Homedale Idaho City Information

Local History

Homedale is located on the Snake River basin plain that covers most of the south end of the State of Idaho. This valley is described as the "Treasure Valley" because of its economic prosperity. The Valley runs from Vale, Oregon on the west to Boise, Idaho on the east. It was formerly known as the "Lower Snake River Valley or Boise River Valley" until 1959 when the name was changed. Near the middle of the valley and the Idaho/Oregon border, five rivers, the Boise, the Payette, the Weiser, the Malheur and the Owyhee drain into the larger Snake River. This is considered a high desert area with most of the moisture occurring and collecting in the surrounding mountains and then being transferred into the valley by creeks, streams and rivers. These waterways, using diversion dams and canals, provide the irrigation water used by farmers across most of the south end of the state.

Homedale's history is part of the overall history of Owyhee County and Southwest Idaho. To trace the origins of how Owyhee County got its name one must go back to 1778 when Captain James Cook discovered the "Sandwich" or Hawaiian Islands. The people of these Islands were called Owyhees. Some of the Owyhees continued on with Captain Cook. Some of them made their way to the west coast and to the Columbia River where they became members of the fur trade there. In the winter of 1819-1820, three of these Owyhees joined the Donald McKenzie Snake expedition that went into this area annually to collect furs. They were assigned to investigate the Owyhee River and broke away from the main party. They never returned alive, one body was found but the other two were never heard of again. Because of this tragic and mysterious event, the fur traders started calling the area Owyhee.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition came through this location in about 1805 following the Snake River, the fur trappers followed shortly after. This section of the Snake River became the "Southern Alternative Route" for the Oregon Trail in the 1850's but with few settlers stopping. In the 1860's, with the discovery of gold and silver in the Owyhee Mountain Range, the area sprang to life. In 1863, the year Idaho was made a territory; Owyhee County was the first county to be organized under the new territorial legislature. The county was much larger in area at that time comprising what is now a four county area in Southwest Idaho. In 1867, Silver City was made the county seat, in 1869, the first cattle drive came out of this area and in 1879 it took on its current boundaries. In the 1880's, at the height of the mining boom, this county was the most populated area in the territory and in the northwest. The railroads also arrived in the 1880's and in 1890, Idaho because a state. In 1934, the county seat was moved from Silver City to Murphy as the mining activity had almost stopped by this time.

Owyhee County began as one of the most populated areas of the region and state and then became one of the least populated areas when the mines played out. All the old mining boom towns like Silver City and Ruby are now "ghost towns." Homedale was never much more than a ferry crossing along the Snake River and later a railroad siding, until the first large scale irrigation project, "The Owyhee Dam Project" came on line in about 1936, bringing irrigation water to the fertile but dry desert soil in the valley following the Snake River. Homedale did not get its first bridge to replace the ferry until 1920. Since 1936 Homedale has been a dynamic farming location similar to the rest of Southwest Idaho. Today Owyhee County is also known for containing the richest concentration of archaeological sites for the entire State of Idaho. It contains five designated wilderness areas or preserves and is home to the Duck Valley Paiute and Shoshone Indian Reservation on the Idaho/Nevada border in the remote south end of the county.

Homedale is part of the greater Boise economic region of Southwest Idaho, referred to as the "Treasure Valley" due to its agriculturally based wealth, made possible by irrigation and mild climate. Boise is the economic and political hub of this region being the capital of the state, the largest city in the state and the primary location for non-agriculturally based jobs in the region. Recent growth has come mainly through the introduction of clean industries, such as Hewlett Packard and Micron Technologies, in the last 20 years. Homedale is part of the Boise Metro area that now has the greatest concentration of people between Salt Lake City Utah and Portland Oregon at about 588,000. Boise and the surrounding areas have also become a hub for transportation and storage, higher education, communication call centers, medical services and most other major demographic factors that allow clean and sustained growth.

Whatever your reasons for coming to Homedale, it can be considered a good choice and one of the positive puzzle pieces that make up the "Treasure Valley" whose real treasure has always been its people. Trust the experts at Stewart Realty, LLC to help you find your own piece of Homedale Idaho real estate.

Still unsure about where you want to move? Keep reading about Homedale Idaho or check out other city pages to find the area of the Treasure Valley that best fits your needs. This site also has up to date information from the Boise MLS on available homes in the area so you can find the perfect home.