Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society receives bequest from Ron Lydiard estate

Ron Lydiard really wanted to do something for Lincoln, Norm Grosfield told the board of the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society during their meeting Oct. 26.

Lydiard was an unassuming but talkative man who lived a quiet life in Lincoln, a town he had a special connection with dating back to 1963. When he was 11 his parents Robert and Neve bought the Silver King Ranch, where he spent most of his summers into the 1970s.

Ron passed away from a heart condition at his cabin at the Roost in April. Despite his frugal and low-key lifestyle, he left behind a sizable estate.

Norm, the executor of Lydiard's estate, and his brother Paul visited the meeting to share some history on Grosfield and to present the historical society with a $100,000 bequest.

The The amount of money he left to the UBVHS came as a welcome surprise to the board, most of whom were unaware that Ron had money to leave anyone.

"I thought Ron had fallen on hard times and was living in the Roost like all the other old bachelors," Bill Quay the UBVHS vice president said.

An attorney, Grosfield had represented Ron in some legal matters."We resolved some of the matters and I got to know Ron as a friend, not just a client."

Grosfield said Ron rarely spent any money on himself. "We got together about his estate He really loved Lincoln, and loved the ranch he grew up on. He loved this community and the people."

Ron returned to Lincoln in 2013 after spending 35 years in Taiwan, where he taught English and worked in the computer industry as an internet specialist, translator and editor.

He could often be seen walking in Lincoln with a computer bag over his shoulder. He volunteered at the Lincoln Senior Center and the Thrift Store and often helped seniors and other locals with computer issues.

Grosfield said Ron wanted future generations to know what Lincoln was all about. "We talked about it. He decided the best thing he could do for Lincoln - he was a historian- was to help the historical society."

Ron wanted to leave it up to the board how best to spend the money, Grosfield said. Although the board plans to meet to make a final decision on how to invest the money, a sizable portion of the bequest will likely be dedicated to completing the delayed reconstruction of the historic Matt King House.

"He liked the Matt King, " UBVHS President Erin Dey said.

"He was really interested in the Matt King," Quay agreed. "I talked with him about that a lot. He was really excited about it."

Like many people in the Lincoln area, Ron reportedly had spent some time living in the King house.

Quay said the historical society has been working to get the Matt King project moving ahead.

Quay and volunteers were able to get the structure of teh main house rebuilt, but the impact of COVID took a toll on the progress. Since then, the project has lost momentum and interest amid issues with scheduling volunteer help. Additionally, efforts to hire a specialist to help complete the work have fallen through.

"This is really going to help put us back on the map for sure," he said.

The bequest could also go toward paying down the UBVHS property west of Lincoln school or the creation of an endowment that would help ensure long-term funding for the historical society.

Regardless of the final decision, the UBVHS board members all agreed they will recognize Ron Lydiard for his significant contribution to preserving Lincoln's legacy.

"This isnt the end of the story," Grosfield said said. "We are resolving some other issues regarding closing the estate. When they're all resolved there will be another fairly significant sum."

Dey said she wished Ron was here so she could give him a big hug. "this is going to help immensely.