History of Sun Valley

It all began in 1935, when Count Felix Schaffgotsch, under the hire of Union Pacific Railroad chairman Averell Harriman, set out in search of the perfect spot for a grand American Ski Resort.
The Count spent months searching the mountains of the West but none of them met his strict criteria. 
Feeling defeated and ready to abandon the search, the Count heard locals talking about Ketchum, an old mining town in central Idaho, and set off for Ketchum. 
Upon reaching the Wood River Valley, Count Felix Schaffgotsch was overwhelmed by the area and wired his employer, saying: "This combines more delightful features than any place I have ever seen in Switzerland, Austria or the U.S. for a winter resort.”  Harriman agreed and "Sun Valley" was born with the completion of the Sun Valley Lodge in December of 1936.