Idaho History: From Ancient Tribes to Modern Times

History of Idaho Browse the article History of Idaho

History of Idaho

Archeological evidence indicates that Indians were living in Idaho at least 10,000 years ago. However, little is known about the region's prehistoric inhabitants. Some 10,000 Indians lived in Idaho at the time of white exploration. The main tribes included the Nez Percé, Coeur d'Alene, Kutenai, Shoshoni, and Bannock.

Important dates in Idaho1805 Lewis and Clark passed through the Idaho region on their way to the Pacific Coast.1809 David Thompson built the first fur-trading post in Idaho, on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille.1834 Fort Boise and Fort Hall were established.1860 Franklin, Idaho's first permanent settlement, was founded. Gold was discovered on Orofino Creek.1862 Gold was discovered in the Boise Basin.1863 Congress established the Idaho Territory.1874 Utah Northern Railroad entered Idaho Territory at Franklin.1877 U.S. troops defeated the Nez Perce Indians in the Nez Perce War.1890 Idaho entered the Union as the 43rd state on July 3.1892 and 1899 Violence broke out between union miners and mine owners.1905 Former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg was murdered. The murder trial, held in 1907, attracted international attention.1951 Electric power was generated from nuclear energy for the first time at a reactor testing station near Idaho Falls.1959 Engineers completed Brownlee Dam, the first of three large hydroelectric dams on the Snake River built by a private utility. Oxbow Dam was completed in 1961. Hells Canyon Dam was completed in 1968.1972 Ninety-one miners died in a fire at the Sunshine silver mine in Shoshone County.1988 Idaho voters approved a state lottery to increase government revenues.1990 Idaho celebrated the centennial of its statehood.Early History

The Lewis and Clark expedition passed through Idaho during 1805-06; its members are the first known explorers of the area. In 1809 David Thompson, a Canadian, established a trading post at Pend Oreille Lake. A few American trappers penetrated the region, but the British Hudson's Bay Company dominated the fur trade.

The Reverend Henry Spalding founded an Indian mission school near what is now Lewiston in 1836. Pioneers traveling west on the Oregon Trail came through southern Idaho. In 1846 Britain ceded the Northwest to the United States, and Idaho became a part of Oregon Territory.

Idaho was made a part of Washington Territory in 1859. In 1860 Mormons established the first white settlement in Idaho at Franklin. That year, gold was discovered along Orofino Creek, a tributary of the Clearwater River. Soon there were more gold strikes, and the population increased rapidly. Idaho Territory was created in 1863. It included Idaho, all of what later became Montana, and most of what became Wyoming. The territorial legislature first met at Lewiston, but was moved to Boise in 1864. Montana was separated in 1864, and parts of Wyoming in 1864 and 1868, leaving Idaho with its present borders.

In 1877 the Nez Percé Indians rebelled rather than move to a small reservation. Their chief, Joseph, led some 800 Indians on a 1,700-mile (2,700-km) trek toward Canada before being forced to surrender to pursuing U.S. Army troops. An uprising by Bannock Indians during 1878-79 was put down.

Statehood

Idaho was admitted to the Union July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state. Lead miners in the Panhandle region fought strike-breakers in 1892, 1894, and 1899; federal troops restored order. On December 30, 1905, former governor Frank Steunenberg was assassinated. William “Big Bill” Haywood and other union leaders were acquitted in 1907 of the charge of murdering him. William E. Borah was a special prosecutor; Clarence Darrow was defense attorney.

The 20th century saw further development of Idaho's agricultural, mineral, and forest resources. Dams were built for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The federal government established the national nuclear reactor testing station west of Idaho Falls in 1949.

During the 1960's a series of dams built along the Snake River made it possible to reclaim thousands of acres of wasteland. Farming increased, and the processing of farm products became an expanding industry. The development of recreational facilities attracted a growing number of tourists.

In 1976 a dam on the Teton River burst, causing widespread devastation in the upper Snake River valley. In the 1980's Idaho's economy was hit hard by recession; the mining and timber industries were particularly affected. By 1994 the economy had recovered to such an extent that Idaho had become the second fastest-growing state in the country.

In addition to agriculture, other industries in Idaho have boosted the state's economy, including large construction, food processing, lumber, and computer companies. Tourism continues to contribute as well; the vacation spot called Sun Valley continues to attract many visitors, and new vacation sites have been developing quickly.