1894 Map of Idaho Basin

About this map

Idaho City serves as the focal point of this late-nineteenth-century study of the Idaho Basin, a region defined by its narrow gulches and early mining settlements. Surveyed just decades after the initial gold rush, the map reveals a dense network of mountain communities including Placerville, Pioneerville, Centerville, and Quartzburg. The landscape is dominated by the steep drainage systems of Grimes Creek and Moore Creek, which flow south toward the Boise River. The cartography by L. B. Kendall under the direction of J. W. Powell illustrates the difficult transit of the era, noting stops like Halfway House and the geothermal site at Warm Springs. To the south, the topography shifts from the serrated ridges of Thorn Creek Mtn. and Bald Mtn. to the broad expanse of Smith Prairie, providing a detailed view of the rugged terrain that shaped the Boise and Elmore county lines.