Camas Jefferson County, Idaho
Mapped Location
Camas: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Camas
- Feature Type: Place
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Camas
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Camas | Official |
Origin Notes and History of Camas
References to Camas that document the origin of its place name
CAMAS, Jefferson County.—This name comes from the Chinook language (q.v.) and means "sweet." It is also spelled Kamas and Quamash. The camas is a western plant having a typical blue flower and edible bulb. The Shoshonis call it "Pahsego," meaning "Pah," "water'' and "sego," "a bulbous root," as it grows on the high moist benches of the Rocky Mountains. It belongs to the Lily family, which furnished the Indians the greater part of their root food. In the commissary department of the natives it occupied a place similar to bread in the diet of the agricultural nations, and while resembling an onion it was very nutritious. It formed an important food among all western tribes, and when properly dried kept for years. The bulb is usually prepared for food by prolonged steaming, requiring about three days to properly cook. The annual gathering of the camas root occurred in June and July when it was considered ripe. —BANCROFT, History of Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Jefferson County
- Annis
- Barlow
- Bassett
- Camas
- Garfield
- Grant
- City of Hamer
- Hawgood
- Heise
- Labelle
- Level (historical)
- City of Lewisville
- Lorenzo
- City of Menan
- Midway
- Monteview
- City of Mud Lake
- City of Rigby
- City of Ririe
- City of Roberts
- Rudy
- Sage Junction
- Terreton
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2016-10-01