Boise

Northwest of Boise’s current location, Hudson’s Bay Company founded a trading post for wagon trails in 1834 along the Oregon Trail on the Snake River. The spot was called “Les Bois”, coined by the French-Canadian fur-trappers, directly translating to “wooded”. Thousands of emigrants continued to pass through on their way to Oregon. After about 30 years, gold was discovered in the area and brought a number of prospectors, creating a convenient supply point for the mining camps.

In 1864, the town became a territorial capital and was incorporated as a city. Over the following years, gold strikes continued. By 1868 the town had more than 400 permanent structures, many of which were residential.