Idaho’s Liberty Bell, a replica cast in the 1950s to promote U.S. savings bonds, is rolling across the state this fall on a commemorative tour designed to reach every county and celebrate America’s founding heritage.
The tour, which begins Wednesday in Pocatello in East Idaho, will visit all 44 counties before the bell returns to the Idaho State Capitol on November 19. The journey marks the second statewide tour in the bell’s 76-year history and coincides with the nation’s 250th birthday.
Idaho’s Liberty Bell arrived in the state in May 1950 and was mounted in front of the Capitol in November 1951. The bell is modeled after the cracked Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and was one of dozens cast and distributed to states as part of a federal savings bond promotion campaign during the post-World War II era.
Custom Truck and Display Setup
The state has leased a custom Ford F-450 flatbed pickup from Kendall Ford for the tour. The truck carries the bell encased in a cloth cover during travel and positions it on the truck bed for public viewing at each county stop. This differs from the original tour vehicle used in 1950, a custom Ford R-5 flatbed equipped with a loudspeaker to announce the bell’s arrival in each community.
Julie Ellsworth, Idaho’s state treasurer, said the tour aims to engage residents across the state with the nation’s founding story. “We want to have people experience the birth of a nation. We want a memorable thing that touches every place of Idaho,” Ellsworth said, according to reporting by the Idaho Capital Sun.
Educational Component and Community Engagement
As part of the tour, every child who sees the bell will receive a copy of Spudjamin Franklin’s graphic novel-styled autobiography, connecting the historical symbol to early American figures and values.
Janet Gallimore, executive director of the Idaho State Historical Society, emphasized the deeper meaning of the bell’s presence across Idaho’s communities. “I just love the symbology of the bell and what it means…it’s a powerful symbol of those things that make us American,” Gallimore told the Idaho Capital Sun.
The Liberty Bell’s return to public display represents a rare opportunity for rural and urban residents alike to encounter a tangible link to American independence and the post-war era when the replicas were commissioned. The original cracked bell in Philadelphia remains one of the nation’s most recognized symbols, but the state replicas have served their own role in civic education and patriotic commemoration since mid-century.
What Comes Next
The tour schedule runs through mid-November, with the bell visiting all 44 Idaho counties before returning to the Capitol for the remainder of the year. Residents in each county should watch for the custom flatbed truck and plan to view the bell at their local county stop. The state has not yet announced a detailed county-by-county schedule, but further information is expected as the tour progresses from East Idaho through the rest of the state.