Idaho Ghost Towns: Patents as a Key to the Past - Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

Karen F. Hertel
Reference Librarian and PTDL Representative
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
[email protected]

Abstract

Nearly one quarter of the patenting activity in historic Idaho took place in what are now considered ghost towns. As a group, the 70 patents used in this study provide a rich body of data on place names, genealogy, progress of technology, and activities in early Idaho towns. The mining industry as central to Idaho history and early patenting activity is discussed. Also covered are complexities inherent in analyzing historical patents and areas where further research is needed.

Keywords:

Idaho, Ghost Towns, Historical Patents, Mining, Inventors, History of Science, Independent Inventors, Early Idaho Towns, Historical Places, History of Technology

Introduction

Patenting activity commenced in Idaho in 1866, with the issuing of a patent for a steam generator to Robert Bailey of Idaho City, Territory of Idaho. During the next 34 years, 312 patents were issued in Idaho. Seventy, or roughly 22%, list as residence of inventor towns that have completely disappeared, or had a significant decline in population. This paper will examine the 70 patents in the study group with the aim of identifying possible patterns or groupings of invention that offer insights into the history and culture of Idaho towns that flourished in the late 19th century and later declined, becoming ghost towns. A second aim is to note some of the various complexities encountered when undertaking historical patent research.

Karen F. Hertel
Reference Librarian and PTDL Representative
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho
[email protected]

Abstract

Keywords:

Idaho, Ghost Towns, Historical Patents, Mining, Inventors, History of Science, Independent Inventors, Early Idaho Towns, Historical Places, History of Technology

Introduction

A former patent librarian at the University of Idaho Library is compiling an index of historical Idaho patents; currently completed are 1866-1908 (Hanson, 2003). Sources for the index are the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents located in the United States Congressional Serial Set, the Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the Subject-Matter Index of Patents Issued by the United States Patent Office from 1790 to 1873, Inclusive.

An examination of the index contents showed a number of well-known ghost towns and unfamiliar place names listed as residence of inventor, as well as a preponderance of patents related to mining. A study was undertaken to first classify the inventor residence listed in Idaho patents granted from 1866 through 1900 as either “present-day ghost town” or “not present-day ghost town”, and secondly to further analyze the subject matter of the patents assigned the ghost town classification.

Historical Background

Early Settlement of Idaho Territory

Paul (2001, p. 2) asserts that prospectors and miners were the pioneers in most of the Far West, disagreeing with the common perception of a settlement pattern in a frontier area as a procession of first fur trappers, then pioneer farmers, then substantial farmers, and finally town builders. “If that procession ever existed in fact, then it was only in the forested, well-watered lands to the east of the 100th meridian. Westward the natural conditions and natural opportunities were quite different.” Arrington (1994, Vol.1, p. 183) notes, “Except for the Mormons at Franklin, the settlement of Idaho and the creation of Idaho Territory were indirect outgrowths of the gold rush to California.” As the Sutter’s Fort rush in California played out, gold seekers tried their luck elsewhere; where they struck it rich, towns materialized (see Figure 1) as “merchants, packers, teamsters, stagecoach lines, and express companies quickly brought their services to each new camp-arriving coincidentally with the speculators and promoters, but well after the saloon keepers and gamblers.” (Paul, 2001, p. 2)

Figure 1: Silver City, Idaho. 1892. #6018-140, Historical Photograph

Collection, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.

Idaho’s first major rush was set off by Captain E.D. Pierce’s 1859 discovery of gold in the Clearwater country of northern Idaho. After working Oro Fino Creek during the summer of 1860, some of Pierce’s companions returned to Walla Walla for the winter with their dust. The enthusiastic prospectors’ talk of the strike was enough to send thousands, once spring arrived, dashing off to the goldfields. Wolle (1953, p. 221) observes that, “By August, 7,000 men jostled each other in Pierce City.” Oro Fino City sprang up three miles upstream from Pierce and; “In no time it had sixty log houses, ten stores, and numerous tents and was selling lots for $200 and cabins for from $500 to $1,000.” (Wolle, 1953, p. 221) A diverse mix, the miners included “churchmen, merchants, laborers, and lawyers, virtually anyone capable of handling a pick and shovel. The Argonauts came from all over the United States as well as from Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, France, China, and the Hawaiian Islands” (Schwantes, 1991, p. 51). Seven short years later, the fields were played out and “by 1868 Oro Fino had become a ghost town.” (Miller, 1976, p. 26)

This boom-bust pattern, with some variations, continued throughout the remaining five major mining rushes in Idaho. The rush to Florence in 1861, close on the heels of the Clearwater rush, was followed by the Boise Basin and Owyhee rushes, both occurring from 1863-66; the Wood River rush from 1880-82; and the Coeur d’Alene rush from 1882-89. The 1870’s were disappointing, “as with all new placer regions, flush production developed quickly and fell off with like rapidity . . . Its [Idaho’s] recorded population of 14,999 in 1870 can not have been more than half the number that had come to Idaho for varying periods of time during the decade” (Paul, 2001, p. 143).

Many historians remark on the transitory, unstable nature of mining camps: “The miners of Idaho were like quicksilver. A mass of them dropped in any locality, broke up into individual globules, and ran off after any atom of gold in their vicinity. They stayed nowhere longer than the gold attracted them.” (Bancroft, 1882-1890, Vol. 31, p. 427) “Some…were merely tent cities, others consisted of a few log cabins, and still others…became quite plush cities in their day. . . Communities soon sprang up around a mill or smelter and were as quickly deserted when the mine shut down.” (Sparling, 1974, p. 9) The quicksilver-like emergence and subsequent abandonment of some mining camps is hard to imagine; Florence in the rough and remote Salmon River country is a case in point. Schwantes (1991, p. 52) estimates “eight thousand people were in Florence in late June 1862; two weeks later six thousand of them had departed.”

Ghost Towns

Mining camps were usually built close to the diggings, with little apparent thought to future viability or location. Burke (see Figure 2), a town founded in 1885 during the Coeur d’Alene rush, “is so solidly squeezed into the bottom of the canyon that its main hotel once spanned the railroad tracks.” (Florin 1967, p. 39) It was not unusual for towns to be located within a few miles of each other, examples being Pierce and Oro Fino, Murray and Delta, and Pioneerville and Centerville. The Coeur d’Alene Mining District illustrates a common pattern. Burke, Mace, Gem, and Wardner, all founded during the boom years, depended on the mines and lost the majority of their population when ore ran out or transportation bypassed the town. On the other hand, Wallace remained a thriving community because of its location on the main transportation route (Hart, Nelson, 1984, p. 71).

Figure 2: Burke, Idaho. 1888. Photo: Barnard-Stockbridge Collection. #8X-0431, Historical Photograph Collection, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.

The first rail lines came to Idaho Territory in 1873-1874 (Arrington, Vol. 1, 1994, p. 313); and the impact was enormous in the ensuing years. Consequences to towns bypassed by the railroad were often fatal, as illustrated by Salubria, a town settled in the late 1860’s. The bustling pioneer community had enough people to merit a post office in 1874; unfortunately several years later the railroad was built on the opposite side of the Weiser River, dooming Salubria and leading to the birth of the new town of Cambridge. The location of the rails even a few miles from a village, coupled with miners moving on as strikes played out, were often the impetus for the birth of a ghost town.

Ghost towns are defined by the Idaho Encyclopedia (Federal Writers’ Project, 1938, p. 98) as “ghosts now in comparison with their former activity, [some] still maintain a dubious existence; and still others are showing signs of renewed life after a long period of quiescence.” This rather arbitrary definition was expanded for purposes of this research to include towns that had an initial boom followed by a decline in population, or towns established for a specific reason, or around a specific operation, that for the most part ceased to exist when their reason for being dwindled.

Information on mining camp culture (see Figures 3, 4, 5) is more readily available than material about life in the smaller railroad towns and trading centers. Historians paint a colorful picture of mining life. Schwantes (1991, p. 52, 65) states that “miners worked hard and had little time for play” and “living in the mining camps were men like Cherokee Bob, Dutch Fred, and Boone Helm, fugitives from justice.” Arrington (1994, p. 189) observes that “contemporaries complained of the lawlessness…such outlaw activity appeared near most of the gold mines.” Wells (2002, p. xi) says “Where tourists now see ghost towns, miners of a century ago saw stable, permanent communities, most of which they expected to last indefinitely;” while Paul (2001, p. 7) remarks that “…found no existing . . . and thus had to create . . . just enough economic, social, and political controls to permit each one to seek his fortune as an individual and yet enjoy some of the benefits that came only with organized society.” This curious juxtaposition of brutal working conditions, violence, transience, and community seems at first glance an unlikely harbinger for invention. Yet if one considers the ensuing environment, as did Paul (2001, p. 7) “the result was a curious blending of the new and the familiar, of innovation and imitation,” such that mining camps were a natural place for invention to flourish.

Figure 3: Placer tailings. Leesburg, Idaho. 1888?. #6008-04, Historical Photograph Collection, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.

Figure 4: Bunker Hill “Glory Hole”. 1886. Photo: Barnard-Stockbridge Collection. #8-X0024, Historical Photograph Collection, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.

Figure 5: Placer mines, Delta, Idaho. n.d.. Photo: Barnard-Stockbridge Collection #8-X0302, Historical Photograph Collection, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.

Studies of patenting activity often provide insights into the advance of a particular technology in a society. Of the mining West, Paul (2001, p. 7) claims that, “The greatest achievement by far was technological, the art of mining.” Mining of gold and silver was completely unknown to most Americans and foreign methods had to be adapted and improved to meet local conditions. Paul (2001, pp. 7-8) asserts that “By the close of the nineteenth century, Americans had advanced so rapidly and had proved so inventive in their new profession that they were regarded as world leaders in the art of extracting precious metals.”

Figure 6: Map compiled by Bruce Godfrey, University of Idaho Library, 2003.

Figure 7: US Patent 456,517

Figure 8: US Patent 593,459

Figure 9: US Patent 96,391

Findings

Patents as Indicators of History and Culture

Of the 312 patents issued to Idaho from 1866-1900, 70 are from ghost towns. (see Appendix) These 70 patents, (see Table 1) come from 27 different residences as claimed by inventor. (see Figure 6) Eighteen of these towns were founded around mining operations, including: Atlanta, Banner, Bay Horse, Bullion, Burke, Centreville, De Lamar, Delta, Doniphan, Gem, Idaho City, Leesburg, Murray, Placerville, Silver City, Silver Mountain, Soldier, and Wardner. Research did not show that Silver Mountain was ever a town, but rather a highly-anticipated mining area on a mountain by said name whose claims turned out to be unproductive; nonetheless, patent 407, 934 reads “…of Silver Mountain, in the county of Boise, Idaho Territory”. It is assumed the locale is the mountain as the county is correct. The other nine locations were railroad stations, trading centers, and/or post offices and include: Camas, Falk’s Store, Jansville, Lemhi Agency, Lenville, Old Mission, Salubria, Seneaguoteen, and Washoe. This grouping, in general, did not experience the same dramatic population surges as the mining camps, although the fortunes of some, such as Camas, the largest shipping point for mines in the Lemhi country, is a case in point–were directly tied to the mines. Because no patenting activity occurred during the study time period, there are numerous other Idaho ghost towns not included in this research.

The patents in this study were divided into broad subject categories (see Table 2) in order to discover possible relevant groupings. Of the 70 patents, 22, or a significant 31.4%, were directly related to, or motivated by, mining as determined by the title and description. (see Figures 7 and 8) Ten additional patents, or 7%, in the “Mining/Other” category were for technologies potentially useful to mining operations; however, it was difficult to verify if mining activities prompted the invention. The remaining 38 patents relate to activities and items one might expect to see in a burgeoning western town of that era, running the gamut from patent 391,186 for a razor caster to be used in a barber shop to patent 605,890 for an animal destroyer. Some of the “non-mining” patents are particularly indicative of principal activities in the area. For example, patent 393,360 for a mail bag is from Camas, a station on the UPRR; the description and drawings in the patent document show a locking mail bag used to transport mail between railroad stations.

Silver City provides an illustration of a town that experienced several mining booms from its glory days in the 1860s on into the first years of the 1900s (Welch, 1982, p. 111). Not surprisingly, patenting activity reflects a more diverse community than some of the other towns that had shorter lifetimes. For example, Bullion flourished from 1880-1893 (Miller, 1976, p. 3) and claims only two patents, both directly related to mining. Of the 14 patents issued in Silver City, seven were for inventions not related to mining. According to An Illustrated History of the State of Idaho in the late 1890’s Silver City had: Six general merchandise stores, two hardware stores, a tin shop, two meat markets, two hotels, four restaurants, eight saloons, bakery, one shoe shop, a photograph gallery, brewery, soda-bottling works, two livery stables, a feed store, three drug stores, a jeweler, three blacksmith shops, a furniture store, two lumber yards, a tailor shop, three barber shops, a newspaper, four lawyers, two doctors,…” (Lewis Publishing, 1899, p. 236)

The first daily newspaper in the territory, The Owyhee Avalanche, began publication in 1865 in Silver City, changing ownership several times in the next two decades. Patent 96,391 for a copy holder (see Figure 9) was invented by John S. Butler; possibly one of the Butler brothers, owners of the Tidal Wave, a small paper that merged with the Avalanche in 1870. In 1876, patent 185,102 for a ruler was invented by C.M. Hays, publisher of the Avalanche from 1882-1890. (Lewis Publishing, 1899, p. 190) Other patents from Silver City for use in commercial venues, recreation, and agriculture further support the image of a well rounded, thriving frontier town.

Patenting numbers corroborate the transient nature of the towns, at the same time indicating a high level of innovation during the boom years. Of 381 Idaho patents issued from 1901-1908 (Hanson, 2003), only 14, or 3.7%, are from the 27 ghost towns in the study, a significant decline from the 70, or 22.4%, of the 312 patents issued from 1866-1900.

Historical Patent Research

An unanticipated difficulty was verifying the location and existence of the residence claimed by the inventor. Lalia Boone’s (1988) Idaho Place Names was consulted heavily, as were books on Idaho ghost towns and history, census data, and historical maps. Table 3 lists variant spellings of the towns and any other known names, as well as other significant demographic data. Sometimes, sources did not agree; for example, patent 484,943 listed as residence Kaintuck, county of Bingham. No such town was located in the abovementioned resources, or in histories of Bingham County, even considering the histories of counties Bingham was formed from and counties that were formed later from Bingham. Boone does list Kaintuck as a former name of Wardner (in Shoshone County), and an Internet search yielded an old letter for sale from Kaintuck, believed to be the Kentuck mine near Shoup in Lemhi County (Anderson, 2003). Ultimately, an obscure listing in the Polk’s Directory (1903-04) listed Kaintuck as the original name of Rexburg, which is in Madison County, at one time a part of Bingham County. The Rexburg entry did not verify this. Because Rexburg is not a ghost town, this patent was not included in the study group.

The “Kaintuck example” also illustrates the difficulty posed by changing county boundaries. In territorial and early statehood days, Idaho counties tended to be vast, and were hacked up and added to with remarkable frequency. Table 4 lists both the county name given in the patent and the current county name if different. Tracking an obscure residence listed in a patent through the county boundary changes is difficult; one must also consider the possibility that the inventor made a mistake in listing the county.

The facsimiles of the 70 patents from ghost towns revealed some discrepancies, primarily in dates and spelling, between the patent and the source data such as that from Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents. Also interesting to note are differences between the listing in the source data and the title on the patent document. For example, patent 564,388 is listed as “Doors” in the Annual Index; the title on the patent document is “Locking Mechanism for Mob and Burglar Proof Doors”. Often the source data did not list middle names, only initials of inventors and assignees. Most of the patents examined listed the full middle name, an important implication for genealogical and biographical research.

Implications for Further Research

Those who study technological progress of an industry through time have long considered patents a valuable resource. Further research should be done of all mining-related inventions in Idaho, not just those from ghost towns. This will both place Idaho inventions in the context of the larger mining industry and also to study the progress of mining technology on a more regional level.

All resources consulted on mining in Idaho note the significant role played by the Chinese. As camps began to decline, the claim holders would sell out to the Chinese, who would work for a smaller return. (Paul, 2001; Arrington, 1994) The 1870 census lists 4,274 of the 14,999 people in Idaho as Chinese; in classification by occupation 6,579 men of all races are miners, with 3,853 being Chinese, more than half of all listed miners. Railroad construction also attracted a large number of Chinese, the labor force they provided was instrumental in the building of the rail lines in Idaho (Schwantes, 1991, p. 128). Even though there was a large number of Chinese in Idaho in the late 19th century, none of the inventors in the patents analyzed had obvious Chinese names. However, a much more extensive knowledge of Chinese names and possible Anglicization thereof, as well as further research on the status of Chinese in early Idaho towns is necessary before drawing any conclusions.

As discussed previously, the research had unanticipated findings in the areas of place names and genealogy. Lalia Boone’s place name research notes are available in the University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives and should be consulted for possible verification of remaining place name questions. Lillian Otness, in the foreward to Boone’s 1988 work notes, “Valuable as Idaho Place Names is, it should not mark the end of place name research in the state. In only a few counties has intensive research been carried out.” (p. x) By listing a residence and placing it in a county at a point in time, historical patents serve as a tool for place name research. For genealogical purposes, patents can fix a person in a time and locale, as well as give valuable information about their interests and accomplishments.

Conclusions

The Idaho patents compiled in Hanson’s (2003) index serve as a source for place name research by revealing the existence of Idaho ghost towns, some of which have completely disappeared and have little recorded history. In addition, the patents in this study clearly show not only innovative mining activities, but that other creative pursuits did occur in present-day ghost towns during their heyday. Comparing the study time period of 1866-1900 to the time period of 1901-1908, a sharp decline in numbers of patents from towns in the study group supports the idea that patents are a valuable resource of information on the activities of a particular place, in this case the transient nature of the respective communities. Early patents serve as a goldmine of historical information, helping to define the culture and history of a particular locale.

References

Anderson, Warren (2003). American West Archives Online Catalog. Retrieved June 6, 2003 from http://www.americawestarchives.com/catalog.htm

Arrington, L. J. (1994). History of Idaho. (Vol. 1-2). Moscow, ID: Universsity of Idaho Press.

Bancroft, H. H. (1882-90). Works (Vol. 31). San Franciso: A.L. Bancroft.

Boone, L. P. (1983). From A to Z in Latah County, Idaho: A Place Name Dictionary. Moscow, ID: Idaho Place Name Project.

Boone, L. P. (1988). Idaho Place Names: a Geographical Dictionary. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho Press.

Federal Writers’ Project (1938). The Idaho Encyclopedia. Caldwell, ID: Caxton. Retrieved November 13, 2003 from http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/idahoencyclopedia/

Florin, L. (1967). A Guide to Western Ghost Towns. Seattle, WA: Superior.

Hanson, D. (2003). U.S. Patents Issued to Residents of Idaho, 1866-1908. Unpublished report, Moscow, ID: University of Idaho Library.

Hart, P. & Nelson, I. (1984). Mining Town: the Photographic Record of T.N. Barnard and Nellie Stockbridge from the Coeur d’Alenes. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Idaho State Historical Society. (1969). Mining in Idaho, 1860-1969 (Reference Series No. 9, rev. ed.). Boise, ID: Author.

Lewis Publishing Co. (1899). An Illustrated History of the State of Idaho. Chicago: Author.

Miller, D. C. (1976). Ghost Towns of Idaho. Boulder, CO: Pruett.

Paul, R. W. (2001). Mining Frontiers of the Far West, 1848-1880. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

R.L. Polk & Company (1903-04). Idaho State Gazetteer and Business Directory (Vols. 1-2). St. Paul, MN: Author.

Schwantes, C. A. (1991). In Mountain Shadows: A History of Idaho. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Sparling, W. C. (1974). Southern Idaho Ghost Towns. Caldwell, ID: Caxton.

U.S. Census, 1870: Table 1: The United States (1872). Washington: Government Printing Office.

U.S. Census, 1870: Selected Occupations with Age and Sex and Nativity, Table XXX: Territory of Idaho (1872). Washington: Government Printing Office.

Welch, J. C. (1982). Gold Town to Ghost Town: the Story of Silver City, Idaho. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho Press.

Wells, M. W. (2002). Gold Camps & Silver Cities: Nineteenth-century Mining in Central and Southern Idaho. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho Press. (Reprinted from Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology, Bulletin 22, 1964).

Wolle, M. (1953). The Bonanza Trail: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of the West. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Appendix

Table 1 . Total Granted Patents/Ghost Towns to Total Granted Patents/Idaho (1866-1900)
Year	Ghost Town	Total Idaho	Year	Ghost Town	Total Idaho
1866	1	1	1884	3	4
1867	1	1	1885	3	6
1868	0	0	1886	2	6
1869	1	1	1887	1	4
1870	0	0	1888	4	12
1871	2	2	1889	4	18
1872	1	1	1890	3	12
1873	1	1	1891	1	14
1874	0	0	1892	3	18
1875	0	1	1893	7	23
1876	1	5	1894	4	22
1877	0	1	1895	1	15
1878	2	2	1896	7	20
1879	1	3	1897	5	28
1880	2	2	1898	3	15
1881	0	3	1899	5	28
1882	0	4	1900	1	33
1883	1	6
Total Ghost Town: 70 Total Idaho: 312

Table 2. Patent Groupings by Category
Category	Patent #/Title	Total
Mining	60,611/steam generator; 64,060/quartz crusher; 142,857/elevated wireways; 208,509/amalgamator; 226,933/coating ingot molds; 271,145/utilizing force of currents & streams; 305,250/joint-protector & igniter for fuses; 316,528/pick; 324,445/pick; 332,978/crushing-roll; 337,901/pulverizing mill; 359,020/concentrator; 384,420/sampling apparatus; 412,586/registering & indicating device for mines; 456,517/ore-roasting furnace; 495,374/cable-tramway grip; 504,923/concentrator; 520,287/plunger-worker for concentrating jigs; 526,242/ore concentrator; 593,459/tool for miners’ use; 619,765/combined miner’s candlestick & fuse implement; 639,011/water motor	22
Mining/Other	114,194/lubricators; 120,366/governors for steam & other engines; Re 4,931/improvement in governors; 219,161/balance slide-valves; 494,392/antifriction journal box; 516,619/car coupling; 552,843/drill sharpener; 560,606/car coupling; 562,550/coupling block for sprocket chains; 664,146/check valve	10
Railroad	442,643/railroad rail brace; 532,668/railroad switch; 567,911/station indicator; 567,912/striker arm for station indicators	4
Other Transportation	D 32,031/car-door hinge; 298,436/wagon running gear; 472,398/wave-power motor; 556,613/sled propellor; 586,344/bicycle bell	5
Personal/ Recreation	351,530/pendant-stem for watches; 387,011/watch-case pendant; 407,934/syringe; 469,169/figure toy; 524,620/boot or shoe; 609,083/puzzle; 613,610/swimming appliance; 620,504/folding umbrella	8
Household	436,940/door securer; 500,006/stand; 507,448/washstand; 605,890/animal destroyer	4
Commercial	D26,923/inkstand; 204,189/machine for pitting & cutting fruit; 231,056/paper bag; 391,186/razor caster; 497,929/billiard cue; 564,388/locking mechanism for mob & burglar doors; 584,225/bottle	7
Agriculture	D32,032/barn-door hinge; 406,680/baling press; 437,450/cultivator or harrow; 578,447/barbed wire fence	4
Firearms	296,054/combined knife & pen holder; 402,918/trigger-setting mechanism for firearms; 503,215/pipe wrench	3
News/Mail	96,391/copy holder; 185,102/ruler; 393,360/mail bag	3

Table 3. Ghost Town Demographic Data
Town	Notes
Atlanta	Founded 1864, mining through 1930’s^a Still has residents^e
Banner	Founded 1864, flourished after 1882. Originally called Silver City.^b
Bay Horse	Founded 1877, flourished 80’s/90’s; also Aetna, Bayhorse^bPop. (1885) 400^d
Bullion	Flourished 1880-1893. Peak pop. 700^b
Burke	Founded 1885, by 1888 pop. 800ⁱ
Camas	Station on the UPRR; flourished 80’s, pop. 3000^b
Centreville	Peak pop. 3,000; New Centerville 3 miles from original.^b Also Centerville
De Lamar	Mining from 1863, town founded 1888; flourished 1890; P.O. 1889-1942^b
Delta	Pop. may have reached 1,000ⁱ
Doniphan	Flourished early 80’s^bPop. (???) 10^g
Falk’s Store	Founded 1862, first store 1867^a
Gem	Founded 1886, peak pop. 2,500^bSmall town today
Idaho City	Founded 1862; by Dec. pop. 6,000+; peak pop. 30,000, pop. (1869), 1,000^d Also: Moore’s Creek, Morestown, Bannock City, and West Bannock^..^cStill county seat, small town
Jansville	Trading center; P.O. 1890-1901^f
Leesburg	Founded 1866, peak pop. 3,000-7,000, declining by 1874^b
Lemhi Agency	P.O. on Lemhi Valley Indian Reservation^g
Lenville	Established 1864, flourished after 1882. Originally called Silver City.^b
Murray	Founded 1884, year later pop. 2,000, by end of 1886 pop. 100; Also Murrayville^bSmall town today.
Old Mission	Built 1848, oldest building in Idaho^bToday, major tourist attraction, National Historic Landmark
Placerville	Founded Dec. 1862; by June, 1863 pop. 5,000^d
Salubria	Founded late 1860s, P.O. 1824-1916; died when RR bypassed^a
Seneaguoteen	Early Hudson’s Bay trading post, Kootenai county seat 1864-1881ⁱAlso Sineacateen, Seneaguoteen, Seneacquoteen^a
Silver City	P.O. 1863-1943^b Peak pop. 5,000^d Removal of county seat to Murphy catastrophic^h
Silver Mountain	Not actual town; silver mines not productive^a
Soldier	Founded early 80’s^dP.O. 1882-1919, died when railroad passed by^a
Wardner	P.O. 1886- , Also Kentuck, Kaintuck^b Founded 1885, 8 months later pop. 1,000^dSmall town today, pop. (2000) 215
Washoe	Early ferry and settlement; P.O. 1873-1898^a
Sources: ^aBoone (1988), ^bMiller (1976), ^cIdaho State Historical Society (Reference Series No. 9), ^dIdaho Encylopedia (1938), ^eSparling (1974), ^fBoone (1983), ^gIdaho State Gazetteer and Business Directory (1903-04), ^hWelch (1982), ⁱAn Illustrated History of North Idaho (1903)

Table 4. Granted Patents by Town/County
Town	# Pat.	County	Current Name
Atlanta	2	Alturas	Elmore
Banner	1	Boise
Bay Horse	2	Custer
Bullion	2	Alturas	Blaine
Burke	1	Shoshone
Camas	1	Bingham	Jefferson
Centreville	1	Boise
De Lamar	3	Owyhee
Delta	2	Shoshone
Doniphan	2	Logan Blaine	Blaine
Falk’s Store	2	Ada	Payette
Gem	1	Shoshone
Idaho City	5	Boise
Jansville	1	Latah
Leesburg	1	Lemhi
Lemhi Agency	1	Lemhi
Lenville	1	Latah
Murray	3	Shoshone
Old Mission	1	Kootenai
Placerville	2	Boise
Salubria	2	Washington
Seneaguoteen	4	Kootenai	Bonner
Silver City	14	Owyhee
Silver Mountain	1	Boise
Soldier	1	Logan	Camas
Wardner	12	Shoshone
Washoe	1	Canyon	Payette

Appendix Bibliographic Detail of Patents Analyzed
Date	Number	Title	Inventor(s)	Residence
12/18/1866	60,611	Improvement in steam generators	Robert Bailey	Idaho City
4/23/1867	64,060	Improvement in quartz-crushers	Robert Bailey	Idaho City
11/2/1869	96,391	Improvement in copy-holders	John S. Butler	Silver City
4/25/1871	114,194	Improvement in lubricators	William Eaton Phillips	Silver City
10/31/1871	120,366	Improvement in governors for steam and other engines	Charles P. Bowen	Silver City
6/4/1872	Re 4,931	Improvement in governors	Charles P. Bowen	Silver City
9/16/1873	142,857	Improvement in elevated wireways	Henry T. Lantris Nelson Davis	Atlanta Atlanta
12/5/1876	185,102	Ruler	Charles M. Hays	Silver City
5/28/1878	204,189	Machine for pitting & cutting fruit	Charles P. Bowen	Silver City
10/1/1878	208,509	Amalgamator	Charles P. Bowen	Silver City
9/2/1879	219,161	Improvement in balance slide-valves	David B. Kimmel	Idaho City
4/27/1880	226,933	Preparation for coating ingot molds	Augustus Lawrence Simondi	Silver City
8/10/1880	231,056	Paper bag	Frederick W. Kroeber	Idaho City
1/23/1883	271,145	Device for utilizing the force of currents and streams	Franklin Manly St. Clair	Silver City
4/1/1884	296,054	Combined knife & pen-holder	Isaac Philips	Silver City
5/13/1884	298,436	Wagon running-gear	Alexander Womack	Falk’s Store
9/16/1884	305,250	Joint-protector & igniter for fuses	Eldridge A. Thompson	Silver City
4/28/1885	316,528	Pick	James P. Davis Juan G. Robbins	Banner Banner
8/18/1885	324,445	Pick	Alexander Womack	Falk’s Store
12/22/1885	332,978	Crushing-roll	Enos A. Wall	Bullion
3/16/1886	337,901	Pulverizing-mill	Enos A. Wall	Bullion
10/26/1886	351,530	Pendant-stem for watches	Fredrick W. Schimmel	Murray
3/8/1887	359,020	Concentrator	Clarence Wilbern Joy	Atlanta
6/12/1888	384,420	Automatic sampling apparatus	Allen Bradford	Wardner
7/31/1888	387,011	Watch-case pendant	Fredrick W. Schimmel	Murray
10/16/1888	391,186	Razor-caster	John Byron Parker	Wardner
11/27/1888	393,360	Mail-bag	Carson C. Cook	Camas
5/7/1889	402,918	Trigger-setting mechanism for firearms	Lodowick W. Gay	Wardner
7/9/1889	406,680	Baling press	Willard E. Walter	Silver City
7/30/1889	407,934	Syringe	Jay Kirkwood	Silver Mountain
10/8/1889	412,586	Registering and indicating device for mines	William F. Bath	Wardner
9/23/1890	436,940	Door-securer	Abram Duane Norton	Delta
9/30/1890	437,450	Cultivator or harrow	Anthony Peterson Ole O. Raaen	Placerville Placerville
12/16/1890	442,643	Railroad-rail brace	David Lawrence William H. Shumaker	Bay Horse Bay Horse
7/21/1891	456,517	Ore-roasting furnace	Patrick Marley	Idaho City
2/16/1892	469,169	Figure toy	Fred Otto Norton	Silver City
4/5/1892	472,398	Wave-power motor	Alfred Rosenholz	Wardner
3/28/1893	494,392	Antifriction journal-box	George Spencer	Old Mission
4/11/1893	495,374	Cable-tramway grip	Alfred Rosenholz	Wardner
5/23/1893	497,929	Billiard-cue	William H. Shumaker	Bay Horse
6/20/1893	500,006	Stand	William Kadletz Robert B. Stocker	Lemhi Agency Lemhi Agency
8/15/1893	503,215	Pipe-wrench	Thomas H. Oxnam James Joyce Joseph Francis	De Lamar De Lamar De Lamar
9/12/1893	504,923	Concentrator	David Walter Humphries	De Lamar
10/24/1893	507,448	Washstand	William F. Phinney Henry H. Whitney	Standish, Me. Centreville
3/13/1894	516,619	Car-coupling	James A. Ward	Murray
5/22/1894	520,287	Plunger-worker for concentrating-jigs	Otto Abeling	Burke
8/14/1894	524,620	Boot or shoe	Ernest A. Thurston	Placerville
9/18/1894	526,242	Ore-concentrator	Luther Look	Soldier
1/15/1895	532,668	Railroad-switch	James Joyce	De Lamar
1/7/1896	552,843	Drill-sharpener	Ole Larson John W. Carlson	Wardner Wardner
3/17/1896	556,613	Sled-propeller	Willis A. Bradley	Gem
5/19/1896	560,606	Car-coupling	James A. Ward	Delta
6/23/1896	562,550	Coupling-block for sprocket-chains	Otis J. Merritt	Seneaguoteen
7/21/1896	564,388	Locking mechanism for mob and burglar doors	Otis J. Merritt	Seneaquoteen
9/15/1896	567,911	Station-indicator	Otis J. Merritt	Seneaquoteen
9/15/1896	567,912	Striker-arm for station-indicators	Otis J. Merritt	Seneaguoteen
3/9/1897	578,447	Barbed-wire fence	Samuel Dent	Jansville
4/20/1897	D26,923	Design for an inkstand	Cyrus W. Courtney Jessie G. Courtney	Doniphan Doniphan
6/8/1897	584,225	Bottle	James F. Inglis	Silver City
7/13/1897	586,344	Bicycle bell	Carl Rosenholz John W. Carlson	Wardner Wardner
11/9/1897	593,459	Tool for miners’ use	John Daniel Campbell	Leesburg
6/21/1898	605,890	Animal destroyer	Otis J. Merritt	Seneaguoteen
8/16/1898	609,083	Puzzle	Cyrus William Courtney	Doniphan
11/1/1898	613,610	Swimming appliance	Jacob Stroup	Washoe
2/21/1899	619,765	Combined miner’s candlestick & fuse implement	Jacob Frank Layes	Lenville
2/28/1899	620,504	Folding umbrella	Carl Andrew Rosenholz John Henrick Lampe	Wardner Wardner
12/12/1899	639,011	Water-motor	Robert M. Blackmer	Wardner
12/26/1899	D 32,031	Design for a cardoor hinge	John W. Jones	Salubria
12/26/1899	D 32,032	Design for a barn-door hinge	John W. Jones	Salubria
12/18/1900	664,146	Check-valve	Thomas John Hackett	Wardner

Abstract

Keywords:

Introduction

Abstract

Keywords:

Introduction

Historical Background

Ghost Towns

Findings

Conclusions

References

Appendix

Bibliographic Detail of Patents Analyzed