Gem County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,719. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

and largest city is Emmett. Gem County is part of the

Boise Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area' ...

, ID

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. Gem County is home to the

Idaho ground squirrel The Idaho ground squirrel has been split into the following species: * Northern Idaho ground squirrel, ''Urocitellus brunneus'' * Southern Idaho ground squirrel The southern Idaho ground squirrel (''Urocitellus endemicus'') is a species of the la ...

History

Named for the state nickname, "Gem State," the county was established on March 15, 1915, partitioned from Canyon County and Boise County.

Fur trappers The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most ...

were in the area as early as 1818, and Alexander Ross explored Squaw Creek in 1824.

Prospectors Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis (followed by Mining engineering#Pre-mining, exploration) of a territory. It is the search for minerals, fossils, precious metals, or mineral specimens. It is also known as fossicking. ...

and

miners A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

moved through the county in 1862 en route to the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...

in the Boise Basin around Idaho City, and by the next year

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

began along the Payette River. Under

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, the area was part of Idaho County from the time of settlement until the territory south of the Payette River became part of Boise County at its creation in 1863. Picket's Corral, northeast of Emmett was the base of operations for a gang of horse thieves and "bogus dust peddlers" between 1862 and 1864. The Payette Vigilance Committee eliminated the gang, bringing safety for citizens of the area. The act creating Ada County in 1864 established the Ada County boundary common to Boise County as a line from Grimes Creek to Picket's Corral and then north from that point to the existing northern boundary of Boise County, leaving the areas outside of Emmett within Boise County. Jonathan Smith and Nathaniel Martin settled near Emmett about 1862. They established a ferry on the Payette River at Emmett in 1866. On May 31, 1867, a post office was established at the ferry and named Martinsville, which was renamed Emmettsville on October 31, 1868; postal officials shortened the name of the post office to Emmett in 1885. Census data for the area shows Squaw Creek Precinct under Boise County with a population of 30 in 1870. Ada County did not separately return precincts at that census. By 1890, Squaw Creek was split into two precincts. Those precincts were grouped with Horseshoe Bend at the 1890 census. The Emmett precinct contained 479 residents at that time. The Emmett area was transferred to Canyon County at its establishment in 1892. At the 1910 Census, three Emmett area precincts contained a population of 2,601 while three Boise County precincts of Upper Squaw Creek, Lower Squaw Creek, and Pearl contained 1,069 residents. The

Black Canyon Diversion Dam Black Canyon Diversion Dam () is a dam in Gem County, Idaho. The concrete dam was originally completed in 1924, then re-constructed between 1951 and 1955, by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Its structure has a height of , and a length of ...

on the river was built in the early 1920s, east of Emmett. Based on a german television broadcast, there was even in the 1990s a high level of Radioactivity because of the Atomic Tests in Nevada.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Idaho by area.

Adjacent counties

* Washington County - northwest * Adams County - north * Valley County - northeast * Boise County - east * Ada County - south * Canyon County - southwest * Payette County - west

National protected area

* Boise National Forest (part)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 15,181 people, 5,539 households, and 4,176 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 5,888 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.79%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.73% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.07%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 3.16% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.83% from two or more races. 6.92% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 18.9% were of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 17.5%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 13.1%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

and 7.2%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry. There were 5,539 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.12. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,460, and the median income for a family was $40,195. Males had a median income of $31,036 versus $20,755 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,340. About 11.60% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, there were 16,719 people, 6,495 households, and 4,611 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 7,099 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% white, 0.6% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.1% black or African American, 3.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.2% were

, 19.2% were

, 15.8% were

, and 12.3% were

. Of the 6,495 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 42.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $42,794 and the median income for a family was $49,976. Males had a median income of $39,482 versus $31,083 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,431. About 9.7% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the

, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

2016

As of 2016 the largest self-reported ancestries/ethnicities in Gem County, Idaho were:

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 19,123 people, 6,683 households, and 4,585 families residing in the county.

Communities

City

* Emmett

Census-designated place

* Letha

Unincorporated communities

Ola Ola may refer to: Places Panama * Olá, a subdistrict in Coclé Province * Olá District Russia *Ola, Russia, an urban settlement in Magadan Oblast *Ola District, an administrative division in Magadan Oblast *Ola (river), a river in Magadan Ob ...

Sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...

Politics

Gem County is almost always Republican, The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county was in 1964 by

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

References

External links

County websiteCounty Parcel Map
{{authority control Idaho counties 1915 establishments in Idaho Populated places established in 1915 Boise metropolitan area