From 1805 to 1806, the area now known as Idaho was explored by Lewis and Clark. At that time, however, it was considered to be a portion of Oregon country. Both Great Britain and the United States had joint control of Oregon country until 1846. At that point, the Oregon Treaty was enacted, making borders clearer. Franklin, which was located in Cache Valley, was home to a group of Mormons who established the first white settlement in the area.
Most white settlers of that time, however, came to the area in search of gold. Gold was discovered in the area in 1860 and by 1863 Idaho Territory was formed and divided into 10 counties. Idaho Territory included most of what is now Wyoming and all of what is now Montana. Idaho Territory was home to as many as 70,000 white settlers during the height of the mining craze in the area. However, by 1870, only about 15,000 were still living in the state. The mining industry was replaced by the agriculture industry as Idaho’s primary revenue source in the early 1900s.
Idaho Counties – The Idaho Territory was organized on March 3, 1863. The State of Idaho was created as the 43rd state on July 3, 1890. The State of Idaho is bordered by Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Canada. It has 44 Counties. The capital is Boise and the official state website is http://www.idaho.gov/.
Select a Idaho county to view information & records pertaining to each County
Idaho Genealogy Record Guides
