NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST

Florence Tells

Her Secrets

A Self-Guided Tour

of the Florence Basin

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest

Service

A marker at Florence Cemetery
Page 1

along this route to milepost 40.4 and

then turn left on Forest Road #394

which intersects with Forest Road

#643. After traveling 1.4 miles

from this intersection, you will

reach the primitive road that

services the Florence cemetery.

Access from the south leaves US

Highway 95 near the south city

limits of Riggins. The route crosses

the Little Salmon River and follows

the Salmon River Road #1614 for

9.7 miles. At milepost 9.7 you will

turn north and travel on the

Grangeville-Salmon Road #221.

You will encounter a single lane

road climbing steeply out of the

canyon for 15.2 miles where you

turn onto Forest Road #394 and

travel east for 10.2 miles to the

northern intersection with Forest

Road #643.

Road Conditions

Forest roads in the area are

suitable for most highway vehicles,

although some are best suited for

high clearance vehicles, pick-up

trucks, ATVs, motorcycles and

mountain bikes. The roads beyond

the cemetery are narrow, dirt routes

not suited for RVs and low clearance vehicles.

Elevations range from 5880 to

6080 feet. Snow falls early and

persists until mid-June, however

adverse weather can occur at any

time.

Welcome

 The story of Florence is

seldom told. Few visitors to the

Nez Perce National Forest are

even aware the site exists. Just

driving through the area today, one

can hardly tell there once existed a

thriving mining community.

The interpretive signs on the

kiosk at the cemetery are designed

to help you locate sites on the map

and to tell some of the rich history

of the Florence Basin. This

brochure will be your guide as you

tour the sites.

Before you start, take a few

minutes to read the following

information.

Area Access

 The most common route used

to access Florence from the north

end is the Grangeville-Salmon Road

#221. Road #221 is paved to

Boulder Creek (milepost 36.6),

about 4 miles south of Rocky Bluff

Campground. You continue

95

95

12

84

Nez Perce

National 

G Forest rangeville

Boise
Primitive Camping

When camping at primitive

locations, please follow these

guidelines:

! Choose a site 200 feet from

 trails and water;

! Use existing fire grates and

fire rings when building

campfires;

! Make sure your campfire is

dead out when you leave;

! Pack out all trash, both

yours and that of others.

Wilderness

 The Gospel-Hump Wilderness

borders the east side of the Florence

area. If you plan to travel into this

unique wilderness, please:

♦ Remember the use of

motorized or mechanized equipment or vehicles is not permitted in

a designated wilderness. This

includes bicycles;

♦ Use certified weed-free

products. All forage or mulch used

on national forest lands must be

certified noxious weed free;

♦ Safeguard the naturalness

of wilderness by practicing "leave

no trace" techniques.

Most roads in the area have rock

surfaces, but can be muddy and

slick when snow covered.

Once you leave Grangeville or

Riggins, you are traveling within an

undeveloped area with no services.

Be sure your vehicle is in good

operating condition and has a full

tank of gas. Always carry a spare

tire.

Please drive with caution and be

alert for other travelers, wildlife,

livestock, washouts, fallen trees and

other debris in the roadway.

The access roads experience the

heaviest use in the fall during the

main hunting season: mid-August

through October.

Drinking Water

 Water from springs, lakes,

ponds and streams should not be

consumed without proper treatment

(boiling for more than five minutes

or using a water filter) as giardia

could be present. It is a good idea

to carry extra water.

Dispersed Camping

 Rocky Bluff Campground is a

cool retreat from the summer heat

complete with four camping units,

picnic tables, restrooms, RV and

trailer spaces. Potable water is not

available. There is a fee for using the

campground.

Travel Time

Travel times are dependent on

the traveler, vehicle speeds and

number of stops for viewing. You

should allow 2-3 hours for travel

along either route.

Comfort Facilities

The Florence Cemetery is fully

accessible to people with disabilities. However, the trail to the

cemetery is rated "difficult." The

parking lot has space for six

vehicles with additonal space for

parking nearby. There is a one-unit

toilet and a picnic table. Water is

not available.

 Page 2
How Did Florence Get Her

Name?

The naming of Florence, which

occurred by November, 1861, is

clouded in controversy, with longtime area residents reporting

different versions of its naming.

The most common version, and

the one most likely, is that Florence was named for a stepdaughter of Dr. George Furber.

Dr. Furber had a claim on Pioneer

Gulch and ran a pharmacy in

Florence.

Historian Elliott reported this

version in 1884 but mentioned that

others claimed Florence was a

woman of ill repute in the area.

The other popular story of the

origin of the name says that

Florence was named for the

daughter of Jim and Julia Hunt.

Jim was an early grocer and

hotelkeeper of the new town.

Florence Hunt was reportedly the

first child born there.

Page 3

Cultural Heritage

Today, most remnants of the

extensive human activity that

occured in Florence are masked by

time.

Trees have grown up in the areas

where the towns once stood. Some

structures remain in decaying form,

others are marked only by rotting

timbers in the ground where

foundations were. The topography

of the area is furrowed, dug out and

overturned.

Most artifacts from these sites

have been removed over the years.

Some remain, scattered throughout

the forest.

Artifacts are fragile remnants

linking us to the past. Please do

not disturb or remove these items.

Kerosene Lamp

Tobacco

Boy's Boots
 Page 4

One of many abandoned cabins in the

Florence area - photo taken 8/97.

Dangers In and Around

Abandoned Mines

There are many dangers in and

around abandoned mines. Great

care should be taken when exploring in the Florence area as it is a

historical mining district that was

quite active over 100 years ago.

Structures: In the Florence

area there are many cabins, sheds

and other structures. These can be

very dangerous to enter. Many are

rotting, and the structure could

give way with little or no warning.

Many are also infested with

rodents. Hantavirus is a very

serious health hazard associated

with rodent nesting areas. Sickness

and death can result if a person is

infected with this virus.

Shafts: Shafts are vertical

openings to underground workings.

Many times the shaft may be over

Cave-ins: Areas that look safe

could crumble with the slightest

vibrations. A person could be

trapped or crushed if a tunnel

collapsed while they were exploring.

100 feet deep, with the opening

being surrounded by decomposing

rock, soils and rotting timbers.

Within mining tunnels, there are

also vertical shafts that connect

mine levels and these may have

been boarded over at one time.

Stepping on the decayed boards

could result in a fatal fall. There

may also be water covering the

floor of the tunnel, hiding vertical

shafts.

poisonous gases are present or there

is little or no oxygen. "Bad air" is

treacherous, and frequently kills

even experienced miners.

Timbers: Timbers used to

support underground tunnels are

often very old and decaying. Other

timbers that aren't decayed may

become loose and fall at the slightest touch. A well-timbered mine

opening can look very solid, but can

in fact, barely support its own

weight. One wrong touch and the

whole area may collapse.

Explosives: Many mine sites

may have old explosives left lying

around by careless workers. Old

dynamite sticks and caps can

explode if stepped on or just

touched.

Bad Air: Miners use the term

"bad air" to describe an atmosphere that can kill. Either
6

The Summit Creek ditch is one

of the first things you encounter

when you come to the junction of

the cemetery road and #643. Miners

created this large canal and tunnels

to divert water from Summit Creek

into the gold-rich site of Baboon

Gulch.

The Florence Cemetery is the

one site that really brings you close

to the people who once inhabitated

Florence. Miners, outlaws, merchants and their families came to

seek their fortune in Florence.

Many found their final resting place

here.

Drinking, gambling, fighting,

robbery and murder were commonplace in Florence during its peak. A

notorious outlaw "Cherokee Bob"

Talbotte moved to Florence with a

woman called Red Headed Cynthia,

taking over a saloon by reportedly

threatening to murder the owner.

Talbotte was killed in a shootout in

the streets of Florence in 1863. You

will find his grave in the cemetery.

An Oregon newspaper indicated

shootings were so common that

"when a man is shot people hardly

turn round to see what is the

matter." For awhile, Florence was

the roughest place in the west.

Schoolbook

Since there is little to see of the

Old Florence site, the photo on

page 6 might help you get a feel for

the size and character of the town

that once existed.

 Old Florence

1 Summit Creek Ditch

2 Florence Cemetery

3

Page 5

Short Barrel Peacemaker

Not all was rough and rowdy.

Children were present and it was

necessary to provide a school house

and employ a teacher. The Florence school district was organized

in the spring of 1864.

The schoolhouse was about 12

by 14 feet with 8-foot walls and

was built of hewn logs. The floor

was made of whipsawed boards and

the roof was made of shaved handriven shingles.

There was quite an array of

textbooks brought to the school by

the six youngsters who made up the

enrollment. Parents in the frontier

west learned not to leave schoolbooks behind when migrating from

place to place. Needless to say the

school, held during the summer

months, was a success.
7

Photo Caption: Old Florence (1896)

Contributed by Martin Bardhof

#1 - Masonic Hall, later Idaho

County Courthouse and

still later a hotel.

#2 - Benefield's Cabin

#3 - Cherokee Bob's Saloon

#4 - Redheaded Cynthia's House

#5 - McKenzie's General Store

#6 - Restaurant

#7 - Barber Shop, later John

Clark's General Store

#8 - Mulkey's Butcher Shop

#9 - Where the first court in

Idaho County was held

#10 - Warren's Cabin

#11 - Romaris' Cabin

#12 - Stage and Livery Barn

#13 - Dance Hall

Legend for Photo Sites:

 Page 6

4 New Florence

Founded in 1896 and supported

by a second mining boom in the

1890s, New Florence covered 40

acres with businesses, tents and

cabins. Most of the remnant cabins

left are from the New Florence era.

There are still some buildings

of New Florence left to see. With

the Canfield place and the jail

nearby, this site is one where you

will want to park and walk around.

1 13 2 10 12 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Poker - A Pleasurable

Pasttime
22

95 441

2038

95

1614

221 441

64

221

354

L ittle V an B uren Creek

L ong 

Gulch

B ear Gulch

329

303

309

643

Frenc h C ree k

Slate Creek

T o Grangeville

Former Town of Freedom

Slate Creek R.S. No Business Creek

Waterspout Creek

John Day Creek

E ast Fork John Day Gulch

Wet Gulch

Salmon R iver

Deadhorse Creek

T urnbull Cr.

R oyal Creek

V ictor Cr.

Chair Creek

LightningCreek

Salmon R iver

Riggins

Berg Creek

Allison Creek

V an Creek

Salmon R iver

K elly Creek

121

T

Little Slat Crossing

Little Sla Saddl

Shearer Ferry Manning 

Crevice

Bridge Ho

R

L ittle Slate Cr.

Page 7
21

43

394

9915

1614

394

643

394

221

221

354 444

221

ree k

302

332

88 313

88

310

88

309

332

310

303

308

88

312

125

90

332

88

125

o Grangeville Adams Ranger Station

L ittle Slate Cr.

Mi

lner Trail

Slate Creek

Boulder Cr

Big Boulder Creek

Moon Creek

Rubie Creek

L ittle Boulder Creek

West Fork 

Meadow Cr.

Slate Creek

Rocky Bluff

te 

g

ate 

e

r

oward 

Ranch

Casper Creek

West Fork R obbins Cr.

R obbins Cr. Lone

Pine

Yakima

Mine

French

Creek

Scott Place

Cow

Flats

Wind 

River

Bridge

Bullion

Mine

McMeekin Ranch

NewFlorence

Dredge Ponds

Old Florence Townsite

Moon Cabin

Witsher Creek

B ullion Creek

Halls Gulch

Sand Cr.

Meadow Creek

Gold L ake Cr.

R ock Creek

Hanover Creek

West Fork

Meadow Cr.

Wind River

Summit Mining District 

(Florence)

Forest Trails

#88 - Idaho Centennial

Forest Roads

Gospel-Hump 

Wilderness Boundary

Historic L ode Mines

Historic Way Stations

French Cr.

N

S

W E

LEGEND

Page 8
Page 9

5 Canfield Place

 Waverly Mine

 Dredge Ponds

The pilings you see are the

remains of a dragline dredging site

that was active in the 1930s.

A dragline dredge is a powershovel excavator that feeds a

floating washing plant or gold

processor. Dredges like the one

that sat here rearranged waterways

as they worked.

If you look down the creek, you

can see where the tailings from the

dredge were left.

7

 In 1897 a two stamp mill was

assembled for processing ore from

the mine. This type of mill involves machinery consisting of

stamps that have two heavy iron

cylinders. These are dropped down

on the ore to crush it.

History indicates that the mine

was periodically opened and closed

again due to poor management and

inability to operate at a profit, a

history common to many mines.

8

Wildlife Viewing

The Florence area is filled with

creeks, ponds, meadows, marshes

and forest environments. It is home

to a large number of fish, amphibians, birds and mammals. The

mixture of meadows and forest

provide good foraging and hiding

cover for animals.

The opportunities to view

wildlife are abundant. Big game

species such as whitetail deer, elk

and moose are common. Moose

enjoy feeding in the ponds located

throughout the drainage, especially

near Sand Creek (site #8, Dredge

Ponds on the tour). Please be

What remains of the

Florence jail is

enough to spur your

imagination of the

punishment

outlaws endured.

Refer to the

photo of the jail

at the interpretive

sign.

 Outlaws and claim jumpers

earned their stay in this box of

2x4's and nails.

 The Waverly Mine first went

into production in January 1896.

It was active off and on until 1939.

Eva Canfield was one of the last

miners to inhabit the Florence area

after New Florence was abandoned.

She lived here in the 1940s.

In June 1940, Mrs. Canfield,

who was then seventy years old,

completed the census of the mining

region around the whole Salmon

River country. To take the census,

Eva traveled on horseback, on skis,

and on foot in order to register

nearly six hundred people. At that

time, Florence itself had but ten

inhabitants.

 Florence Jail

"Citizens of the town of Florence have taken preliminary steps

for the erection of a jail." - Idaho

County Free Press, May 13, 1898.

The New Florence jail consisted

of two rooms - jailer quarters in

the front and lockup in the back.

66

66

6
int

Page 10

Recreational Opportunities

The area provides excellent

recreational opportunities yearround. Hiking, mountain biking,

picnicking, berry picking, motorcycling, ATV riding, wildlife viewing,

camping and fishing are the most

popular summertime activities.

The Meadow and Sand Creek

confluences and pond site contain

brook trout, which are non-native to

In winter, snowmobilers are

drawn by the rugged terrain and

spectacular scenery.

Mining Effects on Fisheries

Water diversions through

ditching, settling ponds, and test

pits can be seen throughout the

area. Altering the flow of water

from the original stream channels

can influence the development and/

or maintenance of the streams and

change habitat conditions for fish.

An example of an old mining

tunnel can be found along Gold

Lake Creek. Resident fish can be

observed in the creek both upstream and downstream of the

remains of the mining tunnel. The

changing of the amount of flow in

this creek may have isolated

portions of the fish population or

critical habitat for native trout

when the tunnel was orginally

completed. Today the tunnel has

collapsed in some parts and

sediment is entering the stream

channel. This sediment may alter

habitat for many aquatic species.

Please take care when walking

above the tunnel entrance and be

on the alert for suck holes.

Dollar Days Mine is a display

of recent mining (early 1900s)

activities in headwater stream

channels. Shallow marshy environments which are spring fed were

mined. This site is just one source

of cold water that is critical to

native trout and amphibian populations. An attempt has been made

to reclaim the site by burying

woody debris and planting and

seeding the site.

Idaho. A fishing license is required

if you plan on trying your luck.

cautious and do not attempt to

approach a cow with her calf as she

may charge.

Occasionally, you may see black

bears and mountain lions. Again,

use caution and keep your distance.

 Other animals you may see are

members of the weasel family,

hares/rabbits, rodents and a variety

of birds.
Page 11

In its early history, Florence

experienced a gold rush which

caused the population to boom

from 50 to 9000 in one year. Gold

seekers discovered gold in the

Florence Basin in August of 1861.

By winter of that year, 3000 people

had flocked to the area and over

one million dollars in gold had been

produced from placer mining alone.

By June of 1862, the area reached

its peak population of about 9000.

Miners produced seven million

dollars in gold that year. By early

August of 1862, thousands of

people left the area due to the lack

of paying mining claims.

By 1863, the big rush was over,

but mining activity still continued.

For the next 20 years a mixed

population of Chinese and White

miners worked their diggings.

Using more patient, labor-intensive

mining practices, the Chinese made

meager fortunes reworking old

placer claims.

After a relatively inactive period

at Florence in the 1880s, new

technology for quartz mining

revived the area in 1895. People

once again flocked to the Florence

Basin, putting the population back

up to 1000 in 1897. Conflict

between owners of the Old Florence townsite and new goldseekers spurred the establishment of

New Florence, 1/4 mile south. The

old townsite was disassembled for

salvage lumber and was mined for

remnant gold that fell through the

cracks of floorboards in several

buildings.

By 1897 only a few buildings

were left standing in Old Florence.

By 1900, the mining boom had

declined again and only a few

stamp mills continued their operations. Although some minor booms

occured between 1900 and 1940,

none were comparable to those of

the 1860s and 1890s.

The Florence Gold Rush

Mining Methods

Florence was best known as a

placer mining district. The mining

methods were predominantly hand

methods using rockers, long toms

(a short, modified sluice) and gold

pans.

Gold pans: Gold pans are

generally made of sheet iron. They

are 10 -18" in diameter and 3"

deep. In early days, frying pans

with the handle removed were also

used. The pan was filled about 2/3

full of placer material. It was then

dipped in water where lumps were

kneaded out and larger stones and

pebbles thrown out. Then the pan

would be inclined downward away

from the operator with the pan just

covered with water. The operator

would then shake the pan in a

circular motion, washing lighter

material out.

The Placer Miner's Tools
Page 12

Sluice Boxes: A sluice was a

longer version of the tom sometimes extending to 100 feet in

length. A long sluice would

generally be made in sections, each

with a wide and a narrow end so

that the sections could be nested

creating a long trough.

Sluicing became the most

important type of mining after 1863

when the first of the major ditches

was completed to provide numerous claims with a water supply.

Years after the turn of the

century, technological advances

brought new methods of mining to

the Summit Creek Mining District

including the use of dredges,

drilling and other metallurgy

techniques.

The bottom of the

rocker was covered with

carpet or burlap and

riffles (small wooden

barriers fastened to the

floor of the device).

Jerking the rocker back

and forth with the

handle, with a sufficient

water supply flowing

through the rocker,

would result in concentration of the

heavier gold behind the riffles or in

the carpet/burlap.

Long Toms: A long tom was a

compact sluice box which was

more efficient than a rocker. It

required the availability of lumber.

It would be approximately 10-30'

long and one and a half foot wide.

The bottom was covered with

riffles. The bottom or lower end

was perforated or screened and had

a shallow, flat riffle box below it, 4-

5' long, that caught most of the

remaining gold.

Panning was mainly used for

sampling as it was a fairly slow

process.

Rockers: Rockers were a

simple piece of equipment that

could process up to 5 cubic yards

of material a day with two men

working. A rocker was a wooden

box with a handle, and it rested on

a slight incline. At the rear was the

hopper or "grizzly" which was

usually equipped with a grill of

sorts. This grill limited the size of

material processed

through the rocker.

Drag Line or Steam Shovel Dredge

 in Florence Basin

Much of the Florence area

shows the impacts of mining

activities. Over time, larger

diameter trees, dense shrubbery

and grasses have filled in the

landscape.
Page 13 14

The Story of Tolo

The Nez Perce woman Alablernot or Tolo (Too-lah), as she was

called by the white settlers she had

befriended, played an integral part in

the Nez Perce War of 1877.

News of the hostilities between

the Nez Perce people and the white

settlers and ranchers reached the

residents of Freedom (now the site

of Slate Creek). The whites congregated at Freedom and constructed a

stockade for protection from the

Nez Perce.

This stockade was made by

digging a trench about 3 feet deep

and placing timbers upright. The

approximately 40 women and

children felt much safer within the

confines of the stockade. However,

the 23 men present were poorly

armed and the settlers were totally

shut off from any information from

the outside world. Their only

possible avenue of help was from

the miners of Florence.

It was then that Tolo, who had

come to the stockade with her two

sisters and their two children,

offered to make the 26-mile trek to

Florence to warn the miners of the

Nez Perce uprising and to get help.

 Tolo rode all night arriving at

Florence in the early morning. By

that night, 25 miners were gathered

and armed with modern guns. They

arrived at Freedom the next morning prepared to fight, but no

conflict occurred.

people. It was at this lake that

several bands of the Nez Perce were

camped when the Nez Perce War of

1877 began. The lake was later

named after Tolo, the heroic Nez

Perce woman who will not be

forgotten for her brave night ride to

Florence.

Photo of Tolo, taken about 1890 (contributed

by Agnes Moses, Tolo's daughter,

Kamiah, Idaho )

Chinese Miners

In the 1870s and 1880s, there

were probably as many as 150

Chinese in Florence. Chinese

immigrants reworked almost all of

the placer ground, including the old

tailings.

Not all the Chinese were

employed as miners. They also

A lake which lies on the west

side of the Camas Prairie was

frequently used by the Nez Perce became freighters, merchants,
15 Page 14

Adams Camp

Adams Camp was a favorite

stopping place along the old Milner

Trail, and was first settled in 1862.

 Adams Camp had a post office

and stage station with tri-weekly

mail service.

Adams Work Center, formerly

Adams Camp, has been used by the

Forest Service as an administrative

site since 1918. The Adams Camp

Ranger Station also served as

switchboard center for all telephone

lines in the area.

When a Chinese man lay dying,

he was always moved out of his

house because his fellow men would

not live in a place where someone

had died. They burned all of the

clothing and bedding.

A segment of the Idaho Centennial Trail passes through the Florence Basin (see Trail #88 on the

map on pages 7 and 8). This

section of trail is currently a multipurpose trail. The trail passes

through the Florence Basin winding

along the old wagon roads and

miner trails constructed to transport

supplies and miners from

Grangeville to Warren and service

the Florence interior.

Adams Camp (Date Unknown)

The bodies of the Chinese

buried in the Florence cemetery

were exhumed prior to the 1920s.

Once exhumed, the bones were

burnt and the ashes sent

back to China to be

buried in the sacred

ground of the native

country.

sawyers, cooks and gardeners.

There was a Chinese laundry in

town.

Milner Trail

In its beginnings,

Mount Idaho was one of

several way stations

along the trail to the

Florence mines.

Moses Milner, with

the help of his partner

Francis, cut the trail from

Mount Idaho to Florence

in the spring of 1862. There was a

toll charged. The Milner Trail was

later incorporated into the state

wagon road, which was built in

1891.

In May, 1862, Mrs. Seth Jones

gained the distinction of being the

first woman to pass over the Milner

Trail. In recognition of the fact,

she was permitted to travel the new

pioneer route without payment or

toll.

The name Tollgate still clings to

a place six or seven miles above

Mount Idaho as a reminder of

Milner's efforts.
Foo Mooe Infoomaoion Foo Mooe Infoomaoion

R1-04-02

Nez Perce National Forest

Route 2, Box 475

Grangeville, ID 83530

(208) 983-1950

*TTD (208) 983-2280

Salmon River Ranger District

HC01, Box 70

White Bird, ID 83554

(208) 839-2211

*TTD (208) 839-2328

*Telephone for Hearing Impaired

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