Shoshone County was formed under the Territory of Washington on January 9, 1861. Washington Territory legislators established the county in anticipation of the gold rush that occurred after the discovery of gold at Pierce in October, 1860. Their location of the northern boundary at a line drawn due east from the mouth of the Clearwater River, unknowingly placed the emerging mining settlement at Pierce outside of the county's boundaries while residents of the new Mormon settlement at Franklin were unknowingly within the established boundaries. Regardless of the geographic reality, the county seat was at Pierce. Growth at Pierce was so rapid that Shoshone County boasted the largest vote of any county within Washington Territory at the territorial election of July 8, 1861. In less than a year, Shoshone County contained additional settlements at Lewiston, Elk City, Newsome, and Florence. On December 20, 1861, Nez Perce and Idaho counties were created from most of the original territory of Shoshone County. On the following day, Shoshone's boundaries were shifted northward, containing most of present-day Clearwater County and a portion of present-day Shoshone County.
This new boundary alignment left the existing settlement at Pierce and the new settlement of Orofino as the county's only settlements. The county's population dwindled as prospectors abandoned Pierce for gold prospects at Elk City and Florence. Idaho Territory was created in 1863 and the first census of the territory in that year enumerated only 574 residents in Shoshone County. The county boundaries were expanded to include the Silver Valley by the legislative assembly of Idaho Territory when it officially created Shoshone County on February 4, 1864. The expanded territory contained no population at the second census of Idaho Territory in 1864. All of the county's 276 residents were located at Pierce and Orofino.
Until 1904, Shoshone County included present-day Clearwater county to the south. That portion was annexed by Nez Perce County for several years and then was established as a new county in 1911. When the Silver Valley population rose dramatically in the 1880s, the seat was moved to Murray in 1884 (and to Wallace in 1898) to better serve the majority of the county's population. The southern area's population increased with homesteading in the Weippe area in the late 1890s. The vast distance and time required for travel to Wallace from the Clearwater area prompted the southern portion to move to Nez Perce County.
Hard rock miners in Shoshone County protested wage cuts with a strike in 1892. After several lost their lives in a shooting war provoked by discovery of a company spy, the U.S. army forced an end to the strike. Hostilities erupted once again in 1899 when, in response to the company firing seventeen men for joining the union the miners dynamited the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill.
Again, lives were lost, and the U.S. Army intervened, requested by Governor Frank Stuenenberg as the Idaho National Guard troops were still stationed in the Philippines following the Spanish American War Stuenenberg was assassinated outside his residence in Caldwell in 1905, nearly five years after leaving office, and the subsequent trials in Boise in 1907 made national headlines.
Much of the county was burned in the Great Fire of 1910 including part of the town of Wallace


SILVER VALLEY HISTORY


Shoshone Shoshone County was formed under the Territory of Washington on January 9, 1861. Washington Territory legislators established the county in anticipation of the gold rush that occurred after the discovery of gold at Pierce in October, 1860. Their location of the northern boundary at a line drawn due east from the mouth of the Clearwater River, unknowingly placed the emerging mining settlement at Pierce outside of the county's boundaries while residents of the new Mormon settlement at Franklin were unknowingly within the established boundaries. Regardless of the geographic reality, the county seat was at Pierce. Growth at Pierce was so rapid that Shoshone County boasted the largest vote of any county within Washington Territory at the territorial election of July 8, 1861. In less than a year, Shoshone County contained additional settlements at Lewiston, Elk City, Newsome, and Florence. On December 20, 1861, Nez Perce and Idaho counties were created from most of the original territory of Shoshone County. On the following day, Shoshone's boundaries were shifted northward, containing most of present-day Clearwater County and a portion of present-day Shoshone County.




This new boundary alignment left the existing settlement at Pierce and the new settlement of Orofino as the county's only settlements. The county's population dwindled as prospectors abandoned Pierce for gold prospects at Elk City and Florence. Idaho Territory was created in 1863 and the first census of the territory in that year enumerated only 574 residents in Shoshone County. The county boundaries were expanded to include the Silver Valley by the legislative assembly of Idaho Territory when it officially created Shoshone County on February 4, 1864. The expanded territory contained no population at the second census of Idaho Territory in 1864. All of the county's 276 residents were located at Pierce and Orofino.
Until 1904, Shoshone County included present-day Clearwater county to the south. That portion was annexed by Nez Perce County for several years and then was established as a new county in 1911. When the Silver Valley population rose dramatically in the 1880s, the seat was moved to Murray in 1884 (and to Wallace in 1898) to better serve the majority of the county's population. The southern area's population increased with homesteading in the Weippe area in the late 1890s. The vast distance and time required for travel to Wallace from the Clearwater area prompted the southern portion to move to Nez Perce County.
Hard rock miners in Shoshone County protested wage cuts with a strike in 1892. After several lost their lives in a shooting war provoked by discovery of a company spy, the U.S. army forced an end to the strike. Hostilities erupted once again in 1899 when, in response to the company firing seventeen men for joining the union the miners dynamited the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill.
Again, lives were lost, and the U.S. Army intervened, requested by Governor Frank Stuenenberg as the Idaho National Guard troops were still stationed in the Philippines following the Spanish American War Stuenenberg was assassinated outside his residence in Caldwell in 1905, nearly five years after leaving office, and the subsequent trials in Boise in 1907 made national headlines.
Much of the county was burned in the Great Fire of 1910 including part of the town of Wallace County is a county in the U.S state of Idaho.
As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,765.[1] The county seat is Wallace,and the largest city is Kellogg. The county was established in 1864, named for the Native American Shoshone tribe.
Shoshone County is commonly referred to as the Silver Valley, due to its century-old mining history. The Silver Valley is famous nationwide for the vast amounts of Silver, lead, and zinc mined from it.


The Legend

In 1885, a gold prospector named Noah Kellogg borrowed a burro, named Bill, and started down the great north fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. After weeks of searching with no luck, he ended up about 1,000 yards above the present city of Wardner where he made camp one last time before heading back to Murray to report. In what turned out to be a fortunate stroke of luck, Bill broke free of his rope and wandered off in search of food.


When Noah caught up with the jackass the next morning, he found Bill standing on a large outcropping of galena (lead ore), leading to the formation of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mines on September 4, 1885. The Bunker Hill lode turned out to be Idaho’s largest mining operation, and today it is home to some of the finest skiing and riding found in the Northwest. Bill lived to the rip old age of 21 and was forever known as “the $12,000,000 burro.”



Founding

The Jackass Ski Bowl, named in honor of Bill the burro, opened on December 16, 1967 after a group of 12 sole proprietors formed the “Fabulous Valley Development Corporation,” and sold shares of stock to fund the construction of their new ski area. Valley residents traded work and cash for stock. Opening day at the resort saw many recognizable names including, Rep. James McClure, Governor Don Samuelson, Sen. Len Jordan, and Idaho Department of Commerce head, Louise Shadduck.


The first general manager, Gosta (Jonny) Johnson was a transplant from Big Boulder, PA and founder of the Gosta Johnson Ski School. He oversaw the completion of the original ski area, which consisted of one Riblet chairlift and the Tamarack Lodge, designed by local Coeur d’Alene architect, Robert Nelson. This construction took place on lands owned by the Bunker Hill Mining Company, and in 1973, the Jackass Ski Bowl fell into bankruptcy and was taken over by the Bunker Hill Mining Company.



Silverhorn

The Shoshone Recreation Inc., a subsidiary of the Bunker Hill Co., purchased Jackass Ski Bowl at auction in 1973 for $100,100. They immediately changed the name to Silverhorn, and set out to build the old cat shop still seen from midway Chair 4 today. With the collapse of the mining economy, Bunker Hill Mine was forced to close the ski area in 1981. Fortunately, Bunker Hill Limited, formed by Jack Simplot, Duane Hagadone, Harry F. Magnason, and Jack Kendrick, bought the ski area. However, in 1983, it was once again decided that operation of the ski area would be discontinued due to rising costs.


Prior to closing the ski area, Bunker Hill Limited approached the city of Kellogg to determine if they had any interest in operating the ski area. In 1984, the city entered into a lease arrangement with the mining company giving the city the right to operate the ski area in exchange for the payment of all property taxes levied against the ski area land and improvements. An adult lift ticket increased from $12 to $14 dollars for the first time since the resort opened.



Silver Mountain Resort

During the mid-1980s, city councilman, Wayne Ross came up with the concept of constructing a gondola from the valley floor to an expanded ski and summer resort area to stimulate a staggering economy, which was devastated by the loss of mining and logging jobs. The Gondola Board, comprised of Duane Little, Terry Douglas, Dale Lavigne, Terry Turnbow, and three representatives from Von Roll Tramways, worked tirelessly to attract funding for the gondola project. In December 1987, Congress approved a $6.4 million grant to assist in the construction of the gondola. Von Roll Tramways, a Swiss lift manufacturing company, agreed to guarantee the remaining funds needed to construct the gondola. In April 1989, ground was broken for the construction of the gondola and other resort improvements.


The city of Kellogg renamed the original Jackass Chair to Chair 4 and expanded the ski area adding Chairs 1, 2, and 3, the Mountain House, the gondola terminals, Timbers Restaurant, parking lot, a slew of new ski runs, and more. Chair 5 was later added along with the Amphitheatre, a new cat shop, and an eventual expansion to the new lodge. Around town, the businesses embraced a Bavarian theme, adding murals, gingerbread trim, and other design elements meant to mimic the alpine feel of Leavenworth, Wa.


Silver Mountain Resort opened for operations on June 30, 1990, to much fanfare. Concerts, hiking, huckleberry picking, scenic chairlift and gondola rides, as well as mountain biking were all a hit in the summer time. During the winter people flocked to the greatly expanded ski area, and were greeted with a completely new experience. Everything from the ski runs, to the instructors jackets and lodge was fresh and new.



Eagle Crest, Inc.

Significant cost overruns during the construction phase of the project led to an insurmountable debt load for the city. The City Council decided to search for a new owner, and in June of 1996, they agreed to sell the assets of the resort to Eagle Crest, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the JELD-WEN Corporation. When Eagle Crest purchased the resort in 1996, it envisioned an exciting ski-in, ski-out resort, and set out to construct the Morning Star Lodge condominiums, Galena Ridge Golf Course, and Silver Rapids Waterpark.


In the early 2000’s the Morning Star Lodge and Gondola Village complex began to take shape, followed in 2008 by the addition of Silver Rapids, Idaho’s Largest Indoor Waterpark, and the surface lift and winter tubing park on top of the mountain. Business was booming, and the expansion was moving fast. The first nine holes of Galena Ridge golf course were opened in 2010. As a result of a challenging financial climate, the ski in ski out village and massive ski area expansion was put on permanent hold. Silver Mountain was officially listed for sale, but continued operating and moving forward as Jeld-wen looked for a buyer.


Following the financial crisis, Silver Mountain continued operating year-round. Small improvements continued to be made, and things started to pick back up. Moving forward, summer became an increasingly important part of Silver’s business. In 2013 Silver Mountain relaunched their mountain bike program and officially opened Silver Mountain Bike Park. Building on the remains of the previous bike trail network, Silver began rapidly expanding their trail system, and revamping their mountain biking experience completely. Over the next four seasons Silver Mountain was rated #1 in the Northwest three times, and became a host to many of the region’s premier mountain bike events. From 2013 to 2016 Silver Mountain added new winter and summer events, cut new ski runs, added an additional terrain park, and experienced a surge of popularity. With the incredible range of activities offered, Silver was rediscovered as a year-round destination, and became a popular destination for corporate groups and meetings.



New Beginnings

In October of 2016 Silver Mountain was purchased by Tryg Fortun, a passionate skier and customer of Silver Mountain. Tryg decided that he wanted to use his “stoke” for Silver Mountain to help the resort reach its true potential. With a fresh leader and a new outlook on life, Silver Mountain has undertaken massive amounts of infrastructure improvements, and behind the scenes work that is setting the stage for the next chapter of improvement.


Since 2016 Silver Mountain, has reopened the Jackass Snack Shack, added Mo’s Froyo & Jo and The Donut Hole to the village and is getting ready to embark on a Mountain House remodel. The resort has come a long way since it first opened but still maintains a piece of its history with a Jackass Day celebration every year commemorating the original Jackass Resort and offering $12 lift tickets

Links to Route Descriptions

Crystal Lake Trail 5346’
Revette Lake Trail #9. 5670’
U. & L. Stevens Lakes & Peak Trail #165 L. 5340’ U. 5740’ P. 6838’
U. & L. St. Regis Lakes Trail #267
Stevens Peak High Traverse Trails #165 & 138
Lone & Long Lakes Trail #138
U. & L. Glidden Lakes
Pulaski Tunnel Trail
Granite Peak Trail #7
Independence Creek Trail #22
LaTour Frosty
Elsie Lakes & Striped Peak Trails #106 & 16
Settlers Grove of Ancient Cedars Trail #162
Bloom Peak
Little Guard Lookout & Ridge Trail #81
CDA River Road Trail #20
Graham Mt. (Cole Creek). Trail #41
Shoshone Medical Center’s Wellness Trail

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