Gem County County
Established March 19, 1915 with its county seat at Emmett. Named for the state nickname, “Gem State.” Fur trappers were in the area as early as 1818 and Alexander Ross explored Squaw Creek in 1824. Prospectors and miners moved through the county in 1862 in route to the gold rush in the Boise Basin, and by the next year irrigation began along the Payette River.
Mapped Location
Gem County: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Gem County
- Feature Type: County
- County Seat: City of Emmett
- Established: Friday, March 19, 1915
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Gem County
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Gem County | Official |
Origin Notes and History of Gem County
References to Gem County that document the origin of its place name
GEM.—Named for "Gem of the Mountains." The county seat is Emmett, named for Emmett Cahalan, the first white boy born there and who was the oldest son of T. D. Cahalan, an early settler and attorney.
Gem County
- Aikman (historical)
- Black Canyon
- Bramwell
- Cold House
- Del Monte
- City of Emmett
- Gross
- Jenness
- Letha
- Little Rock
- Marsh (historical)
- Montour
- Ola
- Pearl
- Plaza
- Sweet
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2016-11-27