Remembering Richard Magnuson

We are saddened to hear of the death of Richard Magnuson of Wallace, Idaho. We will miss his passionate and lifelong contribution to the fascinating history of the Coeur d’Alene mining district.

Early on, in the 1960s, he was instrumental in arranging safekeeping of the amazing Barnard-Stockbridge photographs, which record the district’s history from the mining wars of the 1890s to the area’s flaunting of Prohibition in the 1920s. Due to his recognition of the value of this collection, over 200,000 negatives were saved in the archives of the University of Idaho Library and are now one of the most popular photographic collections in Idaho.

His book, “Coeur d’Alene Diary: The First Ten Years of Hardrock Mining in North Idaho,” remains an invaluable resource about the turbulent history of that area during the late 19th century. His meticulous use of contemporary newspaper articles provides a foundation for further study of this turning point in Idaho mining history.

Magnuson was the former president of the Library Associates of the University of Idaho Library, had created a large personal collection of historical books and artifacts, and provided innumerable historians with insights into the background of the frontier mining history of northern Idaho.

Ivar Nelson and Pat Hart, authors of “Mining Town: The Photographic Record of T.N. Barnard and Nellie”

Moscow