Florence, Idaho | |
|---|---|
 Florence, 1900 | |
  Florence  Florence | |
| Coordinates: 45°30′04″N 116°01′42″W / 45.50111°N 116.02833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho |
| County | Idaho |
| Elevation | 6,080 ft (1,850 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Florence is a ghost town in Idaho County, Idaho, United States. About 14 air miles (22 km) east-northeast of present-day Riggins in remote north central Idaho at an elevation of 6,080 feet (1,850 m). It was settled as a mining camp in the winter of 1861. Almost concurrent with its settlement, Washington Territory established Idaho County on December 20, 1861, in anticipation of a gold rush that brought over 9,000 residents within the first year.,[1][2] The town quickly became the seat with the first district court taking place at Florence on 22 September 1862.[3] While the rich placer gold fields in the Florence Basin brought thousands of prospectors and contributed to the establishment of Idaho Territory in 1863, the rush to Florence was short-lived as intensive mining depleted the richest ground. At the first census of Idaho Territory, only 575 residents remained.[4] By the territorial census of 1864, the population dwindled further to 254 residents.[5] Even in its decline, Florence continued as the county seat until 1 June 1869 when the territorial legislature moved the county seat to the Warren's Camp settlement of Washington.[6] The town thrived again from 1895–1900, based more on lode mining. Then the town slowly faded away, having only ten inhabitants in 1940, and was totally abandoned sometime after 1951.
- ^ "The Lure of Gold" (PDF). USDA Nez Perce National Forest. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "An act to create and organize the county of Idaho" (PDF). General Laws of Washington Territory. State of Washington. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "Idaho County History". Official Idaho County Website. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "Census of 1863" (PDF). Reference Series 129. Idaho State Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "Census of 1864" (PDF). Reference Series number 130. Idaho State Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ Laws and Resolutions passed by the fifth legislative assembly of the territory of Idaho. James Reynolds, Territorial Printer. 1869. p. 148. Retrieved December 8, 2016.