Idaho Cities and Towns Collection

Contents: About Idaho Cities and Towns Collection | Idaho history | Tech

About Idaho Cities and Towns Collection

This collection contains digitized historical photos of 134 cities and towns in Idaho, beginning in 1862 and ending in 2000.

Idaho history

Idaho’s landscape has been occupied by Indigenous people for thousands of years. Much archaeological evidence shows that Indigenous people have been living in Idaho for at least 8,000 years, while one study show “there is evidence that intelligent, highly skilled people have lived in Idaho for at least the past twelve to fifteen thousand years.”¹

In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through Idaho. When they traveled through the area that became the town of Gibbonsville, they described it as “filled with rocky hills and dense vegetation,” which accurately describes much of Idaho’s vast wilderness.²

In 1860, gold was discovered near Pierce, Idaho, igniting a fierce gold rush in the state. This gold rush led to the development of a strong mining industry and the establishment of many mining cities and towns throughout the state, including: ³

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In 1863, Congress established Idaho Territory. Idaho Territory spanned a surface that was 25% larger than the modern state of Texas.⁵ According to legend, the name “Idaho” was “derived from a Shoshone phrase meaning ‘gem of the mountains.’”⁶ In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state admitted to the union, and the size shrunk considerably compared to Idaho Territory.⁷ In 1896, Idaho became the first state in the U.S. to give women the right to vote.⁸

In 1910, the “Big Burn” ripped through Idaho, Washington, and Montana, proving to be one of the most significant natural disasters North Idaho ever saw. The fire effected several cities in Idaho.

In 1957, the Idaho state legislature updated the state seal “in order to more clearly define Idaho’s main industries, mining, agriculture, and forestry as well as highlight the state’s natural beauty.”⁹

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