If you want to experience Idaho as it was many years ago, travel 35 miles south of Hailey to Carey for the annual Pioneer Days festival and parade this weekend.
In 1847, pioneer Brigham Young and his Mormon followers arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah. A number of Young's followers decided to continue on to California and Oregon on the Oregon Trail, some of them pushing carts because they had no oxen.
Many of these Mormon pioneers took a shortcut known as the "Goodale Cutoff" between Fort Hall, Idaho, and Fort Boise, a path that would lead them through a relatively lush area near the Wood River Valley—the future site of the city of Carey.
Since about 1940, Carey has commemorated the arrival of Brigham Young to Salt Lake with the Carey Pioneer Days festival, a weekend marked by family reunions, a parade and rodeo.
"It is a good place to live. I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else. It is a close-knit community where everyone helps everyone else," said longtime resident Mary Green.
Mary and her husband, Donald "Dude" Green, will ride in a fancy coach as grand marshals in this year's Pioneer Days Parade, on Saturday, July 24. Afterward, the couple will attend a Boy Scouts luncheon and visit with friends and family before going to a festive rodeo at the city's fairgrounds.
Mary was born and raised in Carey. She worked as Blaine County clerk for 15 years and also served on the Carey Planning and Zoning Commission.
"There were only a few days I didn't get to work in Hailey because of snow," Mary said.
"Dude" came from Hagerman when he was 7 years old. He served as deputy for the Blaine County Sheriff's Department for 27 years.
"'Dude' is all he has ever been known as," said Mary. "His father started it when he was a little boy."
The couple lives on 33 acres where they have raised sheep and cattle over the years. Today, they have a few horses and cows, "only enough to feed the hay to," said Mary.
"There used to be quite a livestock community in Carey," she said. "Now we are down to very few. Not a lot of things for the young ones to stay for, so they move away to find jobs. A lot of them come back on Pioneer Days."
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The Greens took their four children on horseback, and later on motorbikes, up the nearby Little Wood River to hunt and fish. They have 11 grandchildren, spread out from Washington to Arizona.
"The Greens have been active in civic duties for as long as I can remember," said Carey Mayor Randy Patterson. "Dude was working as a deputy back when they had to clock speeders by timing them between power poles on the highway."
"The crime in Carey has been real scarce," said Dude, who became a law enforcement officer in 1963. "We had a few boys around here who liked to raise the Cain every once in a while, but they have grown up to be good people and we appreciate them now."
The Greens say they are honored to be named grand marshals for the city.
"I feel it is quite a privilege," said Dude.
"I don't how come they happened to get us to do this because it quite an honor. I know the ones before have done a good job and I hope we can do the same."
Tony Evans tevans@mtexpress.com
Pioneer Days
Rodeo: July 23 and 24 at 8 p.m. at the Rodeo Grounds. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and kids.
Volleyball Tournament: Saturday, July 24, is 3 on 3; registration is at 8:30 a.m., games start at 9 a.m. Limited to 20 teams; cost is $5 per person. To sign up, call Cody at 720-9816.
Pioneer Days Parade: Saturday, July 24, at 10 a.m. The theme is "Traditions." The new parade route this year will go through the Waterford subdivision (behind the school). For an entry form or more information, contact Kari at720-1459.
Barbecue: Scout Troop 55 will host a fundraising pulled-pork barbecue following the parade in the City Park. Cost is $6 per person; 6 and under get in free.
Dude and Mary Green will ride this weekend as grand marshals in the Pioneer Days Parade in Carey. Since 1940, Pioneer Days has been a time for families to gather in Carey and celebrate the town’s Mormon history.
Photo by Willy Cook
