Bikes, hikes featured in Wallace Fall for History celebration

HIKING/BIKING — A notable hike and bicycling lecture are among the many indoor and outdoor educational activities planned this week for the Fall for History Festival in Wallace , Idaho, Oct. 7-9.

In cooperation with the Idaho Humanities Council, the Idaho Historical Society, the Idaho Association of Museums and Visit Idaho, Wallace will be celebrating its heritage with a series of colorful lectures, history re-enactments, live theater productions and guided tours of the town — which is listed entirely on the National Register of Historic Places.

One highlight of the festival will be the lectures on Buffalo Soldiers by historian and author John Langellier, PhD.  Langellier will speak Friday, 7 p.m. at the Sixth Street Theater, on 25 ^th Infantry Unit from Missoula and its deployment to Wallace in the late 19 ^th and early 20 ^th centuries to enforce martial law during violent mining strikes, as well as save residents and the community from the Great Fire of 1910.

In a salute to Wallace’s two Hall of Fame Rails to Trails cycling routes, Langellier will also speak on the 25 ^th Regiment’s epic 1896-97 cross continent cycling treks, which spanned nearly 3,000 miles in total on 55-pound “safety bikes,” in full uniform and gear across unforgiving roads and often trackless terrain. The talk is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. but the location is still being determined.

Another highlight for outdoors enthusiast is a guided tour of the Pulaski Trail by Jim See, a local expert on Ed Pulaski and the historic mine tunnel where he saved is men and became a hero in the 1910 fires. See was a driving force in creation of the trail that starts a mile out of Wallace off the road to Moon Pass. The hike will start at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Check the Wallace Chamber of Commerce website for more info or call (208) 753-7151. Email: director@wallaceidahochamber.com