By Ron Anderson
Star Valley Historical Society

Members of the Star Valley Historical Society are invited to the annual banquet at the Afton Civic Center on Thursday, November 21 at 6 p.m. Bring a salad or dessert to share. The Star Valley Historical Society will serve a ham dinner. All new and past members are invited to attend, pay their annual dues and enjoy an evening with others. We will glance back at 2024 and plan for 2025.

It was by unanimous vote of the small group of settlers and visiting authorities from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that Salt River Valley would be called Star Valley, on September 2, 1880, at what was referred to as Formation Spring near the home of David Robison, Moses Thatcher declared this is “the star of all valleys.” The first matter of business was to organize the Salt River Branch of the Bear Lake Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Charles Drake Cazier was sustained as Presiding Elder.

With that same theme as to the nature of this valley, Star Valley High School’s first graduating class erected a red stone star high on Star Hill in 1915. One hundred years ago, 1924, the high school students erected a larger more visible whitewashed rock star on star hill. Now, this year with the help of many, including high school students, Star Valley has an illuminated star to mark the spot on Star Hill portraying the attitude of quality and success.

On February 5, 1944, B 24 bomber “Star Valley” was shot down during a mission over France. The crew of that bomber named their plane after visiting the valley for the funeral of Wilford T Heninger, who died in a training mishap over Wendover, Utah. This quality influence of the community and Wilford T Heninger is felt today. Heninger is a great grandson of Charles Drake Cazier.

Learning from the past, hopefully, we can endure as a community with a great sense of pride, full of salt of the Earth people.