~ Camas County~

Camas County Courthouse

Camas County was created by the Idaho Legislature on February 6, 1917, by a partition of Blaine County. It is named for the camas root, or Camassia, a lily-like plant with an edible bulb found in the region, which was used as a food source by Native Americans and settlers. Camas County covers 1,075 square miles or 688,000 acres.

When the cavalry was stationed at Fort Boise the southern portion of the Camas Prairie was an important feeding ground for their horses. In 1869, a treaty ratified by the US Senate provided a portion of the "Kansas Prairie" instead of the "Camas Prairie" to be retained by the Bannock Indians. The error may have made by the person who transcribed the treaty. Since there was no "Kansas Prairie" in Idaho, the treaty rights of the Bannocks were ignored. When they found a few settlers were allowing their hogs to feed on the Bannocks' traditional food source, the camas root, they objected (without results), which was a major cause of the Bannock War of 1878. Development of the region was slowed by the heavy snows of winter and the Bannock War, but farmers and rancher soon found good water, timber, grass, and an abundance of fish in the streams. Soldier was the first town established on Camas Prairie located about four miles northeast of Fairfield. When the railroad was built across the county it bypassed Soldier and when Camas was organized as a county Fairfield became the seat and most of the population moved there. The Lava mining district lies a few miles southwest of Fairfield, which attracted miners in the 1880s, but the main attraction of Camas County has always been its agricultural lands.

Camas County is bordered by Blaine County on the north and east, Lincoln and Gooding Counties on the south, and Elmore County on the west. Most of the population lives in the Camas Prairie, a high plain at an elevation of 5,100 feet situated between the Soldier Mountains, at the southern end of the Sawtooth Range, and the Bennett hills which separate the Camas Prairie from the Snake River Plain to the south.

The prairie is 28 miles long and 3 to 11 miles wide and slopes from west to east and from north to south. Land ownership in the county is: 65% Federal Lands managed by The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service, 30% privately owned, and 5% State lands.

Indians were the first human beings on the Camas Prairie. However, American explorers and trappers were in the area as early as 1811 when the Wilson Price Hunt Party sent members of their party through southern Idaho to the Oregon coast.

The French trappers, under the leadership of Donald McKenzie discovered Camas Prairie on his way from Little Lost River in 1820.

In 1824 Alexander Ross Party, in the employment of the Hudson’s Bay Company, came in by way of the Salmon River, thence over the divide to Big Lost River and from Lost River they came by Trail Creek to where Ketchum is now located. The party of John Work, also employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, covered some of the same territory as the Ross Party, in the year 1832. Work came through the Smoky area but made no mention of Camas Prairie.

Camp Wallace, located on Soldier’s Creek, was established June 8, 1865 and abandoned September 20, 1865.

There is some evidence that the spot where the encampment was located was named Soldier before the Army established quarters there.

In 1854 after the Ward Massacre in Boise Valley, some other emigrants were killed on Camas Prairie, and the next summer, Nathan Olney camped on Camas Prairie with some soldiers on his way to Fort Hall.

Mr. Frank Croner procured an affidavit from someone who claimed to have gone through Camas Prairie, coming from Oregon with a contingent of soldiers on the way east to some other encampment. He said they called it Soldier Creek and Soldier Mountain before 1865 and prior to the establishment of Camp Wallace. Apparently, “Soldier” was the name chosen when application was made for a post office there and it must have been the choice of the citizens who applied for the establishment of the post office.

There is a probability that settlers who came there in the year 1880 and following were unaware that the military encampment was known as Camp Wallace. Why Captain Ephriam Palmer chose that name is unknown, perhaps it was to honor the first governor of Idaho territory, Mr. William Wallace.

Nathanial Wyeth, J.K. Townsend and others finished building a trading post at Fort Hall in the summer of 1834. After its completion they left the Malade River Valley and went up on “Kamas Prairie” and camped on a branch of the Malade. They passed through Camas Prairie on their way west on August 17, 1834. In 1852 to 1855 this route was used by emigrant wagons headed for western Oregon, and in 1862, Timothy Goodale led a large emigrant party that way.

September 1, 1864 military expedition of about 30 cavalry men and about 30 infantrymen were sent out from Fort Boise through Camas Prairie to Fort Hall to clear the area in all directions of hostile Indians.

1880’s were documented as large cattle and horse drives going through Camas Prairie from Oregon to Omaha, Nebraska.

Hill City at one time was the largest sheep-shipping center in the world.

Between 1880 and 1885 mining had reached its apex and other means of making a living were being sought.

A partnership or association of Rice & Foster recruited people from all parts of the nation to come to Camas Prairie.

There were two distinct waves of immigration. The first one began about 1880 and continued on into the nineties, slowing down as it advanced. Most of the settlers who came during this period had no way of knowing what kind of crops would grow in the short growing season or the other problems they would encounter such as frost (because of the high altitude of the area), the uncertainty of rain, and the invasion of grasshoppers and crickets.

As to determine who was the first to settle on Camas Prairie, is difficult. There are stories of a mysterious settlement on Chimney Creek, from which the creek derives its name. A group of people attempted to settle there many years ago, even before 1860. The meager evidence gathered after five years of research gives an indication that it was one of the early Mormon settlements.

If it was a Mormon settlement, the head office has no record of such a settlement, it lost contact with the Church in Salt Lake. It had all the earmarks of being a Mormon settlement. It was built in a string like fashion and there were outdoor chimneys built along the creek from its source to almost down to where it empties into the river.

Prior to the settlement of Camas County, the Bannock Indians used the prairie as their summer camping area. Here they gathered the Camas and Yampus roots and hunted wild game.

When the cavalry was stationed at Fort Boise the southern portion of the Camas Prairie was an important feeding ground for their horses. In 1869, a treaty ratified by the US Senate provided a portion of the "Kansas Prairie" instead of the "Camas Prairie" to be retained by the Bannock Indians. The error may have made by the person who transcribed the treaty. Since there was no "Kansas Prairie" in Idaho, the treaty rights of the Bannocks were ignored. When they found a few settlers were allowing their hogs to feed on the Bannocks' traditional food source, the camas root, they objected (without results), which was a major cause of the Bannock War of 1878.

Following the Bannock War of 1878 (see Bannock War below), the summer gathering of roots tapered off dramatically, but still continued into the 1950’s.

Development of the region was slowed by the heavy snows of winter and the Bannock War, but farmers and rancher soon found good water, timber, grass, and an abundance of fish in the streams. Soldier was the first town established on Camas Prairie located about four miles northeast of Fairfield. When the railroad was built across the county it bypassed Soldier and when Camas was organized as a county Fairfield became the seat and most of the population moved there. The Lava mining district lies a few miles southwest of Fairfield, which attracted miners in the 1880s, but the main attraction of Camas County has always been its agricultural lands.

In 1877, the government opened the area for settlement and within two years the first land filings were recorded in Boise. Six years later, the first school was established. Eventually, a total of 17 small schools dotted the prairie serving the educational and social purposes of the scattered communities. By 1948, most schools had consolidated with the Fairfield system. The last rural school closed in 1953.

At one time, up to nine small towns thrived in what is now Camas County. The town of Soldier, located two miles north of Fairfield, was a bustling center of commerce, culture and social activity. Soldier’s decline, however, began during the formation of Fairfield in 1911 occasioned by the arrival of the Oregon Short Line Railroad.

The railroad served the Camas Prairie for a period of seventy years. A remnant of this bygone era and many of the daily items from the pioneer days to the present still remain within the historic Railroad Depot/Museum building located in Fairfield.

Fairfield

Fairfield, located an hour from Sun Valley, Idaho...is emerging as Idaho's best "undiscovered" small ski town with its friendly, casual atmosphere and year-round recreation: 

Winter sun and fun includes excellent powder runs, snowboarding, groomed skiing and cat skiing at Soldier Mountain Ski Resort and adjacent unlimited back-country ski areas on National Forest Lands; hundreds of miles of beginner to expert snowmobiling trails, Nordic-skate and cross-country skiing.  Area lodging is limited, so make reservations early!

Spring and Summer: With a wide-open prairie and adjacent Forest Service access, the high mountain desert dry air with long, sunny days and bright clear night skies provide outdoor enthusiasts optimum recreational opportunities. Excellent mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, bird and wildlife watching, golf and photography. It's an undiscovered paradise for recreation and RV travelers. 

Bannock War

The Bannock War was a series of conflicts in 1878 between various Bannock, Northern Shoshone and Paiute tribes against the United States.

Camas (Camassia quamash) is a plant with a blue or purple flower which has a nutritious bulb about the size and shape of a tulip bulb. For many of the tribes in Idaho, Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, and Western Montana, camas was a major source of food. It was gathered in late spring or early fall. It was either eaten raw or steamed in a pit for immediate consumption. To preserve the camas, the bulbs were pounded in a mortar to make a kind of dough which was then shaped into loaves, wrapped in grass, and steamed again. After cooking it for a second time, the loaves were made into smaller cakes and dried in the sun. Without adequate stock of camas, people would be ill prepared for the cold winter months. In Idaho, one of the most important camas areas was known as Great Camas Prairie.

The Bannock tribe was restricted to the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho by the Fort Bridger Treaty Council of 1868. The tribe was experiencing a famine as they competed with local settlers for game, and the rations provided by the U.S government were too few to support the people on the reservation. In the spring of 1871, the Bannocks and Shoshone traveled to nearby Great Camas Prairie to harvest camas roots. They discovered that settlers had grazed their hogs and livestock on the land, and many of the camas tubers had been eaten. This increased the starvation pressure on the tribes and lead to increased hostility.

General George Crook, a contemporary United States military officer, commented that: "...it was no surprise...that some of the Indian soon afterward broke out into hostilities, and the great wonder is that so many remained on the reservation. With the Bannocks and Shoshone, our Indian policy has resolved itself into a question of war path or starvation, and being merely human, many of them will always choose the former alternative when death shall at least be glorious."

Source: Wikipedia, Camas County, City of Fairfield, Elmore County Press

Summer in El-Wyhee

Camas County

Camas Chamber of Commerce

Geography

Located in southcentral Idaho, Camas County boasts 1071 square miles of geographic diversity. Let’s take a peek at just a few of the highlights.

Spanning the center of the county from east to west is the Camas Prairie – a high plateau valley with an average elevation of 5000 feet. Approximately 125,000 acres of the prairie are devoted to crops and pasture. Antelope, deer and other wildlife freely roam the prairie. And, tucked against the Bennett Hills on the west end of the county is the Centennial Marsh – home to numerous bird species and a popular attraction for birdwatchers. In mid- to late spring, the marsh and many other parts of the prairie become a bluish purple sea of Camas Lilies.

The average annual precipitation on the prairie is about 15.7 inches, most of which falls as snow. Again, diversity is the theme with the southeastern parts of the county receiving only 11 to 12 inches of precipitation and the northwestern mountains receiving in excess of 25 inches. While the mean average temperature is 41* F., summertime highs average a comfortable 70-75*. Temperature extremes have varied from a rare 101* in the summer to an equally rare -60* in the winter. Residents enjoy bright sunshine 300 days of the year.

The ruggedly beautiful Sawtooth Mountains reach for the sky in the northern half of the county. Four peaks tower above 10,000 feet with Baker Peak, the tallest, at 10,174 feet. The Sawtooth Mountains and their foothills offer abundant recreation opportunities. Popular spring through autumn activities include camping, backpacking, fishing, hunting and sightseeing. Winter, too, presents plenty of opportunity for those who enjoy downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

The Bennett Hills to the south of the prairie are also popular for outdoor recreationists. Twin Lakes (Mormon) Reservoir and Magic Reservoir are well-equipped to support large number of serious anglers. Though smaller and less accessible, Thorn Creek reservoir also provides pleasant fishing. The Bennett Hills draw hunters, sledders, snowmobilers, and those intrigued by volcanic geology.

In addition to the abundant opportunities locally, Camas County is within easy, scenic access to shopping, recreation and cultural opportunities in Sun Valley, Twin Falls and Boise. We’re close enough to enjoy what they have to offer and far enough away to create our own special community.

Home, Sweet Home

We call this place home. Among all the commendable words used to describe Camas County, perhaps no word is more appropriate than “home”. It’s a great place to raise a family and cultivate a commitment to mutual respect, cooperation and straight-forward neighborliness.

Numerous organizations actively cultivate the values and neighborly interaction which strengthen our community. These groups include five churches, 4-H, the Camas Seniors’ Center, the Historical Society, Home Demonstration Club, American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, the County Fair Board, Rebekah Lodge, Camas Civic Organization, and several support groups. The number and vitality of these organizations express a long-held commitment to volunteerism.

Our population is quite small with approximately 900 people residing in the county. However, this represents substantial growth in recent years. Continued growth in the neighboring Wood River Valley and new development locally are stimulating further expansion in our economy and population base.

As our community grows, we continue to emphasize those wholesome commitments and values which draw us together.

Education

It is a widely and deeply held conviction in this predominantly agricultural community that children are the most important “crop” we produce. They’re priceless! And we express that conviction in many ways. One way is through active support of the school system.

As is true of most school districts, the Camas County School system must rely on a certain degree on over-ride levies to adequately find the local school program. How has the community responded? Every single over-ride levy election passed with the vast majority of voters supporting the schools! We invest in the school to invest in our children.

And the investment pays well. With a teacher/student ration of 1:11, the students receive plenty of individual attention compared to most larger schools. As a result, the student tend to perform quite will in standard achievement tests compared to both national and state averages. The students receive a solid general education which prepares them well for most college programs.

The excellent support of the schools also produces students who are very active in extracurricular activities such as sports, FFA, FHA/HERO, and journalism to name a few. In fact, the weekly county newspaper is published primarily by high school students.

Industry

The economy of Camas County depends on its natural resources. The soil, mountains, streams, lakes and snow provide jobs either directly or indirectly for most families in the area.

Agriculture is the primary industry with alfalfa hay, beef, and cereal grains as the main enterprises. In addition to serving as the primary source of income for many of our families, agriculture also provides seasonal employment for many others.

Another industry directly dependent on our natural resources is downhill skiing. The ski area located 11 miles north of Fairfield is scheduled for large scale expansion in the next few years. Most local businesses benefit at least indirectly from agriculture, the ski area and other natural resource-based activities within the county.

Public service is also a large employment sector in the county. The US Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture, County government, and the school district provide a large share of the local employment.

In an effort to expand local job opportunities, volunteers serving through the Camas Civic Organization pursue economic development possibilities. As the administering organization of the Gem Community program, the Camas Civic Organization works closely with state economic development officials to explore and implement growth opportunities.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure and local services provide the foundation for growth and development. The existing infrastructure meets current needs of the city and county. However, local government officials as well as the Camas Civic Organization continue to pursue expanded services to foster economic growth.

Water, electricity and telephone services in Fairfield are more than adequate and very reasonably prices. The capacity of these services can easily accommodate significant growth.

Local medical needs are served by an Emergency Medical Service consisting of a modern ambulance and 18 well-trained emergency medical technicians. A medical clinic also operates in Fairfield two days per week.

Residents of Camas County enjoy the services of a well-managed public library in Fairfield. Additionally, most residents can receive up to five television stations, and Fairfield residents also have access to cable television.

Both city and county governments are served by active Planning and Zoning Commissions which regulate growth according to local ordinances.