Historical Museum at St. Gertrude

Historical Museum at St. Gertrude A hidden Gem of the Gem State Explore the the rich heritage of the Monastery of St. Gertrude, Camas Prairie, Snake River, Salmon River, and surrounding areas.

View special exhibits, including the stories of the Benedictine sisters, the Nez Perce people, and fascinating local characters such as Polly Bemis and Buckskin Bill. Visit a replica of the original attic museum began by Sister Alfreda Elsonsohn, celebrated Idaho historian and foundress of the Historical Museum at St. Gertrude. Join us for our annual Raspberry Festival fundraiser, October Lecture Series, and other fun and educational family events.

Our first lecture is Thursday!
09/01/2026

Our first lecture is Thursday!

While searching for artifacts for our America250 exhibits, we came across a Spiro Agnew watch donated by Sr. Carolyn Mig...
08/28/2026

While searching for artifacts for our America250 exhibits, we came across a Spiro Agnew watch donated by Sr. Carolyn Miguel. Julie Bethman, a museum technician here, researched the piece and uncovered a fascinating story.

After serving two years as governor of Maryland, Spiro Agnew became Richard Nixon’s vice president—and a frequent target of satire. Critics caricatured his flamboyant rhetoric, public missteps, slicked-back pompadour and sharp features, turning him into what many saw as a cartoonish public figure. That image helped inspire a popular joke on college campuses:

“What kind of a watch would Mickey Mouse wear?”
“A Spiro Agnew watch!”

At a time when character watches were a major fashion trend, the punchline suggested that if Mickey Mouse wore a wristwatch, it would feature someone even more cartoonish than himself. What began as campus banter soon became a multi-thousand-dollar business, a celebrity fad, and a high-profile legal dispute.

From Joke to Enterprise
During Christmas break in 1969, a college student shared the joke with his parents, Dr. Hale Dougherty and his wife, Patricia. Recognizing the humor and commercial potential, the Doughertys decided to bring the concept to life. They hired an art student to design a watch face featuring the Vice President and commissioned a Swiss manufacturer to produce an initial run of 2,000 timepieces. The family personally assembled the watches, placed a modest advertisement in the LA Free Press, and listed them for $14.95 each. Playing on their surname, they dubbed their venture The Dirty Time Company. Sales skyrocketed almost overnight after Ethel Kennedy was photographed wearing the novelty watch. The watch was featured in magazines with Elizabeth Taylor and John Lennon ordering watches.

Original vs. Knockoff
As demand grew, unauthorized knockoffs soon flooded the market. Our museum’s artifact is unfortunately a knockoff. I’ve included photos of both the original Dirty Time Company watch, which lists its name on the face with gloved hands, and our knock-off artifact for comparison.

The Legal Settlement and Agnew’s Fall
At first, Vice President Agnew took the gag in stride, calling the timepiece “both attractive and clever.” As the venture grew into a larger commercial enterprise, however, he filed a lawsuit alleging a violation of his right to privacy. The case was eventually settled, with the Doughertys agreeing to donate sales proceeds to charity.

Agnew’s political career came to an abrupt end in 1973—not due to the novelty watches or the unfolding Watergate scandal, but under separate federal charges in Maryland. Accused of bribery and tax evasion, he was allowed to plead no contest to failing to report $29,500 of income from 1967 with the stipulation that he resign as Vice President.

Although the watch falls outside the museum’s Idaho County collection scope and was not included in our America250 exhibit, we greatly enjoyed learning its story.

While working on the America250 timeline exhibit, I came across a story about George Wallace, governor of Alabama who ra...
08/26/2026

While working on the America250 timeline exhibit, I came across a story about George Wallace, governor of Alabama who ran for president three times. I could not make this story fit on the timeline since the remedy wasn’t a single court case or milestone. Here’s the story:

George Wallace’s wife, Lurleen, age 35, was diagnosed with cancer in April 1961, when her surgeon biopsied suspicious tissue that he noticed during the cesarean delivery of her fourth and last child. As was common at the time, the physician did not tell the news to Lurleen but to her husband. He insisted she not be told and never sought care for her. When symptoms appeared in 1965, her doctor finally told her of her diagnosis of uterine cancer. Lurleen was further outraged to learn from one of her husband's aides that the staffers had known of her cancer since George's 1962 campaign three years earlier.

She died at age 41 in 1968. George dropped the children off with family and friends to be raised. How did the people of Alabama feel about a man who hastened his young wife’s death? They re-elected him governor in 1971.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that women had full say over their medical treatment.

We love it when people drop off their jam jars!
08/25/2026

We love it when people drop off their jam jars!

A cherished piece of local history has found its home at the Historical Museum at St. Gertrude’s: the official Sunshine ...
08/20/2026

A cherished piece of local history has found its home at the Historical Museum at St. Gertrude’s: the official Sunshine Club scrapbook, spanning nearly three decades from 1950 to 1977. Organized around 1938 with the cheerful motto, "Into each life some sun should fall," the social club was dedicated to community spirit and good humor. Tucked inside the scrapbook’s front cover sits a tongue-in-cheek card reading: "This is a nonprofit organization. We didn’t plan it that way, but that’s the way it turned out."

Despite the lighthearted start, the club’s impact was profound. Year after year, members published detailed rosters tracking meeting attendance and recording the creative ways they brought sunshine to the region. The group assisted with local blood drives, scrubbed down the Cottonwood Hall kitchen, and donated essential equipment to keep the venue running, including a food warming table for $670 in 1978. Early photos capture their vibrant social calendar, including a memorable March 1951 Easter party hosted at the home of Merle Laufer.

The club’s crowning achievement came in 1970 when members took on their biggest project yet: designing and assembling two early 20th-century museum booths at the Idaho County Farm Museum on the fairgrounds. Members taking on this project in 1970 were Ann Forsman, Bess Hanley, Ann Hoene, Verla Jenny, Catherine Konen, Kathryn Kinzer, Nellie Lester, Mary Reed, Margaret Riener, Rose Riener, Clare Sager, Clara Schnider, Magdalene Schnider, Valeria Seubert, Bertha Tacke, Mary Uptmor, Blanche VonBargen and Agnes Wemhoff. Two photos published in the Idaho County Free Press show those early booths.

According to news clippings inside the album, the Cottonwood Lions Club joined the effort by tackling structural plans, building construction and labor. They also helped in artifact collection and fundraising. Together, these organizations preserved a tangible piece of local heritage that museum visitors can still admire today. Stop by the farm museum on the fairgrounds to see these exhibits, a slew of old photos and the history of farming.

We’ve had a few questions about where Fr. Meinrad’s cat Tuxedo went. Rehoming him was the compassionate choice made by F...
08/20/2026

We’ve had a few questions about where Fr. Meinrad’s cat Tuxedo went. Rehoming him was the compassionate choice made by Fr. Meinrad as his health failed. First he was taken in by Duane and Marilyn Uhlenkott who live just down the road. Tuxedo was back at the Monastery in a flash yowling at the back door to let everybody know he had returned and wanted his human.

He has now been rehomed in Boise. While we all miss his noisy greetings and visits, we’re happy to report he’s doing great in his new home and has a family unit with whom he can bond.

We will be open from 9:00-4:30 Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We will be open during the funeral. If you need a break fr...
08/19/2026

We will be open from 9:00-4:30 Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We will be open during the funeral. If you need a break from the heat when you visit the Fair, stop by!

Fr. Meinrad enjoyed wandering the campus incognito.One day a museum visitor came inside and told me they’d been chatting...
08/19/2026

Fr. Meinrad enjoyed wandering the campus incognito.

One day a museum visitor came inside and told me they’d been chatting outside with Joe, an older gentleman who knew everything about the place. I had no idea who "Joe" was until they added: "...and he had a cat following him around everywhere.”

Joe was doing what he loved — making friends, demonstrating hospitality and strolling the grounds with his unofficial sidekick.

Fr. Meinrad’s funeral is tomorrow at 3:00. It will be live-streamed on the Center for Benedictine Life’s page.

08/18/2026

We are all feeling a profound sense of loss this week with the passing of Father Meinrad. He brought so much warmth, kindness, and light to us all.

If you ever spent time around the campus, you probably remember his sweet cat, Tuxedo, who was never too far behind him. This video captures a moment we often experienced: Father Meinrad stepping into the museum gift shop, leaving Tuxedo outside to express his very loud, dramatic protest. We all feel a lot like Tuxedo right now.

Tuxedo is safe and settling into a wonderful new home.

Father Meinrad — you will be dearly missed.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CMjNkWM2T/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Part of Father Meinrad’s story is the saint’s name he chose when he became a priest:Saint Meinrad, a Benedictine monk, w...
08/17/2026

Part of Father Meinrad’s story is the saint’s name he chose when he became a priest:

Saint Meinrad, a Benedictine monk, was born around the year 800 and in middle life, felt called to solitude and found a place in the dense forest of Switzerland. There, he built a cell and chapel and lived as a hermit for 25 years. He was known as a wise and holy man which led people to seek him out for counsel. Despite his desire for solitude, he graciously attended to his guests’ needs.

In 861, two robbers came to Meinrad’s hermitage, believing he had treasures given to him by the people he counseled. In spite of a premonition of his impending death, Meinrad invited the robbers in and offered them food and drink. The men murdered him and his death earned him the title “Martyr of Hospitality”. The ravens that often brought St. Meinrad food led police to his murderers.

One of the three core values of the Benedictine Sisters is “Healing Hospitality” and Father Meinrad collected ravens.

St. Meinrad’s hermitage of logs was built on the northwest corner of the Monastery’s front lawn in 1938. Later, a statue of the hermit was placed inside kneeling before a replica of the Rule of Benedict opened to Chapter 4 and the words, “Keep Death Before One’s Eyes Daily”.

Address

465 Keuterville Road
Cottonwood, ID
83522

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12089622050

Website

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