[CONTENTS][IDAHO VITAL AND COUNTY RECORDS]

IDAHO COUNTY FORMATION

Idaho was first established as part of the Oregon Territory in 1858; then became part of the Washington Territory in 1859. Idaho became a territory 3 March 1863 and included all of Montana and most of Wyoming. The Montana Territory was carved out of Idaho in 1864 and Wyoming in 1868, leaving the present state configuration. Statehood was granted 3 July 1890.

Nez Perce, Idaho, Shoshone, and Owyhee Counties were established in 1861 while Idaho was part of the Washington Territory. Boise, Alturas (eliminated in 1895) and Oneida were added in 1864-65 to form the six original counties. From this nucleus, the number of counties grew to 44.

COUNTY FORMATION HISTORY
COUNTY YEAR PARENT COUNTY/COUNTIES
Ada 1864 Boise
Adams 1911 Washington
Alturas 1864 Original (abolished 1895; records in Blaine Co.)
Bannock 1893 Bingham
Bear Lake 1875 Oneida
Benewah 1915 Kootenai
Bingham 1885 Oneida
Blaine 1895 Alturas
Boise 1863 Original
Bonner 1907 Kootenai
Bonneville 1911 Binham
Boundary 1915 Bonner
Butte 1917 Bingham, Blaine, Jefferson
Camas 1917 Blaine
Canyon 1892 Ada
Caribou 1919 Bannock
Cassia 1879 Owyhee
Clark 1919 Fremont
Clearwater 1911 Nez Perce
Custer 1881 Alturas, Lemhi
Elmore 1889 Alturas
Franklin 1913 Oneida
Fremont 1893 Bingham
Gem 1915 Boise, Canyon
Gooding 1913 Lincoln
Idaho 1861 1861 (organized while part of Wash. Territory)
Jefferson 1913 Fremont
Jerome 1919 Gooding, Lincoln)
Kootenai 1864 Nez Perce (organized for business in 1881)
Latah 1888 Nez Perce
Lemhi 1869 Idaho
Lewis 1911 Nez Perce
Lincoln 1895 Alturas, Blaine
Madison 1913 Fremont
Minidoka 1913 Lincoln
Nez Perce 1861 Original (organized while part of Wash. Territory)
Oneida 1864 Original
Owyhee 1863 Original (organized while part of Wash. Territory)
Payette 1917 Canyon
Power 1913 Bingham, Blaine, Oneida
Shoshone 1861 Original (organized while part of Wash. Territory)
Teton 1915 Madison
Twin Falls 1907 Cassia
Valley 1917 Boise, Idaho
Washington 1879 Boise

NOTES:

Logan County formed 1889, then discontinued in 1891; not effective.

SOURCES & REFERENCES:

IDAHO PLACE NAMES, A Geographical Dictionary,
by Lalia Boone;The University of Idaho Press, Moscow, Idaho, 1988.
Also see Idaho Place Names Origins for online information -- Idaho Genweb
THE IDAHO ENCYCLOPEDIA, compiled by the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration; The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, 1938
COUNTIES AND COUNTY SEATS, REFERENCE SERIES; Idaho Historical Society, 1991.
Donovan Yingst
Donovan Yingst

Page URL: http://home.rmci.net/dyingst/cntyform.htm
© Donovan Yingst 1998
Updated: Sunday, May 03, 1998 1:21:42 PM

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