History. Payette County, smallest in Idaho, was created in 1917. Early in that year, legislative action and a two-thirds majority vote of the citizens of the section, authorized the organization of northwestern Canyon County into a new county. A general election in Canyon to vote on the issue was called for the same year, and the new county was organized. It was named Payette in honor of Francis Payette, whom the Hudson's Bay Company placed in charge of old Fort Boise during its existence. The city of Payette was designated as its seat.
The area of Payette was for twenty-seven years a part of Ada, and for twenty-six years after that, a part of Canyon County. Thus the history of Payette as a separate unit is necessarily brief. In 1862 David Bivens established a stage station on the site that was later known as Falk's Store. The Bluff Station Ferry, situated about one and a half miles from Payette on the trail from Boise to Umatilla, began operations in 1866. Many of the first settlers were homesteaders who in 1864 came from the Boise Basin and other mining districts. In 1866, when the Indians of the locality became troublesome, Fort Jefferson was built near Bivens stage station. The next year Charles Toombs established a store on the site, which was near the present border line between Gem and Payette counties. With the establishment of a stage station of an Oregon, Utah, Idaho stage line this soon became an outfitting and trading post. In 1876 Nathan Falk opened a general store, and the settlement, which was an important trading center for all the surrounding territory in Gem and Payette Counties, became known as Falk's Store. In 1883, when the UP RR (Union Pacific Railroad) began construction of their railroad, Boomerang, later known as Payette, came into existence with a camp, a storehouse, and store. Local persons had a contract with the railroad to deliver 250,000 ties at that point. Mail was handled in the store.
Payette County has an area of 414 square miles, and a population of 7,318, or an average of 18 persons to each square mile. Among counties of the State, Payette ranks twenty-ninth in wealth and twenty-fourth in population.
Description. Payette County comprises the lower valley of the Payette River, with an elevation of only 2,150 feet.
Payette River flows through the central part of the county, joining the Snake at the western border line. Little Willow and Big Willow Creeks flowing from the north are the principal tributaries of the Payette River within the valley. Snake River forms the western boundary line and drains the western part of the county. In the northeast corner are foothills, the southern extremity of Squaw Ridge Mountains.
Situated in southwestern Idaho, Payette County is bounded on the north by Washington, on the east by Gem, on the south by Canyon, and on the west by Snake River, which separates it from Oregon.
The mild climate of Payette is similar to that of southern Washington, Canyon, and Gem Counties. Summers are long and rather hot; winters are warm with little snow, which melts soon after it falls. The annual amount of precipitation at Payette is about 11 inches. About half of Payette County is irrigated.
Transportation facilities include highways and the UP RR (Union Pacific Railroad) in the central, southern, and western parts of the county. U S 30 enters near the southeast corner, runs straight north to about the center, runs west to within a short distance of the western boundary, turns north, and leaves the county at the northwest corner. State 16 joins U S 30 from the east; State 18 connects Parma with U S 30 just below Fruitland. The UP RR follows Payette River across the central part of the county to the city of Payette. At Payette it turns north and follows Snake River along the western boundary to Weiser in Washington County. The Payette-Emmett branch makes daily runs between Payette and Emmett.
Resources. Payette Valley is famous for its fruit culture. Approximately 100,000 acres of irrigated land and almost as much nonirrigated land lies in the county. Water for irrigation is stored in the Paddock Reservoir on Little Willow Creek and in the Black Canyon Reservoir on the Payette River in Gem County. The main canal is about 40 miles long, with five ditches and extensions owned by the Farmers' Co-operative running from it. The only mineral resources are diatomaceous earth, various clays of excellent quality, and natural gas. Early settlers discovered outcroppings of lignite coal on Little Willow Creek, but no mining has been done.
Products. Payette is an agricultural and fruit-raising county. It supports four feed mills, an alfalfa mill, and and two planing mills. Wheat, oats, barley, rye, alfalfa, timothy, red clover, clover seed, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, head lettuce, onions, tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, apples, prunes, plums, peaches, cherries, nectarines, pears, apricots, grapes, and berries of all kinds are raised for commercial purposes, and large quantities are shipped out each year. Payette is one of the leading counties in production of corn. It leads the counties in apples, prunes, and plums; it is second in small grains cut for hay and sorghum cut for silage; and sixth in the production of pears and cherries. Fully 80 per cent of the prune acreage of the State a situated in the Payette and Boise River Valleys. Surplus peas, tomatoes, and fruits are canned or dried in the cannery at Payette and its branch cannery, two cars of canned pears being shipped out of Payette in 1936. At convenient loading stations throughout the fruit district are cold storage houses for about 200 cars of fruit. These operate in connection with the packing houses of the county.
More than 1,000,000 pounds of butter are made at the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery in Payette, the cream being supplied by the members. Payette is one of the leading counties in poultry shipped out. Honey is another important product. Sheep are raised for market, and their wool is an important product.
Natural gas is the only mineral that has been developed in Payette County.
Points of Interest. Botanical Gardens west of Payette.
The Idaho Encyclopedia
Vardis Fisher
1938, Page 210 - 211
The Counties
In the following list, the counties are ranked in their order of founding, size, population, and taxable wealth.
Number 38. Payette....1917
Number 44. Payette Size....414 Square Miles
Number 24. Payette Population in 1930....7,318
Number 29. Payette Wealth in 1931....$5,459,655
Correcting Statistics 1940
Counties of Idaho Arranged According to Size in Square Miles
Number 44. Payette....403 Square Miles
Counties of Idaho Arranged According to Population, 1940 Census
Number 20. Payette....9,511
Counties of Idaho Arranged According to Wealth, 1940 Census
Number 29. Payette....$5,051,913.58
Mining Districts of the State of Idaho 1936
Mineralized Area by Mining Districts
Payette River ...120 - O - 3
