ALTURAS COUNTY, ID HISTORY AND LOOKUP (EXTINCT, 1864-1895)

County History Books

*None Listed

Alturas County, Idaho: A Genealogical Overview

Once a massive county in south-central Idaho, Alturas County is a “ghost county,” having been dissolved in the late 19th century. Its history is deeply tied to the mining booms that drew thousands to Idaho Territory and its legacy lives on as the “mother county” to a vast region of modern Idaho. For genealogists, understanding its creation, evolution, and eventual dissolution is the essential first step to locating ancestral records in what is now a multi-county area.

I. County Formation and Evolution

The story of Alturas County is one of constant boundary changes, making a timeline crucial for research. It existed for only 31 years, but its records are the foundation for a significant portion of the state.

  • 1864: County Formed: Alturas County was established on February 4, 1864, as one of the original counties of the newly formed Idaho Territory.
  • Parent County: It was created from a large, sparsely populated area of Idaho Territory, with some land previously falling under the jurisdiction of Idaho County, Washington Territory. Records prior to 1864 are exceptionally rare for this region.
  • Subsequent County Formations: Alturas County was repeatedly partitioned to create new counties as the population grew. This process is key to locating records:
    • 1879: Cassia County was formed from its southern portion.
    • 1881: Custer County was formed from its northern portion.
    • 1889: Elmore County was formed from its western portion.
    • 1895: Alturas County was officially abolished on March 5, 1895. Its remaining territory was split to form Blaine County and Lincoln County, with a portion later used to create Camas County (1917) and Gooding County (1913).
  • Name Origin: “Alturas” is a Spanish word for “heights” or “highlands,” reflecting the county’s mountainous terrain.
  • County Seat History: The county seat moved with the shifting centers of population and influence. The first seat was Esmeralda (1864), then quickly moved to Rocky Bar (1864-1882), a major mining camp. It was later moved to Hailey (1882-1895). When the county was dissolved, Hailey became the county seat of the new Blaine County.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The region was the traditional homeland of the Shoshone and Bannock peoples, whose descendants are primarily part of the federally recognized Shoshone-Bannock Tribes today.
  • Pioneer Settlement and Economy: The primary driver of non-native settlement was the discovery of gold and silver in the 1860s. Mining districts in places like Rocky Bar, Atlanta, and the Wood River Valley (around modern-day Hailey, Bellevue, and Ketchum) created booming, transient communities. The economy was almost entirely based on mining, freighting, and services for the prospectors. As the mining booms faded, the economy transitioned to sheep and cattle ranching and agriculture in the fertile river valleys.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

This section provides practical information for locating the dispersed records of the former Alturas County.

  • Successor County Courthouses (NOT Alturas County): There is NO Alturas County Courthouse. Records were transferred to the successor counties.
    • Blaine County Clerk: 206 1st Ave S, Hailey, ID 83333. Holds the records for the final county seat and the northern portion of what remained of Alturas County in 1895. This is the primary repository for many original Alturas records.
    • Lincoln County Clerk: 111 W B St, Shoshone, ID 83352. Holds records for the southern portion of Alturas County’s final territory.
    • For research in other areas, you must go to the respective county (Elmore, Cassia, Custer, etc.) for records created after their formation date.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Idaho began in 1911. No official birth or death records were kept during Alturas County’s existence. Researchers must rely on newspaper obituaries, church records, and cemetery transcriptions.
    • Marriage Records: Marriage licenses issued by Alturas County from 1864-1895 should be located with the other court records, primarily at the Blaine County Courthouse in Hailey, with some possibly at the Idaho State Archives.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Idaho State Archives: Located at 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise, ID 83712. This is the most crucial resource. It holds microfilm copies of many county records, territorial papers, and other collections essential for researching this period.
    • Blaine County Historical Museum: Located in Hailey, it has excellent collections on the Wood River Valley and Alturas County history.
    • The Community Library: Located in Ketchum, it has a regional history department with relevant materials.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:Given that Alturas County is defunct, it is more useful to list the modern counties that now occupy its original, vast territory. Research for ancestors in old Alturas may lead you to records in any of the following present-day counties:
    • Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Custer, Elmore, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls.

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks