Within any rural community, there is often a hidden desire to delve deeper into its impactful origins.
The City of Moscow aims to make this a reality for its citizens through “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” a traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibit on display at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce.
“The community of Moscow and its surrounding area, one of six locations to put on the exhibit, was selectively chosen as the first place in Idaho to host it,” said Executive Director of the Latah County Historical Socity Dulce Kirsting-Lark.
The exhibit, sponsored by the Idaho Humanities Council and Latah County Historical Society, seeks to convey the continual change and development in rural areas throughout the United States. Such an effort allows residents of these areas to observe the evolution of a seemingly rural setting into the urban hub that it moves closer to each day.
However, this assertion cannot be made without the inclusiveness of the rural influence that still presides over formerly agricultural-dominated places. The notion that rural areas may be fading from the focus of society is anything but true, Kirsting-Lark said.
“There are many articles that imply a brain-drain in rural America and that young people are fleeing from it,” Kirsting-Lark said. “The reality is, there are a lot of people who are choosing to stay or specifically move to rural communities because of what they have to offer.”
Because many of Moscow’s young residents are University of Idaho students, it is important to revisit these aspects of the community in order for change to be observed. This is necessary for further societal advancement that is limitless for future generations.
Debbie Dalbec, a visitor of the exhibit, said it allowed her to gain a “new understanding of early life in the area” along with an appreciation for the many photographs on display.
Century-old photographs, archaic relics of early residents and written accounts of personal experiences effectively illustrate the reality of how contemporary life in rural communities can be further built upon. With this, an understanding and appreciation of Moscow’s past must be gained in order to do so.
ICYMI: Community involvement in research
With an ever-growing population of rural America and public interest to revive the residency of these communities, the exhibit serves as one of the leading factors to educate people into supporting rural America’s advancement. The exhibit demonstrates how such communities have served as America’s backbone, in terms of economic stability as well as agricultural abundance. The change occurring is not meant to alter these aspects of rural communities, but rather enhance them so these benefits can be expanded upon for others.
“It’s hard to see change on a day-to-day level,” Kirsting-Lark said. “But change is continuous, it’s happening every day. And I think people can be fearful of change, but there are a lot of examples of how change has been positive for rural areas.”
Crossroads will continue to spread its message throughout other rural communities in hopes that it will permeate the shared interests among residents. In doing so, society will be able to continue its advancement stemming from where it initially began.
Crossroads will be on display at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce Office until Oct. 4.
Theodore McCord can be reached at [email protected]