Owyhee County
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More About Owyhee County |
Owyhee County was established on December 31, 1863, with its county seat at Ruby City. This was the first county to be established by the First Territorial Legislature. In 1867, the county seat was moved to Silver City and in 1934 to Murphy. It is named for the river, mountains and mining area explored by Hawaiian fur trappers in 1819-1820. Hawaii and Owyhee are different spellings of the same word.
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County Statistics:
County seat: Murphy
Population: 11,223 (2009 estimate)
Owyhee County website
Borders: Ada, Canyon, Elmore and Twin Falls counties; Oregon and Nevada
Interesting Facts:
Bruneau has the tallest free-standing sand dunes in America.
Gold was discovered on Jordan Creek in 1863, and millions of dollars of gold and silver were taken from the Silver City region until the industry declined in the early 1900s.
What To See And Do :
Lawson's Emu-Z-Um: This is a former emu ranch in Grandview, which now houses a museum with a replica of an early 1860s town, Native American artifacts, and the Silver City Schoolhouse Museum.
Owyhee County Historical Museum: Exhibits in this Murphy museum include farm machinery, a mining stamp mill and period agricultural farm implements.
Silver City, located in southwest Idaho near the Oregon border, was a major gold and silver mining district starting in 1863. Poor conditions caused the mines to close in 1914. However, the townsite still attracts a large number of visitors, who are interested in its historical significance.
The town contains many old and interesting buildings as well as several mine dumps. The city was the first to have telegraph service in Idaho and the one of the best newspapers in the west, The Idaho Avalanche.
The town is history in itself, but it is interesting to walk through some of the old buildings like the old schoolhouse with Masonic features. The building houses a museum upstairs. Many of the attractions are only accessible during certain times of the year.
The once-famous
Idaho Hotel is still used for travelers lodging. Inside you can find a working old player piano, antiques and old photos.
If you plan to visit, the recommended time is around Labor Day as more attractions are open.
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(Sources include The Idaho Blue Book.)