Nez Perce County

Nez Perce County was established on February 4, 1864, by the Idaho Territorial Legislature with its county seat at Lewiston. It is named for the Nez Perce Indians who occupied the area before the white man. It was previously established by the Territorial Legislature of Washington in 1861. This was one of the four original Idaho counties in 1863 from which all 44 have been carved. The present boundaries of Nez Perce County were set in 1911. Lewis and Clark were the first white men in the area in 1805. Lewiston served as the territorial capital for 22 months before the capital was moved to Boise.

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County Statistics:

County seat: Lewiston
Population: 39,211 (2009 estimate)
Nez Perce County website

Borders:  Clearwater, Latah and Lewis counties; Washington state; Oregon

Interesting Facts:

Nez Perce County adjoins the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers. It is the state's 8th most populated county and the 33rd largest in area. Only six percent of the county is federally owned, the second lowest percentage of all Idaho counties. Paper and wood products form the local economic foundation, with trade and transportation also figuring prominently due to the Port of Lewiston, which is Idaho's only seaport.

Lewiston, the county seat, was Idaho's first incorporated city. It was named for Meriwether Lewis and founded in 1861. It also served as the first capital city of the State of Idaho, from 1863 to 1865. The capital was moved to Boise in 1864.

Hells Canyon, located in Nez Perce County, is the deepest gorge in North America.

What To See And Do:

The Lewiston Civic Theater was originally constructed in 1907 as the First United Methodist Church. It is one of the largest of the older buildings in Lewiston and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The structure is a good example of ecclesiastical turn of the century design and heavy masonry construction. The foundation is local basalt and the walls are sandstone. The unusual stained class windows have been preserved.