Early Agriculture In Idaho

Henry Spalding is credited with several firsts in agriculture such as the first crops, the first flock of sheep and the first irrigation. Although he did not set out to be a farmer, he did intend to teach the Nez Perce how to farm, and he did. After he left, it was almost 20 years before white men tried to farm again in Idaho.

In 1958, a group of Mormons settled near Ft. Lemhi and planted crops, but the Native Americans drove them out in 1958. Two years later they were back, and they started the first permanent settlement in Idaho at Franklin. They planted crops and constructed ditches to bring water to them. The Mormons gradually spread throughout Southeast Idaho and took their knowledge of agriculture and irrigation with them. At the same time the Mormons were spreading out in eastern Idaho, settlements were starting in other parts of the state.

People moved into the Boise valley in the 1860’s. Gold had been discovered, and farmers began growing food to sell to miners. In North Idaho, miners bought food from both Nez Perce and white farmers. Later, farmers and ranchers settled on the Clearwater Plateau, the Camas Prairie and near what is now Moscow and Genesee.

The 1860’s saw the rise of ranching as large herds of cattle were brought into the state to supply beef and leather to the miners. Some unsuccessful miners recognized a good business opportunity and found their fortunes in beef cattle. The cattle boom lasted until hard winters in the late 1880’s killed tens of thousands of cattle.

When the miners left, the market left with them, but the railroads changed all that in the 1880’s. Farmers and ranchers could now ship commodities out of the state and bring needed supplies and equipment in. The railroads also brought more settlers eager to homestead. Soon, all the land easiest to farm and irrigate was gone and further settlement had to wait for the era of large irrigation projects in the early 1900’s.

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