Saturday September 15, 2012
09-04-2012Crapo: $16 Trillion Debt is a “Wake Up Call”
Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said today’s announcement by the U.S. Treasury that the U.S. has passed a national...(More)
08-13-2012 Crapo Statement on Loss of Clearwater Firefighter
Boise – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo called on all Idahoans to pause this week to thank and offer a prayer for the safety of fire crews seeking...(More)
08-08-2012 U.S. Senate Offices to Host Remote Hours in Coeur d'Alene Region
Coeur d’Alene, ID – Field representatives from the offices of Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch will host several Traveling District...(More)
Owyhee Initiative
Links and information on the Owyhee Initiative.
Visiting DC?
Find out about popular government buildings and monuments you can visit on your trip.
Flag Day
Find out more about Flag Day 2009
Latest Video
Latest Audio
04/24/2012-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 24 April 2012
03/27/2012-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 27 March 2012
03/06/2012-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 6 March 2012
02/14/2012-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 14 February 2012
01/31/2012-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 31 January 2012
Jefferson County
More About Jefferson County |
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Jefferson County was established on February 18, 1913, with its county seat at Rigby. It was the 32nd county created in the state of Idaho. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States. The first settlers were Mormons, who constructed irrigation systems.
Return to County Profiles Main Page, or page to next county, Jerome.
County Statistics:
County Seat: Rigby
Population: 24,802 (2009 estimate)
Jefferson County website
Borders: Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont and Madison counties
Interesting Facts:
Rigby native Howard Anderson is credited with starting a national square dancing group, the Knot Heads, in the 1950s. Anderson, a well-known square dance caller during that time, said the name was an apt description for anyone who would travel more than 100 miles to participate in a square dance.
Rigby claims to be the "Birthplace of Television," citing the work done by Philo Farnsworth during the years he lived with his family in that town.
What To See And Do:
The Jefferson County Courthouse is a Works Progress Administration project and highlights the Art Deco style popular at the time of its construction in 1938. It is the best-preserved of three nearly identical courthouses designed by Sundburg and Sundbery of Idaho Falls.
Jefferson County Pioneer Museum: This museum, located in Rigby, has a strong focus on Philo Farnsworth and his legacy of the invention of television. The exhibits include original cathode tubes donated by the Farnsworth family. Children will be entertained by an intricate dollhouse. Other exhibits include big game, early photos, Shoshone Bannock artifacts, square dancing and farm implements.
Famous Jefferson County Natives and Residents:
Philo T. Farnsworth (1906-1971) was born in Utah and moved to Rigby as a young boy. When he was in high school, Farnsworth developed the image dissector, which was the invention that led to the creation of the television. Due to a patent dispute, Farnsworth didn't receive credit for his invention for many years. He has since been nationally recognized as "The Father of Television," and a statue stands in one of the House wings of the U.S. Capitol, depicting him with a television tube. Farnsworth holds over 125 patents.
Vardis Fisher (1895-1968) was born in Annis (near Rigby) and became a writer. His book, Idaho Guide, is one of the best books about Idaho's people and places. One of his novels, The Children of God, is about the members of the LDS religion; it won the Harper Prize in Fiction in 1939. His novel, Mountain Man, was the inspiration for the movie "Jeremiah Johnson." Between 1935 and 1939, he directed the Idaho Writer's Project of the WPA, writing serveral books about Idaho. Fisher died in Hagerman.
Larry Wilson (1938- ) was born in 1938 in Rigby, and became known as the "Toughest Man in Football," no doubt in part because he once intercepted a pass with both hands in casts. He had 52 career interceptions, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960-1972. He became the NFL's top free safety, and made the "safety blitz" famous. He was named All-NFL six time and played in eight Pro Bowls.
(Sources include The Idaho Blue Book.)