Ashley O’Hara (she/her) is deeply passionate about uncovering and sharing untold histories—those of the 99%, the marginalized, and the silenced. As Boise’s City Historian, she is dedicated to elevating these voices by weaving their stories into public exhibits, interactive workshops, and the City of Boise’s City Steps guided tours. Her work focuses on expanding the city’s historical collections and conducting primary source research, while ensuring these resources are accessible to all and reflect the full diversity of Boise’s past and present. Ashley also works to create meaningful opportunities for Boiseans to engage with the city’s history. Through inclusive community initiatives, she seeks to bridge knowledge gaps and foster a deeper, more equitable sense of place for all residents of Boise and Idaho.

“The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” L.P. Hartley, from The Go-Between. This quote sums up why Ashley studies and “does” history. The past is always being reinterpreted, shaped by new questions, evidence, and perspectives. Can we ever truly know it? Maybe not fully. However, with the right tools and a commitment to objectivity, we can get close. (Did you even cite your sources?) Equally important is recovering the voices of those left out of traditional narratives. By engaging critically with archives and her personal favorite, oral histories, Ashley believes we can build a more inclusive and accurate picture of the past.

Ashley holds a master’s degree in history with an emphasis in Public History from Northern Arizona University. Her graduate work focused on the intersection of rural women’s studies, feminism, Colorado agricultural history utilizing oral history methodology in a digital exhibit titled Crossing Fenceposts: An Oral History Project on Ranch Women in Gunnison County, 1965–Present. She previously worked with History Colorado, the Crested Butte Museum, and the Frisco Historic Park and Museum, after earning her undergraduate degree in history from Western Colorado University.

Ashley is passionate about preserving public lands and spends much of her time outdoors—whether mountain biking, bikepacking, backcountry skiing, hiking, or backpacking with her dog, Charlie. She enjoys drawing, reading (mostly history), and writing about the people and places that she has traveled too, often capturing them through photography. Lastly, she just wants to be outside and learn as much about the world as much as humanly possible.

CONTACT ASHLEY
aohara@cityofboise.org | 208-608-7041