. For some bizarre reason, our area was labeled the Coeur D' Alene Mining District.  CDA was over 35 miles away, and the two areas shed nothing in common. Nope, we needed our own declaration of independence and to break away from the chains and tyranny of CDA. OK, so I am exaggerating a bit.

 A change was in the air in 1965, and a new name was born. The area formerly known as the CDA MiningDistrictt would be rebranded as --drum roll_______________ THE FABULOUS VALLEY.
Of course, no area is complete without its own beauty pageant, and the newly named Fabulous Valley would be no different. December 29, 1965, was to be the date when one lucky girl would be chosen to wear the crown and earn the title of " Miss Fabulous Valley". She would also be representing the Miss Idaho pageant in June. The Spokesman-Review edition on Dec 29, 1965, printed this story.

The District's entry in the Miss Idaho division of the national Miss America contest will be held tonight in the Civic Auditorium under the auspices of the Osburn-Wallace JuniorChamber of Commerce.
Nine girls representing Pinehurst, Kellogg, Osburn, Wallace,Silverton, and Mullan are competing for the title and the right to represent this area in the Miss Idaho finals at Boise in June.
They are:Deborah Jacquemin, 17, Pinehurst, Mary Jane Anderson,20, ad Margaret Erickson, 17, Kellogg, Ellen E Driscoll, 20, and Sherry Lillenkamp, 18, Wallace, Becky Lee Tofte, 18, Silverton,Mary Alexander, 19, Mullan,Janet B Scott, 18, Kellogg, and Rita Damiano, 17, Osburn.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19651229&id=apIRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WOkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7269,3934159&hl=en

I can't find who won that night, but the Fabulous Valley was not long lived. The name  never caught on, and just faded away. Personally, I liked it. but no one asked me, so---

It was all part off growing up Wallace,

3 comments:

Go Figure said...

Cedar, as I seem to recall, Rita Damiano won. I reason I recall this (well at least I think I recall this) is because she married John Bardelli...and the reason that I know that John and she got married (and I do know that)is that they (Bardelli to this day claims it was Rita) scheduled their wedding for the same weekend that the Idaho State Legion Baseball championship was held in Lewiston...and Bardelli, being our coach, wasn't able to be there to coach us...sheez, what a lame excuse. I think (well at least I am pretty sure) that I have forgiven him for that irrational decision Ha!

Cedar Street Kid said...

yes, you are right. By they way, whatever happened to Vickie Damiano from our class. no one ever mentions her.

Go Figure said...

Cedar, I am not sure but Bardelli mentions her every now and then.

Big Name Sport's Stars-Boring

Is anyone else sick and tired of prima donna athletes? KD,this is boring. You signed the contract, now, do the job and win a championship fo...