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Latah County IDGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of the county. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of Latah county ancestors.

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A special note of thanks to past coordinators David & Karen Purtee, who provided a site full of helpful information for anyone researching their Latah County family history.

County Coordinator: Norma Hass normahass01@gmail.com

COUNTY FORMATION

According to the Idaho Almanac of 1977, settlers began taking up the rich land of the Palouse country over one hundred years earlier. Prospectors roamed the hills and breaks north of the Clearwater and Snake rivers. Farmers and homesteaders relished the rich Palouse soil and ridge country. By 1872 a mail route was established between Moscow and Lewiston. The Northern Pacific Railroad reached Moscow in 1885. The thick whitepine forests supplied the resources for the small lumber mills and a logging industry that culminated with the Weyerhauser company building a lumber mill and company town at Potlatch in the early 1900s. Yet another town, Bovill, was founded on the natural resources of clays found in the area.

Latah County is the only county in Idaho created by an act of the US Congress. In order to establish a land grant college, Congress created Latah County from Nez Pierce County in May 1880.

"The county seat is Moscow, so named when the postoffice was moved, during the '70s, one mile west of the old site by a Russian by the name of Hogg." Idaho Chronology, Nomenclature, Bibliography, published in 1918, page 68

Latah is derived from two Nez Pierce words: "Lah" meaning the place of pine trees "Toh" the sestle or stones used to pulverize the camas roots. The meadows of the Palouse were a cool refreshing place in the summer for the Nez Pierce Indians gather camas roots, sit in the shade and work.

Latah County is located in the panhandle of Idaho along the Washington border. Neighboring Idaho counties are Benewah, Clearwater, Nez Perce, and Shoshone. Whitman County of the State of Washington is at the west border, with Asotin and Garfifeld nearby.