Sunday November 22, 2009
11-21-2009 CRAPO: HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL MISSES THE MARK
Washington, DC – Tonight, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo voted against moving ahead on a health care reform proposal, saying that the legislation,...(More)
11-20-2009 CRAPO TO DELIVER NATIONAL ADDRESS ON HEALTH BILL
Washington, DC – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is delivering a national address on the health care legislation expected to be considered by the U.S....(More)
11-11-2009 SENATE RESOLUTION SUPPORTS VETERANS HISTORIES
Washington, DC – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are urging Americans to join an effort to record the wartime and service histories of...(More)
Owyhee Initiative
Links and information on the Owyhee Initiative.
Visiting DC?
Find out about popular government buildings and monuments you can visit on your trip.
Flag Day
Find out more about Flag Day 2009
Latest Video
Latest Audio
11/20/2009-Senator Mike Crapo Delivers Republican Weekly Radio Address, 20 Nov 2009
11/17/2009-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S., 17 Nov 2009
11/06/2009-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Wrap-up Podcast, 06 Nov 2009
11/03/2009-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S., 03 Nov 2009
10/27/2009-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S., 27 Oct 2009
Clearwater County
More About Clearwater County |
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Clearwater County was established on February 27, 1911, with its county seat at Orofino. It was the 25th county created in the state. It was named for the Clearwater River, whose name was translated from the Nez Perce term Koos-Koos-Kai-Kai, describing clear water. In 1805, Lewis and Clark followed an old Indian trail between the north and middle forks of the Clearwater River and met the Nez Perce near the present site of Weippe. Gold was first discovered by E.D. Pierce in 1860 and Pierce City, the oldest mining town in Idaho, came into existence.
Return to County Profiles Main Page, or page to next county, Custer.
County statistics:
County Seat: Orofino
Population: 8,393
Clearwater County website
Borders: Idaho, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties; Montana
Interesting Facts:
Clearwater County borders Montana. It is the state's 28th most populated county and ranks 10th largest in area. Approximately 55 percent of the county is owned by the federal government. Forest products form the local economic foundation.
Clearwater County has a number of sportsmen and recreational activities. Dworshak Reservoir and the Clearwater River provide excellent fishing. Wildlife are generally plentiful in the forested lands of the Clearwater drainage. Winter brings plenty of snow for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
The Clearwater gold rush occurred on Orofino Creek at the present location of Pierce and Gold Hill. Oro Fino (originally two words) means "fine gold." The town of Orofino was named for the creek, indirectly from Oro Fino, a ghost town that was located near Pierce and later burned down. The post office objected to two words, so the two words were joined together to form one--Orofino.
Elk River has been called the Western White Pine capital for the amount of Western White Pine trees found in the area. That pine tree is the Idaho State tree.
What To See And Do:
Pierce Courthouse: On January 8, 1861, the Washington Legislature established Shoshone County and made Pierce the county seat. By that summer, thousands of gold seekers poured into the Nez Perce country, which had been set aside as a reservation in 1855, and the town became a boisterous mining town in what was then Washington Territory.
At first, the county commissioners met and court proceedings were held in rented rooms. Private citizens were paid to provide room and board for prisoners and. In 1862, Shoshone County built a courthouse at Pierce at a cost of $3,500 to $4,000. The county remained a part of Washington Territory until Idaho Territory was established in 1863. By then roads, towns, farms and dwellings were scattered across the landscape, and that year a new treaty reduced the Nez Perce reservation to less than one tenth its original size. The Pierce Courthouse served governmental needs until 1885, when the county seat was moved to Murray. It was later sold for a mere $50.
(Sources include The Idaho Blue Book; Idaho Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary; County Profiles of Idaho.)