John Elorriaga gifted his family home to serve as a regional museum in honor of his parents among hundreds of friends and supporters. After five years of planning and work, the ION (Idaho, Oregon, Nevada) Heritage Museum had its grand opening with a beautiful range of festivities in Jordan Valley, Oregon last Saturday, June 21st 2008.

High desert temperatures in the mid 90's did not deter any of the fanfare, parade, exhibitors, music, dance and pilota performances from celebrating the dedication of the ION (Idaho, Oregon, Nevada) Heritage Museum, which was the Elorriaga home in Jordan Valley, Oregon. Jordan Valley, situated in the Owyhee mountains near the borders of Idaho and Nevada, is a pivotal settlement town where a melting of cultures including Basque, Scottish and Irish live harmoniously together. People from all over the Treasure Valley and beyond came to help celebrate the gifting of the Elorriaga home to the ION Heritage Museum, which will now be enjoyed by the Malheur County, Oregon community and beyond.

Master of Ceremony, Roy Eiguren, friend of John Elorriaga and whose parents are also from Jordan Valley, opened the ceremony from the podium with a welcome speech and announced the Posting of the Colors by Idaho Civil War Volunteers and the singing of the national anthem by Liz Eiguren Bilbao. Roy Eiguren said that John’s father Ambrose, built the home with stone masons brought in from Boise to make his wife Maria feel more at home like in the Basque Country in Sondika.

Continue reading the complete article at EuskoSare, Net for the Global Basque Community.