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- Established February 4, 1864, with its county seat at Idaho City, Boise County is an original county and the parent county to Ada, Washington, Adams, Payette, Canyon, Gem and parts of Valley Counties.
- Named for the Boise River, which was named by French-Canadian explores and trappers for the great vaierty of trees growing along its banks.
The Boise Basin, in which Idaho City lies, was one of the richest gold mining districts in the nation after the discovery of gold in 1862. At its peak in the 1860's and 1870's Idaho City was for a time the largest city in the Northwest. It was this great influx of people that lead to the establishment of the Idaho Territory.
- December 1864 Ada County was formed from a portion of Boise County.
- February 1879 Washington County was formed from a portion of Boise County.
- March 1915 Gem County, together with a portion of Canyon County, was formed from Boise County. Canyon County had been formed from Ada County March 1891.
- February 1917 Valley County, together with a portion of Idaho County, was formed from Boise County.
In 1904 the state constructed a wagon road up the North Fork of Payette River. A decade later the railroad was constructed along the river. Both routes facilitated travel in the western part of the county and the areas to the north.
Boise County as we know it today is largely mountainous timber, cut by the Payette River in the west and the north and the Boise River in the south. Over eighty percent of the county is public land. A large portion of the county is under the administration of the Boise National Forest. Arrowrock Dam on the Boise River, the county line between Boise and Elmore County, is a Bureau of Reclamation Project. The dam itself is on the historical register. (see ISU Digital Atlas, Boise County)
| Towns and Communities | |
|---|---|
| Idaho City | Garden Valley, Crouch & Lowman |
| Horseshoe Bend | Placerville |
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I invite you to contact me, Sharon McConnel, Volunteer Coordinator, if you have any Boise County related data, photos or web sites that you would like to have added to this site.
Updated 16 January 2010
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