Idaho’s history as a thriving “Old West” mining state, riddled with boom towns, ghost towns, and unincorporated cities leaves our present little slice of heaven with a rich and complex history. Shootouts, range wars, vigilantes, and western lore abound as greatly as our picturesque scenery. However, as cities rose and fell with claims and county seat determination was tossed around with the popular vote, navigating Idaho’s incorporation timeline becomes a challenge that will forever remain incomplete.
For the most part, Idaho’s non-native settlement grew from the south as Mormon pioneers explored and made permanent homes on their way north from Utah. But Idaho’s population also grew seemingly all at once throughout the then-territory, inseparable from the rich ores and mining camps that still permeate the state. Today, we’ve dug up just a handful of Idaho’s oldest towns and their equally rich histories to give you a small taste of the Gem State’s unique story. While by no means a precise list of Idaho’s oldest communities, these gems feature prominently in Idaho’s past. Enjoy!
Like many of Idaho's original towns, Idaho City underwent a name change after its inception in 1862. Formerly known as "Bannock," Idaho City has the unfortunate history of having been burned to the ground four times. However, it was also the home of Idaho's first Catholic church as an official state, a quintessential gold town, and boasted a larger population than that of Portland at the time.
Mullan's significance is huge as a gold and silver town, but oftentimes its main source of prestige is as its home of the Mullan Road, the first road to cross the Rockies from Washington to Montana.
Although much further north than Idaho's first incorporated city, Pierce made a name for itself as Idaho's oldest mining town and the present-day home to Idaho's oldest public building: the Pierce courthouse.
This tiny town has quite a history to it. Aptly named due to the gatherings and festivals of local Indians in the valley, Council was given its name by a legislative member who had never even lived there. It was here that hundreds of Shoshoni gathered and stayed for the winter, presumably to avoid the influx of white settlers around Boise.
While Fort Boise was established in 1863 as a military base during the Civil War. With an ideal location between two mining centers (Silver City and Idaho City), Boise - les bois - grew quickly and was named Idaho's capital in 1864.
Now the only city in Camas County, Fairfield was - in many ways - created by chance. Up until 1910, the bustling nearby town of Soldier was actually the place to be. Unfortunately, Soldier's gradual decline was a slow and painful one when the Oregon Short Line Railroad bypassed the town two miles to the south, beginning the formation of Fairfield. While only memories remain of the former town of Soldier, with very little left to see in person, the town's namesake - the vibrant Soldier Mountains - still stand proudly overlooking Fairfield as a blending of past and present.
Firth is the most unique addition to this list simply because it began as a Swedish settlement, rather than a Mormon settlement, Basque camp, or mining center.
Just shy of the Wyoming-Idaho border lies this quaint western town. The site of an infamous bank robbery by Butch Cassidy, an Oregon Trail milestone, and formerly known both by the names of Clover Creek and Belmont before Montpelier was chosen by Brigham Young himself.
The quaint town of Weiser is a unique case of a city that was named after its landmark - the Weiser River - which is thought to have been named after a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Peter M. Weiser. Once a transportation hub and called the "fiddling capital of the world" since 1914, Weiser's small town atmosphere and ideal location as a last stop near Hells Canyon makes it a cozy place to unwind or take in the numerous historical buildings around downtown.
Idaho's oldest city is also ironically "marred" by its brief decade-long stint as a city in Utah, until a survey in 1872 discovered that this tiny town was actually within Idaho's border... by one mile. Close call!
Of course, Idaho is chock full of towns that are equally full of history – and we love hearing from local residents with the inside scoop! Do you live in one of these historic towns or know someone who does? What else can you add that makes these places special to Idaho history?
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