What’s in a name? For Victor, Idaho, it’s a lesson in small town character. When Mormon settlers first crossed Teton Pass and started building the town, they named it Raymond after the ward’s first bishop, but there already was a Raymond, Idaho. The Postal Service insisted that citizens pick a different name, so Victor it was—a City named after the local mail carrier.

Victor today is still the quirky, unassuming community it was at the time of its founding, but citizens are struggling to forge a distinct identity and manage growth in a rapidly changing region. Victor is often confused with Driggs, its neighbor to the north, and overshadowed by Jackson, Wyoming on the other side of Teton Pass. While economic development and tourist dollars are welcome, growth pressures from Jackson are changing Victor faster than most residents would like, threatening to swallow up the City’s rural lands and unique character.

Many citizens of Victor have traditionally viewed planning as just another state mandate, but many now recognize that they no longer have the option of sitting back and letting change happen. Victor residents are enthusiastic about the City’s new Envision Victor initiative, which will build on earlier planning efforts and experiment with new tools. The Foundation selected Victor for its Heart & Soul Community Planning process in 2008 and will work with the City, Teton Valley Trails and Pathways (TVTAP) and Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (VARD) to build local capacity, strengthen the planning process and help citizens take control of their future.

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