Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-02-13
IDAHO COUNTY, IDAHO.
The Garden OF the State:
Vacant Agricultural
And mineral Lands.

This county occupies a vast region
about midway between the northern
and southern boundaries of the State.
Its present area is 10, 100 square miles,
or nearly as large as the combined areas
of New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode
Island.
Idaho county was originally the
largest county in the state. Lemhl and
Custer counties were cut of from Its
eastern end. Boise county has taken
strip from its southern portion, and one
half ofWashington County was original
" within ito limits. On the other hand,
it gained in 1915 strip from the east
ern side of Nez Perez County, comprls-
ing the agricultural section known as
Camas Prairie, and the mining camps OF
Elk City and Newsome Creek.
The only agricultural portion is Camas
Prairie, on its western border; here
there are six entire and several fraction
nj townships of arabic LAND, that produce
all the usual cereals in profusion. Its
elevation is not over 5000 feet. Along
salmon River there are flats of small
extent, which are devoted to gardening
and Embarrassing.
The country is watered principally by
the salmon River and its tributaries,
the eastern and southern boundary be-
ing the watershed between the branches
of the Salmon and the head waters of
other streams The northern portion is
drained by some of the forks of the
Clearwater.
Salmon River cuts a deep chasm
through the county from south east to
north It's valley Is from 1000 to
1000 feet lower than the average alti-
tude of the mining camps scattered
through the ad accent mountains, causing
marked difference in climate. In the
winter snow rarely falls before Febru-
ary, and frequently the ground is not
whitened during the year, while in the
surrounding mining camps the snow
covers the mountain sides from 4 to 8
feet in depth.
Idaho County is, however, essentially
mountainous region. the principal
portion of the Salmon River Mountains
being included in its boundaries. These
mountains have no well-dehned range,
but are vast collection of irregularlv
scattered peaks, overlapping wilder
ness of lesser peaks. all of a rugged and
forbidding aspect. The average altitude
is about 5000 feet, though many peaks
have an elevation of nearly double that
height.
The town of Florence is situated 265
feet above the sea level, and Warrens
6.030 feet.
The Salmon River Mountains are
chiefly of granite formation, and appear
to have been upheaved at compare
lively recent geological period.
The deep canyon of the Salmon River
affords numerous excellent oppor-
tunites for studying the character of
the subjacent rocks, as surfaces are fire.
auently exposed from 1000 to 1900 feet
high.
At a point on the river near the
mouth of Little Salmon, hornblende
states begin to take the place of granite,
and gneiss farther to the eastward.
There is an obscure qualification and a
general north and south strike.
A few miles farther west, at Carver's
ranch, huge ledge of very pure lime
stonecrosses the river; 1t is from 100 TO
500 feet wide, and extends in general
northerly and southerly direction for
about 80 miles, finally dipping under
the lava a short distance east of Mount
Idaho.
West of this. other varieties of slate,
mica, and clay make their appearance,
with occasional lunches of quartz. and
at the mouth of John Days Creek the
primitive rocks disappear beneath
basaltic lava and areno more seen in the
bed of the river from thence to the Pa
cific Ocean except in one place in Snake
River, about 80 miles below Lewiston,
at Granite Point.
The soil of Camas Prairie is derived
from the decomposition of lava, Identical
with that which overspreads most of the
Columbia River Valley. Many fossil
remains are found in digging wells. but
no minerals of value. nor are any likely
to be. The mountainous region to the
eastward of the lava and the anterior
slate formation is probably the source
of the mineral wealth of the county.
Gold in paying quantities was first
discovered in paying quantities in Ida
no near Peirce City, in VIII at is now
Shoshone County, in 1860. At that
time Idaho was still portion of Wash
ington Territory. Communication from
point to point was slow and difficult and
there was no great rush of miners, nor
any great amount of money taken out
during that year. BY the following
eoring reliable information of extensive
deposits in that section was widely
spread, and the seach for gold WAS dill
gently prosecuted.
Gold was found in the banks and bars
of all thu forks Of Clearwater, and led to
discovery of extensive placer ground at
Elk City. Paying ground was also found
in many places in Salmon River, and
early in July in Florence Basin, in
which place thousands of mines were
located in Il couple of months. On the
north side of the Salmon nothing was
or has since been found. South of the
Salmon gold was found in August, 1862,
ia Warren's Basin, which is drained by
Meadow Creek end its tributaries, and
empties into the Salmon River l6 miles
north OF the town of Warrens.
At the present time the ground worth
working comprises the upper eight
milas of the creek, The shallower por-
lions of the creek and neighboring
gnlches were worked out in few years
after the discovery of gold, The lower
portiqn of the creek was not abandoned
by white men till 1870. at which time
the Chinese came in and have monopo-
l;.al ,l,a a. co;an.