When Lewis And Clark's Voyage of Discovery left St. Louis in May 1804 they had only a few rough maps of the route ahead. It was Clark's job to chart their route and make notes of the land’s geographical features. Names had to be put down on paper so some expedition members names were used. Peter Weiser was a member who returned several years later to trap beaver on the river and drainage that bears his name. Other accounts state that the Weiser's name came from Jack Weiser, who, in 1818, was with a Donald McKenzie trapping expedition.
Other early trappers’ names were given to rivers. John Reed, who was employed as a trapper for the Wilson Price Hunt expedition, had the present Boise River, named for him. Fort Boise was originally called "Snake Fort" and was located at the junction of the Boise River and Snake River.
In 1833, a party of Frenchmen with Captain Bonneville's expedition, upon entering the Boise Valley, exclaimed "Les Bois, Les Bois” (see the woods). This was the first sighting of wood-lined streams on their trek across the Idaho desert. The name "Boise" stuck for the stream, valley and later the city.
François Payette did extensive trapping up and down the river drainage that bears his name. A city, county, forest and lake are named for him. He was the chief clerk at Fort Boise until 1844. Originally, Payette, (the city) was named Boomerang. Historian Arthur Hart, suggests that, perhaps the name came from early pioneers, the Moss Brothers, who with David Lamme, came from Laramie, Wyoming where Editor Bill Nye’s paper "The Laramie Boomerang" was printed. It was full of frontier humor and wit. He named the paper after his cantankerous mule "Boomerang." When the railroad came through town in 1884, the citizens awoke one morning to find the name "Payette" on top of the depot.
New Plymouth was named by the 35 colonists who left Chicago for the Payette Valley. They compared their journey to that of the Pilgrims who had landed at Plymouth Rock.
Emmett was originally named Martinsville, after Nathaniel Martin who had a feed bar, home and fairy on the Basin Trail. In 1870 the name was changed to Emmettsville and later shortened to Emmett, after Postmaster Thomas Calahan's son Emmett. Nearby Letha was named after the daughter of railroad promoter W.W. Wilton.
Horseshoe Bend was first named Warrinerville after the first postmaster.
Ola was originally Bairdville - later named after a Swedish man.
Sweet was named for rancher and postmaster Ezekial Sweet.
Idaho City was first called Bannock City, but was too confusing with Bannock City, Montana. The legislature changed it.
Grandjean was named for early forest supervisor Emile Grandjean. Lowman was named for the first homesteader, Nathaniel Lowman.
McCall was named Tom McCall who settled there in 1890.
Burgdorf was named after German immigrant, Fred Burgdorf, who ranched and operated a hotel at the hot springs.
Donnelly was named for one of the early Finnish settlers in 1890.
Crouch was named for Bill Crouch, local homesteader who donated land for the community hall and store.
Council was named for "The Council Tree," a large pine under which Indians met and traded.
Midvale was originally called "Middle Valley," located half-way between the upper and lower valleys. The first settlers arrived in 1868.
New Meadows was named after the railroad ended its tracks and built a depot a mile short of the townsite of Meadows. The town moved.
Riggins was named after early settler, R. L. "Dick" Riggins who settled here in 1900. The area was used by the Nez Perce Indians as a camping site.
Cuprum was the Latin word for copper. It was mined along with gold and silver in the Seven Devils Mining District.
Ada County was named after the first white child, Ada, who was born in 1863 in Boise City. Her father, H. C. Riggs, was a legislator who helped establish the county.
Julia Davis Park was named for the wife of Tom Davis who had 500 acres of orchard and farmland at the Boise townsite.
Kuna was originally called 15 Mile House, a stage station on the stage line from Boise to Silver City. It's an Indian word meaning " Snow."
Nampa was named for Nampuh or Big Foot, area Indian renegade.
Meridian was originally named Hunter by the railroad, but renamed after the Meridian Lodge of the IOOF.
Middleton is one of Idaho's oldest settlements. The townsite was filed in 1865 and was a stage station on the route between Boise and Keeney’s Ferry (near Parma) on the Snake River.
Parma was named by store owner, Albert Fouch, for his native town Parma, Italy.
Roswell used a combination of names of early irrigation pioneers, D. W. Ross and J. H. Lowell.
Marsing was named in 1937 for the Marsing Brothers. It was originally named Erb by the railroad.
Caldwell was named after C. A. Caldwell, president of the Idaho and Orange Land Improvement Company.
Bruneau. The river was named after an early Hudson Bay trapper.
Owyhee was named for three Hawaiian for trappers employed by Hudson Bay Company who were killed by Indians in 1819.
Melba. C. C. Todd purchased 160 acres of land on the north side of the Snake River, laid out a townsite and named after his three-year-old daughter, Melba.
Mountain Home was originally named Rattlesnake Station, when it was eight miles northeast of the present townsite. When the railroad came, it was called Tutville and when the town moved to it’s present site the railroad renamed station "Mountain Home."
Greenleaf was named for Quaker John Greenleaf Whittier.
Glenn’s Ferry. "Gus" Glenn operated a ferry one mile east of town.
Oreana. Harry Olson, who had a hotel there in 1884, named the town. It's a term used by cattleman to designate unbranded but earmarked yearling calves.
Oakley was originally Goose Creek Crossing, later named for an early stage coach driver Thomas Oakley.
Burley was named for Oregon Short Line railroad agent Donald E. Burley who developed new methods of packing and shipping potatoes.
Ketchum was named after first settler, in 1881, David Ketchum.