BOISE, Idaho — From Sacajawea to Kristen Armstrong, Idaho women have made and continue to forge new paths. Idaho's history wouldn't be the same without the trailblazing women who broke barriers.
The Idaho State Museum's newest exhibit honors and celebrates the woman who made Idaho what it is today. KTVB was given an inside look at the new interactive 'Trailblazing Women of Idaho' exhibit at the Idaho State Museum in Julia Davis Park.
It showcases dozens of women who are credited with defining Idaho's history.
Sarah Phillips, the curator of collections and exhibitions at the museum, told KTVB that the exhibit features over 100 women who are from Idaho or live in the Gem State.
"I think the biggest message is that anyone can be a trailblazer," she said. "The women featured in this exhibit are from all walks of life, from all parts of the state, have impacted everything from their very small local community, all the way up to the national level."
The women featured in the exhibit were selected by a state-wide committee of women.
One of the women featured in the exhibit is Gabby Lemieux, who is a Shoshone-Paiute Tribe member and a professional golfer. She currently works with Nike and its N7 Fund, which is focused on getting Native American youth to be more active.
Phillips added that there are five gold medals in one display. The Olympic gold medals were earned by Gretchen Frazier (slalom, 1948), Muffy Davis (team relay, individual time trial, individual road race, 2012) and Kristen Armstrong (time trial, 2008, 2012, 2016.
"My favorite story is one that only a handful of people, I think, are familiar with. Mildred Bailey was a Coeur D'Alene tribal member, and she actually laid the groundwork for American jazz sound in the 1920s," Phillips said. "Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett have both commented on her sound being key to their sound so that really key American jazz sound was highly influenced by a woman from Idaho."
Barbara Morgan and Ellen Ochoa, astronauts from Idaho, loaned their spacesuits to the museum for the display.
"I hope people walk away feeling empowered. Understand the legacy of women who came before us," Phillips said. "And, you know, to inspire all of the women of the future."
The exhibit will open to the public on Saturday, March 13 and will be open through the end of November. People are urged to buy their tickets in advance since space inside the museum will be limited due to physical distancing guidelines. Face masks are required.
RELATED: Gold medalist Kristin Armstrong talks about helping other athletes get ready for the Olympics
Join 'The 208' conversation:
- Text us at (208) 321-5614
- E-mail us at the208@ktvb.com
- Join our The 208 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/the208KTVB/
- Follow us on Twitter: @the208KTVB or tweet #the208 and #SoIdaho
- Follow us on Instagram: @the208KTVB
- Bookmark our landing page: /the-208
- And we also turn each episode into a podcast or Podbeam
- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too: