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Nez Perce County, Idaho

55 topographic sheets cover 42 settlements here, and 28 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

28 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Idaho within the United States
Nez Perce County within Idaho

What the record shows

  • 402 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 28 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 23 buildings, 3 structures and 2 districts.
  • 7 of the 28 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 42 populated places in this county; 42 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

28

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
American Women's League Chapter Housebuilding198686002158
James Asposas Housebuilding199494001366
Frank Booth Housebuilding199494001367
Breier Buildingbuilding198686001261
Carnegie Librarybuilding2018100002548
Children's Home Finding and Aid Society of North Idahobuilding200707000090
Clearwater River Camas Prairie Railroad Bridgestructure2025100012324
First Christian Churchbuilding197878001083
First Lapwai Bankbuilding198080001331
First Presbyterian Churchbuilding198080001332
Garfield Schoolbuilding198282002513
Patrick J. and Lydia Hester Housebuilding199494001365
Idaho Grocery Warehouse and Annexbuilding198282000354
JEAN (steamboat)structure198989001001
Henry C. Kettenbach Housebuilding197878001084
Lewiston City Hallbuilding198282000355
Lewiston Depotbuilding197373000687
Lewiston Historic Districtdistrict201875000637
Lewiston Historic District (Boundary Increase)district198484003852
Lewiston Methodist Churchbuilding197979000802
Lewiston Vineyards Gatesstructure198383000288
William and Elizabeth McLaren Housebuilding199292001413
Nave Apartmentsbuilding197878001085
St. Stanislaus Catholic Churchbuilding197878001087
Agnes M. Tamblyn Housebuilding199494001364
Gaylord Thompson Housebuilding199292000419
Twenty-One Ranchhousebuilding197878001088
W. R. and Louisa E. Wyatt Housebuilding199494001362

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

643 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 643 of them, burning about 192,963 acres. 134 started naturally and 15 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Natural134
Fireworks101
Debris and open burning101
Missing data/not specified/undetermined99
Equipment and vehicle use95
Smoking24
Recreation and ceremony23
Power generation/transmission/distribution19
Arson/incendiarism15
Misuse of fire by a minor12
Other causes11
Railroad operations and maintenance8
Firearms and explosives use1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
2 August 2014Natural65,200 acresCottonwood Field OfficeBIG COUGAR
13 July 2007Natural51,000 acresWallowa-Whitman National ForestCHIMNEY COMPLEX
15 July 2017Natural48,567 acresCottonwood Field OfficePOWERLINE
13 July 2007Equipment and vehicle use3,700 acresNez Perce TribeCOYOTE CREEK
18 August 2003Missing data/not specified/undetermined3,200 acresIdaho Department of LandsEAST OF ARROW
15 July 2017Natural1,827 acresCottonwood Field OfficeCORRAL CREEK
26 July 2014Power generation/transmission/distribution1,630 acresNez Perce TribeCENTRAL GRADE
30 September 2001Equipment and vehicle use1,595 acresIdaho Department of LandsCORRAL CREEK

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1956 to 2024

60 of 126 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 126 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 1 injury and about $8,870,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind49
Hail31
Flash Flood14
Flood14
Funnel Cloud5
Heavy Rain4
Debris Flow4
Tornado3
Lightning2

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1998Thunderstorm WindLapwai1 hurt, $25,000power lines down and trees blown down. one tree blown down onto trailer house. 1 male injured.
May 2005Flash FloodLapwai$4,000,000A slow moving thunderstorm moved 2 miles east of the town of Lapwai on the afternoon of the 8th of May. An estimated 2 to 3 inches fell across the headwaters of Garden Gulch Creek in about an hour. A flash flood then raced through Garden Gulch and flooded out structures, killed some livestock and washed out roads to the intersection of State Route 95 and Garden Gulch Road. An estimated 4 million dollars in property and roads was estimated in a five mile swath along Garden Gulch.
June 2023Flash FloodEast Lewiston$1,000,000Flash flooding impacted several streets and avenues of Lewiston. It stalled vehicles and caused debris build up in the area. A local emergency was declared from damages sustained during the event. Half an inch of rain fell in 15 minutes from 1330LST to 1345LST.
June 2022FloodBundy$1,000,000Us95 is down to one lane at milepost 296 due to flooding over roadway. time estimated based on dot report.
May 2005Flash FloodNortheast Portion$1,000,000no account filed
June 2022FloodBundy$750,000Us95 is down to one lane at milepost 296 due to flooding over roadway. time estimated based on dot report.
April 2011FloodNorth Lapwai$600,000Flooding of several creeks and streams resulted in damage, closures, and evacuations along numerous roads along with minor flooding of six homes. Roads that were damaged include Webb Road, McCormack Ridge Road, Garden Gulch Road near Highway 95, Cottonwood Creek Road, Flatiron Road, and Mission Creek Road near Highway 95. Reservation Line Road and Webb Canal Road were also closed for a short time due to flooding. The worst of the flooding occurred along Webb Creek which flooded several low-lying areas, including the junction with Highway 95 and the junction with McCormick Ridge Road where reports stated water covered the bridge at the junction of McCormick Ridge Road. The Web Store Smoke Shop was inundated with approximately one foot of water. Around six homes along Webb Road experienced flooding up to the homes foundations. Mission Creek also spilled out of its banks with water reported to be flowing down Mission Creek Road, over the Mission Creek Bridge, and into nearby pastures and front yards. Sweetwater Creek, Lapwai Creek and Cottonwood Creek also had minor flooding with the Spalding church suffering the greatest damage. A culvert was plugged along Lapwai Creek near the intersection of Highway 95 and Garden Gulch Road causing road damage and a two day road closure. A plugged culvert along Sweetwater Creek led to approximately 30 feet of pavement erosion along Flatiron Road and 1500 feet of ditch and shoulder erosion. The Emergency Manager of Nez Perce County estimated flood damage to the roads was around $74,000 with most of the damage along Flatiron Road and Garden Gulch Road near Highway 95. On the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, at least one septic tank was compromised due to flooding. The flooding caused basement flooding in at least four homes throughout the reservation. Two private bridges were destroyed or compromised and classified as unsafe for use.
July 1998Flash FloodLewiston$100,000an inch of rain in 30 minutes caused several streets to flood in downtown Lewiston. a couple of basements were flooded as up to a foot of water flowed in the streets.
May 2018FloodEast Lewiston$50,000Heavy rain in and around Lewiston created numerous urban flooding problems during the morning of July 18th. A retention pond overflowed and caused a hillside washout with another hillside also suffering erosion damage. A number of roads and parking lots were flooded in the city and a block of apartments in low laying poor drainage areas suffered first floor and yard flooding.
September 1998Flash FloodLewiston$40,000Over three quarters of an inch caused local flooding around the city of Lewiston. Flooding occurred on the interstate bridge, closing it for two hours. Several roads were covered by up to 2 feet of water.
July 1998Thunderstorm Wind(Lws)Nez Perce Muni$40,00063 mph wind gust at the airport while 15 - 12 inch diameter trees blown down crushing a car. a roof of a shed was torn off.
September 1998Flash FloodLewiston$30,000Rainfall amounts of up to 0.87" caused local flooding around the city of Lewiston, especially in parking lots and city streets. The heavy rain also caused several mudslides which closed roads. A lighting strike set a power pole on fire.
May 1962Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 2022FloodSweetwater$20,000Driveway washout reported to law enforcement for residence along us95.
June 2022FloodLapwai$20,000The Lapwai church is flooded. it was unknown how deep the water was and extent of damage.
May 2018FloodEast Lewiston$20,000Five main and 4 secondary roads in Latah County were washed out or otherwise damaged by heavy rains.
August 2005Thunderstorm WindLewiston$20,000A Canadian cold front moved across south central Idaho during the early evening hours of the 12th of August. A severe thunderstorm brought high wind gusts to the town of Lewiston and downed a few trees and caused damage to a few roofs. Damage estimates were on the order of twenty thousand dollars.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindEast Lewiston$10,000Weak thunderstorms passing through the area in the wake of two supercell thunderstorms brought strong winds along the Snake River Valley and Lewiston, Clarkston Area. Several small trees were blown down in Clarkston taking down power lines and damaging a residential fence. The storm also brought down scattered trees and limbs across Lewiston causing power outages and minor damage.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindLewiston$10,000no account filed
June 2022FloodLenore$8,000Campground was flooded along school road. Report relayed via law enforcement.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindWebb$8,000Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees. There was also roof damage to an outbuilding.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindLewiston Orchards$7,000A highly localized microburst or possible gustnado resulted in minor damage of the Eagle Point subdivision approximately four miles east of downtown Lewiston. A section of a sheet metal roof was lifted off a two-story shop, a boat trailer was pushed into the outbuilding denting the sheet metal, three two-inch diameter trees were snapped, a travel trailer was knocked down, and lawn objects became airborne breaking one window of a house.
June 2015Debris FlowEast Lewiston$5,000A member of the public reported rocks, mud, and debris covering US-95 road on the Lewiston, Grade not far from Lewiston, WA.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindLewiston Orchards$5,000power lines blown down.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindLewiston$5,000Strong winds in Lewiston knocked power lines down.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindPalouse Area$5,000Winds gusted to 60 mph in the Palouse area. In Orofino trees were downed and at Peck over 70 trees at one farm were downed.
November 2010Thunderstorm WindLewiston$5,000no account filed
November 2010Thunderstorm WindWana$5,000no account filed
May 2006Thunderstorm WindLewiston$5,000no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindLewiston$5,000no account filed
June 2015Flash FloodEast Lewiston$4,500Public reported retaining walls washed out in port district of Lewiston, WA. The result was rocks, mud, and debris covering roadway. The report was through Facebook.
June 2015Flash FloodWana$4,000A member of the public reported that heavy rain washed out road surface and damaged driveways on Waha Glenn Road in Waha, Idaho. They also reported one half inch hail covering the ground.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindLewiston$4,000no account filed
July 2012Thunderstorm WindLewiston Orchards$3,000A severe thunderstorm in the Blue Mountains over Columbia County in Washington produced a gust front that pushed through the Lewiston area. Lewiston Orchards seemed to feel the brunt of this outflow boundary with wind gusts up to 45 mph recorded at the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport. A few small trees were knocked over with trunks estimated at six to eight inches in diameter. Some small branches were broken off as well.
May 2006Flash FloodLewiston$3,000no account filed
May 2023FloodWana$2,000Bureau of Land Management of Idaho reported Eagle Creek Road in Nez Perce County had severe road damage from storms making travel impossible. Road is currently closed for repairs.
April 2019FloodLapwai$2,000Lapwai Creek flooded bottom lands and flowed over Highway 95 in places between Lapwai and Culdesac causing the temporary closure of this primary route through the region. A few homes were threatened by the flood waters but no damage to any structures was reported.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindLewiston$2,000A member of the public reported large tree branches broken and power lines down in Lewiston.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindLewiston$2,000Law Enforcement reported power lines down at multiple locations in Lewiston.
July 2012HailSummit$2,000Hail resulted in numerous dents to vehicles.
July 2012HailSummit$2,000The hail caused major damage to a vehicle.
July 2012HailMyrtle$2,000The hail caused numerous dents on vehicles.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindLewiston$2,000no account filed
June 2023Thunderstorm WindEast Lewiston$1,000Thunderstorm winds knocked down power lines and blew transformers. The report was along Snake River Avenue.
June 2022FloodLws Nez Perce Co Arp$1,000Street closed due to urban flash flooding. Report received from Mping.
June 2022FloodWebb$1,000Webb road is closed due to flooding. time estimated.
June 2022FloodJacques$1,000Mission creek road is closed due to flooding between Rock Creek and Terra View Dr. Approximately 1 foot of water is over the roadway.
December 2022Debris FlowLws Nez Perce Co Arp$1,000Local media reported a small mudslide closing Vineyard Avenue for around 8 hours. Damage was minimal.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindLapwai$1,000The Nez Perce County Emergency Manager reported power lines blown down in the town of Lapwai.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindCuldesac$1,000The Nez Perce County Emergency Manager reported a tree blown down in the town of Culdesac.
June 2015Flash FloodEast Lewiston$1,000A Facebook post from the public noted that a retaining wall washed out along Nez Perce Drive which caused mud and rocks to spill out onto the roadway in Lewiston, WA.
August 2000Thunderstorm WindLapwai$1,000Thunderstorm winds blew down large tree branches southwest of Lapwai and blew down road signs near Culdesac. This thunderstorm also stirred up large amounts of blowing dust which reduced visibility to near zero at times.
May 2023Thunderstorm WindEast Lewiston$500Gusty outflow wind knocked down tree. Lewiston airport recorded a wind gust of 49 MPH at 1530 LST.
February 2020Debris FlowMyrtle$500A rock slide was reported to Law Enforcement blocking one lane of Highway 12 near Myrtle.
December 2017Debris FlowPeck$500Heavy rain and snow melt saturated the ground and caused a Debris Flow near Peck. The mudslide was reported to be 3 to 4 feet deep and about 30 feet wide across Sunnyside Bench Road.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindCuldesac$500A member of law enforcement reported trees down on highway 395 at Mission Creek Road which is 3 miles west of Culdesac, ID.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindCuldesac$500A member of law enforcement reported trees down on highway 395 around 2 miles east southeast of Culdesac, Idaho.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindLewiston$500Lewiston area utility company reported a number of tree limbs blown onto roads and into power-lines causing power outages between 8 PM and 1030 PM.
August 2014LightningEast Lewiston$500Trained Spotter measured thirty-two hundreths of rain in span of ten minutes under a heavy thunderstorm. Lightning hit and exploded a nearby telephone pole. Spotter was located two miles east of Lewiston.
June 2015Flash FloodLapwai$100Law enforcement reported water over painted horse lane in Lapwai, Idaho.

Mines and quarries

61 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 61 workings inside this county. 26 still produce and 35 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction21
Copper11
Gold8
Silver6
Stone5
Limestone, General4
Silver, Copper3
Pumice2
Limestone, General, Stone, Crushed/Broken2
Stone, Crushed/Broken2
Marble, Dimension, Stone, Crushed/Broken1
Granite1
Silica1
Clay1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Chimney Creek Marble QuarryMarble, Dimension, Stone, Crushed/BrokenPast ProducerMetamorphic
Copper Springs ProspectCopper, Silver, GoldPast Producer
Corral Creek Granite QuarryGranite, SilicaPast ProducerGranite
Cottonwood Creek AditSilver, Gold, CopperProspect
Deer Creek MineGold, Copper, Silver, MolybdenumProducerChalcopyrite, Sylvanite
Horseman's ProspectCopper, Silver, Gold, MolybdenumProspectChalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Molybdenite
Lime Point Limestone DepositLimestone, General, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Limestone, DimensionPast Producer1875
Mason-Dixon MineSilica, Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducerUnconsolidated Sediments
Mill Creek Limestone DepositLimestone, General, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Marble, DimensionPast ProducerMetamorphic
Mission Creek Lime QuarryCalciumPast Producer
Tammany Creek Clay Occurrence No. 28ClayOccurrenceClay
Bedrock Creek Limestone MineLimestone, General, Stone, Crushed/Broken, CopperPast ProducerLimestone
Billy Creek Pumicite OccurrencePumiceOccurrence
Captain John Creek Pumicite OccurrencePumiceOccurrence
McGregor PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Peck PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Cache Creek Rapids AditGold, Silver, CopperProspect
Riggs QuarryGold, Silver, CopperProspect
RosebudGold, Silver, CopperPast Producer
Captain John Creek Limestone DepositLimestone, GeneralPast ProducerLimestone
Madden Creek Limestone DepositLimestone, GeneralPast ProducerLimestone
Peacock CopperLimestone, GeneralOccurrence
Wooster ClaimLimestone, GeneralOccurrence
Barnes PitStoneProducer
Buchanan QuarryStoneProducer
Kaufman QuarryStoneProducer
Northwest AggregatesStonePast Producer
Spalding PitStoneProducer
Gold LeafGold, SilverOccurrence
Gold PanSilverProspect
Hether GroupGold, SilverProspect
Yellowboy MineGold, SilverProspect
Sylvanite Gold-Copper PropertyGold, CopperOccurrence
Empress No.1&2CopperProspect
Evening Star LodeCopperProspect
Evergreen MineCopperProspect
FadioCopperUnknown
Gold RingCopperProspect
Golden Crown GroupCopperUnknown
Prospects No.15CopperUnknown
Crystal Sand and GravelSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Duthie PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Lewiston Hill Grade Pit Np-11sSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
MissionSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Paffile PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Spalding PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

42

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

The vanished settlements of Nez Perce County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.