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Larry Meyer/Ontario, Oregon Histories of Basques in the county have been collected. Help is still needed, however, to identify people and additional subjects about Basque involvement that need to be included in the collective history. This lack of information was the subject of a meeting Monday at the Ontario Basque Club meeting room at the Ontario Depot.

Patty Miller, history project director, was in Ontario to find out about additional people and topics to be included in the collection. She works at the Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise.

Besides just collecting the information, Miller said one of the aims of the project is to create a database that can be accessed via the internet.

“Our goal is to create a page on the museum’s website,” Miller said, to tell what Basques have contributed to their various communities.

It is an ongoing project, as more information is gathered or submitted, Miller said.

Monday’s meeting focused on Ontario, Nyssa and Vale areas, as well as other surrounding communities, she said.

A separate meeting was to be held in Jordan Valley for people in that community, Arock and other central and southern county areas. Some work has already been done in those areas, as well as in Burns and Emmett, Idaho.

Some of the familiar names brought up during the evening included Plaza, Yraguen, Echanis, Eiguren, Yturri, Sillonis, Mendazona and Calzacorta.

To collect information about people, Miller and her staff have been searching through various documents, including census records, naturalization records, draft registration cards, property documents and other county and library resources.

Some oral histories of local Basque families have already been done, Miller said, along with some video histories.

Topics being researched include Basque-owned businesses, ranching, involvement with the railroad and sheep operations, which at one time were throughout the county.

Other topics include Basques’ contributions in sports, education and the professional world.

“What do you think is important to tell,” Miller asked the assembled group.

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More pictures, along with identifications of people in photos are being accepted for the project. People willing to share their stories and their family stories are encouraged to set up an appointment. For more information, call Patty Miller at (208) 343-2671.