Treasure Valley

Last updated
Canal in Treasure Valley Canal-Treasure-Valley.jpg
Canal in Treasure Valley
Location of Treasure Valley in the United States Treasure Valley.png
Location of Treasure Valley in the United States

The Treasure Valley is a valley in the western United States, primarily in southwestern Idaho, where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur, Owyhee, and Burnt rivers drain into the Snake River. It includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rural eastern Oregon to Boise, and is the most populated area in Idaho.

Contents

Historically, the valley had been known as the Lower Snake River Valley or the Boise River Valley. Pete Olesen, president of the valley's association of local Chambers of Commerce, coined the name "Treasure Valley" in 1959 to reflect the treasure chest of resources and opportunities that the region offered. The valley has a very diverse terrain, from sage flatlands, to mesas, agricultural areas, and urbanized areas. As the Boise Metropolitan Area grows, more and more undeveloped and agricultural land is being urbanized.

History

Settling the region

The Treasure Valley from the east side of Bogus Basin BogusBackside.JPG
The Treasure Valley from the east side of Bogus Basin

The tribes that roamed the area, specifically, were the Northern Paiute and Shoshone. [1] In 1834, Thomas McKay built the original Fort Boise, in the area near present-day Parma, which was run for a time by Francois Payette. It later was moved because of flooding troubles and was abandoned in 1854. The Oregon Trail runs through the Treasure Valley.

The valley was settled for the most part by ranchers and farmers, initially to supply the gold and silver mining communities in the higher elevations nearby: Idaho City in the Boise Basin and Silver City in the Owyhees. A new Fort Boise was constructed by the U.S. Army in 1863 in present-day Boise, from which the city grew. In 1883, the Oregon Short Line Railroad reached the Treasure Valley, creating a thriving community, with Nampa as the center of the area's rail activity.

Basque immigration

Many Basques, primarily from northern Spain, came to the area looking for gold but, meeting discrimination, it seemed to many that a better occupation was shepherding, familiar from their homeland. Over 15,000 Basques came to the Treasure Valley, making it the largest community of Basques outside of Europe. [2] [3]

Farming

Eastbound from Vale on US-20/26 into Ontario, Oregon. OntarioRainbow.jpg
Eastbound from Vale on US-20/26 into Ontario, Oregon.

As Boise began to grow, so did the riches of large planters such as Thomas and Frank Davis. They moved to Idaho in 1862 for mining and homesteaded right below the Boise Bench on the Boise River. Tom Davis became very successful at growing fruit, as he made over $10,000 on one year's apple crop. [4] He later purchased more land for orchards and horses. In 1907, he donated much of this land as Julia Davis Park in honor of his wife.

The Owyhee Project was one of the most influential developments of the area. It began 120 years ago in 1903, when surveyors began investigating a site on the Owyhee River for the construction of a dam, to impound water for irrigation. The Owyhee project received official Congressional sanction in 1924 on December 5 and the Owyhee Dam was completed on September 16, 1932. [5] While the dam was under construction, over 98.5 miles (159 km) of irrigation canals were being dug to the north and south. The main purpose of the Owyhee Project was irrigation. By 1965, over 111,000 acres (450 km2) were being irrigated for a value of more than $23 million.

In 1941, J. R. Simplot built a dehydrator and began processing large quantities of dehydrated potatoes and onions at a plant near Caldwell. [6] His business thrived, selling potatoes to the government and fertilizer to local farmers.

Technology

In 1973, Hewlett-Packard purchased a 150-acre (60 ha) site for a future peripherals plant in northwest Boise. [7] Micron Technology was founded in 1978, creating an additional, local industry aside from farming and potato packaging. [8]

Geographic features

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise, Idaho</span> Capital city of Idaho, United States

Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. As of the 2020 census, there were 235,684 people residing in the city. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is 41 miles (66 km) east of the Oregon border and 110 miles (177 km) north of the Nevada border. The downtown area's elevation is 2,704 feet (824 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malheur County, Oregon</span> County in Oregon, United States

Malheur County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,571. Its county seat is Vale, and its largest city is Ontario. The county was named after the Malheur River, which runs through the county. The word "malheur" is French for misfortune or tragedy. Malheur County is included in the Ontario, Oregon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Boise Combined Statistical Area. It is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmett, Idaho</span> City in Idaho, United States

Emmett is a city in Gem County, Idaho, United States. The population was 6,557 at the 2010 census, up from 5,490 in 2000. It is the county seat and the only city in the county. Emmett is part of the Boise−Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan statistical area in Idaho, United States

The Boise–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is an area that encompasses Ada, Boise, Canyon, Gem, and Owyhee counties in southwestern Idaho, anchored by the cities of Boise and Nampa. It is the main component of the wider Boise–Mountain Home–Ontario, ID–OR Combined Statistical Area, which adds Elmore and Payette counties in Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon. It is the state's largest officially designated metropolitan area and includes Idaho's three largest cities: Boise, Nampa, and Meridian. Nearly 40 percent of Idaho's total population lives in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owyhee River</span> River in Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon, United States

The Owyhee River is a tributary of the Snake River located in northern Nevada, southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon in the United States. It is 280 miles (450 km) long. The river's drainage basin is 11,049 square miles (28,620 km2) in area, one of the largest subbasins of the Columbia Basin. The mean annual discharge is 995 cubic feet per second (28.2 m3/s), with a maximum of 50,000 cu ft/s (1,400 m3/s) recorded in 1993 and a minimum of 42 cu ft/s (1.2 m3/s) in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise River</span> River in Idaho, United States

The Boise River is a 102-mile-long (164 km) tributary of the Snake River in the Northwestern United States. It drains a rugged portion of the Sawtooth Range in southwestern Idaho northeast of Boise, as well as part of the western Snake River Plain. The watershed encompasses approximately 4,100 square miles (11,000 km2) of highly diverse habitats, including alpine canyons, forest, rangeland, agricultural lands, and urban areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. R. Simplot</span> American businessman

John Richard Simplot was an American entrepreneur and businessman best known as the founder of the J. R. Simplot Company, a Boise, Idaho-based agricultural supplier specializing in potato products. In 2007, he was estimated to be the 89th-richest person in the United States, at $3.6 billion. At the time of his death at age 99 in May 2008, he was the oldest billionaire on the Forbes 400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simplot</span> American agriculture company

The J. R. Simplot Company is an agribusiness company headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Payette River</span> River in Idaho

The Payette River is an 82.7-mile-long (133.1 km) river in southwestern Idaho and is a major tributary of the Snake River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge</span> Breeding area for mammals, birds, and other animals

The Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is an important breeding area for mammals, birds, and other animals. The National Wildlife Refuge is located on land surrounding Lake Lowell, just outside Nampa, Idaho. It serves as a resting and wintering area for birds, including mallards and Canada geese, along the Pacific Flyway and was named a "Globally Important Bird Area" by the American Bird Conservancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwestern Idaho</span>

Southwestern Idaho is a geographical term for the area along the U.S. state of Idaho's borders with Oregon and Nevada. It includes the populous areas of the Boise metropolitan area and Treasure Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake River Valley AVA</span>

The Snake River Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area that encompasses an area in Southwestern Idaho and two counties in eastern Oregon. The Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission and the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor filed the petition to recognize the AVA, and it was granted in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deadwood Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Idaho, U.S.

Deadwood Reservoir is a reservoir in the western United States, in Valley County, Idaho. Located in the mountains of the Boise National Forest about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Cascade, the 3,000-acre (12 km2) body on the Deadwood River is created by Deadwood Dam. The river flows south from the dam and is a tributary of the South Fork of the Payette River. The reservoir and vicinity is commonly used for camping, water skiing, fishing, canoeing, and other outdoor recreation. The full pool surface elevation is just above a mile-high at 5,334 ft (1,626 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owyhee Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Malheur County, Oregon

Owyhee Reservoir or Owyhee Lake is a reservoir on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. Located in far Eastern Oregon near the Idaho border, the reservoir is Oregon's longest at 52 miles (84 km). The 13,900-acre (56 km2) lake is home to several species of fish, including crappie, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and brown bullhead. An artificial lake, it was created in 1932 with the completion of the Owyhee Dam. The lake supplies water for irrigation for 1,800 farms covering 118,000 acres of land in Eastern Oregon and Southwestern Idaho. Seasonal Lake Owyhee State Park is located on the northeast shore and includes a boat ramp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owyhee Dam</span> Dam in Malheur County, Oregon

Owyhee Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Owyhee River in Eastern Oregon near Adrian, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1932 during the Great Depression, the dam generates electricity and provides irrigation water for several irrigation districts in Oregon and neighboring Idaho. At the time of completion, it was the tallest dam of its type in the world. The dam is part of the Owyhee Dam Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake River Plain (ecoregion)</span> Ecoregion in the northwestern United States

The Snake River Plain ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Idaho and Oregon. It follows the Snake River across Idaho, stretching roughly 400 miles (640 km) from the Wyoming border to Eastern Oregon in the xeric intermontane west. Characterized by plains and low hills, it is considerably lower and less rugged than surrounding ecoregions. Many of the alluvial valleys bordering the Snake River are used for agriculture. Where irrigation water and soil depth are sufficient, sugar beets, potatoes, alfalfa, small grains, and vegetables are grown. Elsewhere, livestock grazing is widespread. Cattle feedlots and dairy operations are found locally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho State Highway 21</span> State highway in Idaho, United States

State Highway 21 (SH-21), also known as the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, is a state highway in Idaho. It runs from Boise to Stanley, primarily as a two-lane road. With two-thirds of its length in Boise County, it passes by historic Idaho City and the village of Lowman to the western edge of the Sawtooth Mountains, then along their northern boundary to Stanley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smiths Ferry, Idaho</span> Census-designated place in Idaho, United States

Smiths Ferry is a census-designated place in Valley County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 75 as of the 2010 census. Situated where the North Fork of the Payette River briefly calms and widens, its elevation is 4,554 feet (1,388 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deer Flat Upper Embankment</span> Dam in Idaho, United States

Deer Flat Upper Embankment is a dam in the western United States in southwestern Idaho. Located in the Treasure Valley in Canyon County, it is directly southwest of Nampa.

References

  1. "The Peoples of Idaho: Native Settlers." Idaho Museum of Natural History. Accessed May 8, 2008
  2. Herritik, Euskal (December 2, 2012). "15K residents of valley with Basque blood". Idaho Press. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  3. "Jaialdi 2005 Kicks Off." Idaho Statesman . July 25, 2005. Accessed May 11, 2008
  4. "Thomas and Francis M. (Frank) Davis" (PDF). Idaho State Historical Society. 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  5. "Owyhee Project." U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. 1996.
  6. "J. R. Simplot Passes Away at Age 99". J. R. Simplot Company. Archived from the original on 2008-05-30. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  7. "HP Computer Museum". WordSong Communications P/L. 2004–2010. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  8. "Micron Historical Highlights". Micron Technology. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.

44°02′25″N116°56′00″W / 44.04028°N 116.93333°W / 44.04028; -116.93333