Owyhee County ID

Owyhee County, Idaho, stands out for its vast, rugged landscape, encompassing a significant portion of the state’s southwestern corner, including part of the Snake River Plain. Established on December 31, 1863, from a portion of Boise County, it is Idaho’s second-largest county by area and was the first county to be created by the Idaho Territory. The county’s unique name is derived from an early anglicization of “Hawaii,” commemorating three native Hawaiian (Owyhee) explorers who disappeared in the area in 1819 while working for the North West Company during its fur-trading operations. Owyhee County’s history is deeply rooted in its rich mineral deposits, leading to a mining boom with the discovery of silver in 1863. This legacy of mining and the subsequent development of agriculture and livestock raising have shaped its economy and cultural heritage.

Murdoch, John – Obituary

North Powder, Oregon John Murdoch, 81, of North Powder, died Jan. 19, 2004, at his son’s ranch in Oreana, Idaho. His funeral will be Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 11 a.m. at Haines Methodist Church. John was born Jan. 24, 1922, in Fruitland, Idaho, to John (Scotty) and Esther Hvidberg Murdoch. He graduated in 1940 from Haines High School. John married Barbara Daugherty on Feb. 13, 1943, in Weiser, Idaho. He joined the Navy in 1944, serving in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, John ranched for several years, and then purchased the Chevron Service Station in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Parks

One of the oldest pioneers of Malheur County and a man of excellent capabilities, being possessed of practical ability and judgment, and a keen discrimination that have made him a very successful business man and one of the leaders in the realm of finance in this section, the subject of this article is abundantly worthy of recognition and especial mention among the prominent men of Malheur County and this portion of Oregon, being also a man of worth and personal virtues. Mr. Parks was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 7, 1845, being the son of Abraham and Jane … Read more

Biography of Charles M. Hays

A well known lawyer and pioneer of Idaho is Charles Marshall Hays, of Boise. Almost his entire life has been passed on the Pacific coast and he has therefore been a witness of the marvelous development of this section of the country. He was born in Saline County, Missouri, on the 22d of April 1845, and is descended from Irish ancestry. Members of the family were early residents of Virginia and Kentucky and were participants in the struggle that brought to the nation her independence. The grandfather of our subject removed from the Old Dominion to Kentucky during the pioneer epoch … Read more

Biography of J. J. Plumer, M. D.

Dr. J. J. Plumer, the physician and surgeon of the De Lamar Mining Company, also engaged in general practice in De Lamar, is a native of Missouri, his birth having occurred in Edina, April 8, 1860. He traces his ancestry back to England, whence in the year 1832 members of the family who belonged to the sect of Puritans crossed the Atlantic to America. They braved the dangers so common to ocean voyages in those days in order to have liberty of conscience in the New World, and they and their descendants were connected with the early history of the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles C. Beggs

No grander monument can be placed at the head of the grave of any man than the noble work that the pioneers did in this section of the country, when they fought back the bloodthirsty hordes of savages and invaded the wilds of nature, to reclaim for homes and civilization’s abode these regions which was done at the expense of much trying labor, great hardships, perils of serious nature and self-denial all the way through. Among this worthy class and deserving of special honor for his faithful life and excellent achievements, is the esteemed subject of this memoir, to whom … Read more

Biography of Peter Adams

For a third of a century Peter Adams has been a resident of Owyhee county, and has been identified with the important work of taking from the mountain side the rich mineral deposits and securing the valuable metals that they may be used in connection with the commercial activity of the nation. He came to the west from the far-off Empire state, his birth having occurred in Dunkirk, New York, on the 24th of February 1837. The Adams family is of Scotch origin, and the parents of our subject were Peter and Jane (Brodie) Adams, residents of Buffalo, New York. … Read more

Biography of Richard Z. Johnson

Perhaps there is no part of this history of more general interest than the record of the bar. It is well known that the peace, prosperity and well-being of every community depend upon the wise interpretation of the laws, as well as upon their judicious framing, and there-fore the records of the various persons who have at various times made up the bar will form an important part of this work. A well known jurist of Illinois said, “In the American state the great and good lawyer must always be prominent, for he is one of the forces that move … Read more

Biography of Malcolm McGregor

Among the enterprises of Weiser which are alike creditable to the city and to their proprietors is the Vendome Hotel, which was built by its present owners and managers, Messrs. McGregor and Coakley, and by them opened for business in February, 1891. Since that time the hotel has gained a very favorable reputation with the traveling public and enjoys a large patronage. It is a brick structure, two stories high, and contains twenty-eight rooms, well finished, well furnished, well ventilated and nicely kept. Great care is given to the perfection of all arrangements which will contribute to the comfort of … Read more

Bell, Ralph Edward – Obituary

Ralph Edward Bell, 81, of Boise, a former longtime Baker City resident, died March 13, 2003, at Valley View Retirement Center in Boise. His graveside funeral was at 2 p.m. today at Terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens in Boise. Visitations were Monday at Summer Funeral Homes, Boise Chapel in Boise. Ralph was born April 15, 1921, at Marsing, Idaho, to Clifford and Flo Benson Bell. He was a Baker High School graduate. He married Blanche Hickerson on Oct. 14, 1939. She died on April 15, 1996. During his life, Ralph was employed as a truckdriver and dock foreman for Meadow Gold … Read more

Biography of William N. Nichols

Among the earnest men whose depths of character and strict adherence to principle excite the admiration of his contemporaries, Mr. Nichols is prominent. He is now the esteemed and capable chairman of the Owyhee county board of commissioners and resides at Silver City. At present he is connected with various mining and business interests and is the possessor of an ample fortune; but the time was when his means were very limited, and to his own well directed efforts his success is attributable. Mr. Nichols was born in Shelby County, Ohio, on the 9th of May 1853, and is of … Read more

Dalke, Stephen Arnold “Steve” – Obituary

Stephen Arnold “Steve” Dalke, 49, of Hammett, Idaho, died Feb. 22, 2002, after battling cancer. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Steve was born on Dec. 2, 1952, at Omaha, Neb., to Arnold and Doris Dalke, who were missionaries with Village Missions in the Western states. He graduated from Yreka High School at Yreka, Calif., in 1971. He attended Montana Institute of the Bible where he met his future wife, Carla Sue Claiborne of Boise. They were married at Cole Community Church on May 22, 1976. Throughout … Read more

Owyhee 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. Owyhee County Cemetery Records (hosted at Idaho USGenWeb Archives) Bruneau Cemetery Surnames A-L Surnames M-Z Marsing-Homedale Cemetery Surnames A-G Surnames H-M Surnames T-Z Oreana Cemetery Reynolds Cemetery Wilson Cemetery Owyhee County Cemetery Records Hosted at Interment.net Fairview Cemetery  

Biographical Sketch of Richard Harvey Johnson

The subject of this sketch, the son and law partner of Richard Z. Johnson, subject of the preceding review, was born at Silver City, in Owyhee County, Idaho, on the 19th of July 1870. He received his education at the Boise high school, and in mathematics and the modern languages at the Concordia, in Zurich, Switzerland, and in Greek and Latin under Professors Lambert and Winneger, at Lindau, in Boden-See, Bavaria. Returning to America, he entered Yale University and afterwards graduated from the law department, with the degree of LL. B., in 1892 just thirty-three years after his father had … Read more

Owyhee County Its History, Towns, Industries

In 1862 the present county of Owyhee was a part of Boise County, which comprised all of the western portion of Washington Territory lying south of what was then called Idaho county, its area being nearly equal to that of Pennsylvania. When Idaho was created a territory by act of congress, March 3, 1863, Boise county became part and parcel of the territory of Idaho, and at the first session of the territorial legislature, held at Lewiston, Idaho, Owyhee County was created, December 31, 1863, out of all territory south of Snake River and west of the Rocky mountains. In … Read more

Biography of Tim Shea

Perhaps no one business enterprise or industry indicates more clearly the commercial and social status of a town than its hotels. The wide-awake, enterprising villages and cities must have pleasant accommodations for visitors and traveling men, and the foreign public judges of a community by the entertainment afforded to the strangers. In this regard the Idaho Hotel, of which Mr. Shea is proprietor, is an index of the character and advantages of Silver City, for the hostelry will rank favorably with those of many a larger place, and its genial proprietor neglects nothing that can add to the comfort of … Read more

Biography of Frederick Crete, Sr.

One of the most successful pioneer citizens of Silver City is Frederick Crete, who is a native of Hanover, Germany, where he was born in August 1833. He is a brother of John Crete, Sr., whose sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. While still a young man Mr. Crete decided to try his fortunes in the New World, of which he had heard so much, and bidding adieu to the Fatherland and all its happy associations, he embarked on a vessel which landed him in New York city in 1852. From there he found his way to Attleboro, … Read more

Biography of Richard H. Bennett

The proprietor of one of the fine sheep ranches of southern Idaho, Richard H. Bennett maintains his residence in Mountain Home and from that point superintends his extensive business interests, in which he is meeting with good success. He is truly a self-made man, for he came to America empty-handed and through his own labors has worked his way steadily upward. He was born in England, March 19, 1850, a son of James and Jane (Sanders) Bennett, also natives of that country. In 1868, at the age of eighteen years, he severed the ties which bound him to his native … Read more

Biography of John Scales

John Scales, a resident of Wagontown, is a native of the Emerald Isle, his birth having occurred in Kilrush, County Clare, on the 6th of May 1840. At the time of the protectorate in England members of the Scales family, natives of that land, went to Ireland as soldiers of Oliver Cromwell, and for their services were paid in Irish estates, called “sword-lands.” The parents of our subject were Samuel and Rachel Scales, who were distant relatives. They came to America in 1855, bringing with them their family of five children, and took up their residence in the state of … Read more

Biography of Hon. James G. Watts

Among the practitioners of the bar of Silver City, Idaho, is James G. Watts, who is also a distinguished member of the state senate. Pennsylvania is the state of his nativity, his birth having occurred in the town of Wellsboro, July 23, 1858. His father, Daniel Watts, was a native of England, and on crossing the Atlantic to America took up his residence in New York, whence he afterward removed to the Keystone state. There he was married to Miss Harriet Goodrich, a native of Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and a representative of an old Puritan family. During the civil war … Read more

The Poorman Mine

On War Eagle Mountain, a mile and a half southeast of Silver City, are a group of about twenty mines, in one of the richest belts in that section of the state, a belt which has afforded material to render Silver City famous throughout the civilized world. The Poorman mine has a production record of three million dollars, and other properties of the group as Bell Pick, Oso, Illinois Central, Jackson and Silver Cord have all been good producers. The Poorman mine was discovered in 1865, and between July 9 and October 1, 1866, there was shipped from it the … Read more