Boise County ID

Boise County, Idaho, established on February 4, 1864, during the Idaho Territory’s formation, is a picturesque region that epitomizes the rugged beauty of the American Northwest. Named after the Boise River, which flows through the county, “Boise” is thought to have originated from the French word “boisée,” meaning wooded, a name given by French Canadian fur trappers for the area’s once abundant trees and verdant landscape. The county’s geography is marked by its mountainous terrain, part of the Boise and Sawtooth National Forests, offering a plethora of outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and hot springs, embodying Idaho’s reputation as a haven for nature enthusiasts. Boise County’s history is deeply intertwined with the Idaho gold rush era of the mid-19th century, serving as a pivotal area for mining operations and the resultant boomtowns that contributed significantly to the settlement and economic development of Idaho.

Biography of Louis N. B. Anderson

Fortunate is the man who has back of him an ancestry honorable and distinguished, and happy is he whose lines of life are cast in harmony therewith. In person, in character and talents, Mr. Anderson is a worthy scion of his race. Though his life has been one rather of modest reserve than of ambitious self-seeking, he has shown himself a peer of the brightest men of his adopted state, and his mental talents led to his selection for the important position of superintendent of public instruction of Idaho for the years 1897 and 1898, in which capacity he served … Read more

Boise County, Idaho Cemetery Records

Idaho Cemetery records are listed by county then name of cemetery within the Idaho county. Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. Boise County Cemetery Records Hosted at USGenWeb Idaho Archives Brownlee Cemetery Grimes Pass Cemetery Horseshoe Bend Cemetery Idaho City Pioneer Cemetery Placerville Cemetery Pioneer Cemetery Boise County Cemetery Records Hosted at Ewanida Rail Records Idaho City Pioneer Cemetery Boise County Cemetery Records Hosted at Interment.net Centerville Cemetery Centerville Catholic Cemetery  

Biography of Gen. Morton Mathew McCarver

GEN. MORTON MATHEW McCARVER. THE FOUNDER OF BURLINGTON, IOWA, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA AND TACOMA, WASHINGTON,- General McCarver was born near Lexington Kentucky, January 14, 1807. Of an independent, roving spirit, determination, courage and enterprise that knew no bounds, he quit his home at the age of eighteen years and went to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and not finding anything congenial to his tastes returned and settled in 1830 at Galena, Illinois, where he was married to a Miss Mary Ann Jennings. He served in the Black Hawk war, and after the surrender of the great chief of the Sacs and Foxes, … Read more

Biography of James Wilson

James Wilson, deceased, was for many years one of the leading farmers and stockmen of Idaho, and during his residence in this state did as much as any other man in the commonwealth in the interests of agriculture and stock raising. He is properly classed among the pioneers of Idaho, for his residence dated from 1864, and from that time until his death he took an active part in the conduct of business interests that resulted to the benefit of the state, as well as to his individual prosperity. A native of Washington County, Indiana, he was born May 15, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Noah S. Kellogg

NOAH S. KELLOGG. – This renowned prospector, whom Fortune has singled out as her favorite from among many thousands, was born in Ohio in 1829. In 1852 he began the journey across the plains, reaching Council Bluffs that year, and coming on to Portland, Oregon, in 1853. He terminated his trip at the Sound the same season. The next year he engaged in lumbering at Port Gamble, and continued in that business until 1870, spending one year, 1860, in the Boise basin. Since 1870 Mr. Kellogg has devoted the most of his attention to mining, traveling in British Columbia, California … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joseph C. Kelley

Joseph C. Kelley, one of the young business men of Malheur county, was born January 3, 1870, at Idaho City, Idaho, his parents being Joseph and Marrgaret (Thompson) Kelley, pioneers of that state. Joseph Kelley, senior, was a native of Farmington, Iowa, and was among those who in the early fifties sought the golden sands of California. After spending several years in California, in the middle sixties, Mr. Kelley again emigrated, going to Idaho and establishing himself in business as a mechanic at Idaho City. Here, in the closing days of 1870, the silver cord was broken and all that … Read more

Biography of John Lemp

More than a third of a century has passed since John Lemp came to Idaho, and throughout this long period he has been most actively connected with the business interests of Boise. His labors have contributed largely to its growth and upbuilding, and its commercial enterprise is due in no small measure to his investment in industries and business concerns which have contributed materially to its prosperity. He is one of the highly esteemed residents of the city, whose history would be incomplete without the record of his life. A native of Germany, John Lemp was born April 21, 1838, … Read more

Biography of Milton Kelly

Judge Milton Kelly, now deceased, who attained considerable prominence as one of Idaho’s most loyal citizens and public-spirited men, was born in Onondaga County, New York, September 9, 1818, and descended from Irish ancestors who were early settlers in New England. He was reared on his father’s farm, obtaining his early education in Bloomfield, New York, and when still young taught school. He went to Ohio, subsequently removing to Wisconsin, where for some time he was engaged in the mercantile business, and then studied law and was admitted to the bar about 1845. He then took up the practice of … Read more

Biography of John Dovell

JOHN DOVELL. – Mr. Dovell is one of those men who have belabored fortune, and have knocked about the world until it is sufficient to turn one’s hair gray simply to listen to their adventures. A native of the Azores, of Portuguese parentage and born in 1836, he came to Portland, Maine, at the age of fourteen, and learned shipbuilding. He left in four years and plied his trade in New Orleans, shipping thence to Liverpool, and coming as ship’s carpenter from that foreign port to San Francisco. He soon came up the coast to Portland, Oregon, and worked upon … Read more

Biography of Joel B. Harper

History has long since placed on its pages the names of those who, coming to the Atlantic coast, planted colonies in the New World and opened up that section of the country to civilization. As the years passed, and the population of that region rapidly increased, brave pioneers made their way into the wild districts farther west. The names of Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton were enduringly inscribed upon the records of Kentucky, that of John Jacob Astor upon the history of Michigan and other states of the upper Mississippi valley. Later Kit Carson and John C. Fremont made their … Read more

Biography of James A. Lauer

One of the popular and enterprising young merchants of Payette is James A. Lauer, who is numbered among Idaho’s native sons, his birth having occurred in Idaho City, on the 26th of February 1872. His father, William Lauer, is numbered among the early settlers of the state, having located here in 1861, and is the pioneer hardware merchant of Payette. The subject of this review was educated in the public schools of Idaho City, and with his parents came to Payette in 1885. Here he accepted a position as clerk in the general mercantile store of Marquardsen & Lamme, acceptably … Read more

Biography of Jonas W. Brown

Jonas W. Brown, of Boise, is an honored pioneer both of California and of Idaho. He crossed the plains with ox teams to Shasta county, California, in 1853, and since that time his life record has been inseparably interwoven with the history of this section of the country. At all times he has been the advocate of those measures tending to-ward the advancement and development of the region, and his influence is that of an honorable, upright man, whose force of character stamps itself indelibly for good upon the public life. This work would be incomplete without mention of Jonas … Read more

Biography of H. Y. Thompson

H. Y. Thompson was born at Senecaville, Guernsey county, Ohio, June 4, 1845. He was favored with a liberal education in the public and high schools of his native town. With the hope of improving his health, which had become impaired, in 1862, he undertook a trip across the plains and during the winter of 1862-3 was engaged in mining in Auburn, Baker County, Oregon. In the spring of 1863 he went to Idaho City and for three years carried on his mining operations at that place. His health not improving, he determined to try the climate of the valley … Read more

Political Secessionism And Crime

Before the mining period, commencing in 1862, Idaho was a comparatively unknown region belonging nominally to Oregon and afterward to Washington. During the years 1862-3 such was the rush of immigration to this section that Idaho was erected into a territory of the United States government. The enabling act to organize as such was passed by congress in the spring of the latter year, and on the 22d of September William H. Wallace, late delegate to congress from Washington, who had, on July l0th preceding, been appointed governor of Idaho by President Lincoln, issued his proclamation for organizing the territory, … Read more

Biography of Calvin R. White

Calvin R. White, one of the best known pioneers of Idaho, now residing in Boise, was born near Boston, Massachusetts, July 27, 1836, his parents being Samuel B. and Sarah (Richardson) White, natives of the Bay state. The father was for many years connected with the Boston & Lowell Railway, and died in the city of Boston when about seventy-six years of age. He was a son of Samuel White, also a native of Massachusetts, in which state his death occurred when he had passed the psalmist’s span of life of three-score years and ten. The mother of our subject … Read more

Discovery Of Gold in Idaho

It is reported that gold was discovered by a French Canadian in Pend d’Oreille river, in 1852. Two years later General Lander found gold while exploring the route for a military road from the Columbia to Fort Bridger. The earliest discoveries of which we have any authentic record, however, were probably made by members of the party with that veteran pioneer and path-finder, Captain John Mullan, the originator of the now famous Mullan road from Fort Benton to Walla Walla, a distance of six hundred and twenty-four miles. In a letter dated Washington, D. C, June 4, 1884, to Mr. … Read more

Boise County, Idaho Census Records

1870 Boise County, Idaho Census Free 1870 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com – 14 Days Free 1870 Boise County, Census (images and index) $ 1810-1890 Accelerated Indexing Systems $ Hosted at Census Guide 1870 U.S. Census Guide Hosted at Boise County IdahoUSGenWeb Census Project Index Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6 Hosted at USGenWeb Idaho Archives Beaver Creek-Buena Vista District Buena Vista, Centerville District Gold Hill, Granite Creek, Centerville, Grants Creek, Idaho City District Idaho City, Payette Valley District Payette Valley, Payette Mines, Pioneer, Idaho City District Pioneer, Placerville, Granite Creek, … Read more

Biography of John Brodbeck

One of the representative businessmen of Boise, Mr. Brodbeck, is a pioneer of Idaho, having come to this state in 1865. He is a native of Switzerland, where he was born April 4, 1833, and was reared and educated in his native land and there learned the brewing business. His parents were Nicholas and Elizabeth (Hagler) Brodbeck, the former of whom was a miller by trade, and he and his wife were members of the Lutheran church and were people of high respectability in the old country. He died in his fifty-third year and his wife survived him until attaining … Read more

Biography of James P. Gray

Thirty-five years have passed since James P. Gray came to Idaho to cast in his lot with its pioneers. People of the present end-of-the-century period can scarcely realize the struggles and dangers which attended the early settlers, the heroism and self-sacrifice of lives passed upon the borders of civilization, the hardships endured, the difficulties overcome. These tales of the early days read almost like a romance to those who have known only the modern prosperity and conveniences. To the pioneer of the early days, far removed from the privileges and conveniences of city or town, the struggle for existence was … Read more

Biography of Edward S. Jewell

Edward S. Jewell dates his residence in the Salubria valley from 1869, and is therefore numbered among its pioneer farmers and stock-raisers. A native of Wisconsin, he was born in Dodgeville, Iowa County, that state, on the 9th of October 1846, and is of English extraction. His father, Edward S. Jewell, Sr., was born in Cornwall, England, and after his marriage came with his wife and five children to the United States, locating in Wisconsin, where he remained until 1852, when he went to California to secure gold in the Eldorado of the west. It is believed that he was … Read more