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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

COUNTY FORMATION

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.