Camas County IDGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of the county. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of Camas county ancestors.
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Temporary County Coordinator: Norma Hass normahass01@gmail.com
State Coordinator: Kerry Hairston kerry.hairston@gmail.com
Camas County was formed on February 6, 1917 from Blaine County consisting of
eleven hundred square miles. It has been under the jurisdiction of ten separate
counties, between 1843 and 1917. They are in order of their creation; Champaign,
Linn, Wasco, Shoshone, Idaho, Boise, Alturas, Logan, Alta and Blaine, either by
the first Territory or State of Idaho. Alturas County was the second largest
county created by the first Territorial Legislative Assembly. Old Alturas known
as the "Empire" county, extending from Boise east to the Little Lost River,
north from the Sawtooth Range and south to the Snake River. On December 11, 1882
at the 12th session of the Idaho Territorial Legislative Assembly, a bill to
create a county from the western end of Alturas called Camas was introduced.
Thus after a Long and involved controversy concerning the creation of counties
from the original Alturas, Camas County was formed. The County seat is at
Fairfield.
Camas County consists of the small mining towns of Soldier,
now a ghost town. In 1883 Frank and Nettie Laurence lived on Soldier Creek and
built a home there. They died and are buried on soldier creek. The town seemed
secure until the OSL by passed it, going 2 miles south, residents and businesses
vacated and moved to the RR site and named the site New Soldier, later re-naming
it Fair Field. Corral sits in the S.W. in county. Hill City 14 miles S.W. of
Fairfield first named Prairie for Camas Prairie but changed to Hill City. Some
of the early settlers in 1885 were the Johnson brothers, George, Gustavis,
Lester, Bert, Lou, and two sisters, Zena and Mrs. Monroe. Fairfield (formerly
New Soldier). Magic is in S.E. part of county on west side of Magic Reservoir,
It had a post office from 1913-1921. Although there was once nine small
settlements or towns.
Camas was named for the lily-like plant found in
the area with an edible bulb, gathered in the summer and used by the Bannock
Indians and then by settlers.
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This page was last updated 08/09/2024