Clark County is a rural

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers 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 sover ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a 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 Montana and Wyom ...

; its

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 st ...

and largest city is Dubois. As of the 2020 Census, the county had a population of 790, making it the least populous county in the state.

History

Establishment of stage coach stops along the route between

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

and the Montana mining towns were established at Beaver Canyon ( named after Beaver Creek (Camas Creek) ) and Dry Creek (now Dubois) in 1864. Originally part of Alturas County, both locations were transferred to Oneida County in 1877. They became part of

Bingham County Bingham County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 47,992. The county seat and largest city is Blackfoot. Bingham County comprises the Blackfoot, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

at its creation in 1885. Clark County was also the site of the

Battle of Camas Creek The Battle of Camas Creek, August 20, 1877, was a raid by the Nez Perce people on a United States Army encampment in Idaho Territory and a subsequent battle during the Nez Perce War. The Nez Perce defeated three companies of U.S. cavalry and conti ...

during the

Nez Perce War The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict in 1877 in the Western United States that pitted several bands of the Nez Perce tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans and their allies, a small band of the ''Palus people, Palo ...

which occurred at Camas Meadows near

Kilgore Kilgore may refer to: Fictional characters * Kilgore Trout, a recurring character in the novels of Kurt Vonnegut * Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore, a character in the Francis Ford Coppola movie ''Apocalypse Now'' * Teddybear Kilgore (AKA Kilgour), a cha ...

on August 20, 1872. The

Utah and Northern Railway The Utah & Northern Railway is a defunct railroad that was operated in the Utah Territory and later in the Idaho Territory and Montana Territory in the western United States during the 1870s and 1880s. It was the first railroad in Idaho and in M ...

reached Beaver Canyon in 1879. By the 1890 Census, Beaver Canyon had a population of 216. The settlement relocated to Spencer in 1897. The majority of Clark County was transferred to Fremont County when it was created in 1893 with the remaining territory being transferred in 1896. By the 1900 Census, 1,199 residents lived in the five precincts of Birch Creek, Dubois, Kilgore, Medicine Lodge, and Spencer. At the 1910 census, the precincts contained 1,095 residents. Dry Creek was renamed Dubois in 1892 and incorporated prior to 1920 while Spencer was incorporated in 1947. The county was established in 1919, partitioned from Fremont County by the state legislature; the county division bill was signed by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

D. W. Davis David William Davis (April 23, 1873 – August 5, 1959) was an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Idaho from 1919 to 1923. He later served briefly as commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation in 1923 and 1925. ...

on February 1. It was named for state senator Sam K. Clark, an early pioneer on Medicine Lodge Creek in the upper

Snake River The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...

valley.Idaho.gov – Clark County
– accessed May 28, 2009

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 (0.1%) is water. The northern border of the county is the

Bitterroot Range The Bitterroot Range is a mountain range and a subrange of the Rocky Mountains that runs along the border of Montana and Idaho in the northwestern United States. The range spans an area of and is named after the bitterroot (''Lewisia rediviva' ...

of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

, which forms the state line with

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

and is also the

continental divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

. It is crossed by

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border i ...

over

Monida Pass Monida Pass is a high mountain pass in the northern Rocky Mountains of the western United States, at an elevation of above sea level on Interstate 15, and on the Union Pacific Railroad. On the Continental Divide in the Bitterroot Range, it ...

at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. Monida Pass also marks an east–west divide between Bitterroot subranges: the

Beaverhead Mountains The Beaverhead Mountains, highest point Scott Peak, el. , are a mountain range straddling the Continental Divide in the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. (See also the GNIS link here.) They are a sub-range of the Bitterroot Range, and divide Be ...

are to the west and the

Centennial Mountains The Centennial Mountains are the southernmost sub-range of the Bitterroot Range in the U.S. states of Idaho and Montana. The Centennial Mountains include the Western and Eastern Centennial Mountains. The range extends east from Monida Pass along ...

are to the east.

Adjacent counties

* Lemhi County – west * Butte County – southwest * Jefferson County – south * Fremont County – east *

Beaverhead County Beaverhead County is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,371. Its county seat is Dillon. The county was founded in 1865. Much of the perimeter of the county is the Continental Di ...

– north

Major highways

–

* SH-22

National protected areas

* Caribou-Targhee National Forest (part) *

Nez Perce National Historical Park The Nez Perce National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park comprising 38 sites located across the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, which include traditional aboriginal lands of the Nez Perce people. The sit ...

(part) * Salmon-Challis 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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 1,022 people, 340 households, and 257 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1 person per square mile (0/km²). There were 521 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.17%

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 on ...

, 0.10%

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 have o ...

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 ...

, 0.98% Native American, 0.20%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 23.48% 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 0.98% from two or more races. 34.25% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 14.3% were of

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 ide ...

, 8.1%

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 ...

and 5.8%

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 340 households, out of which 45.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.80% 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 t ...

living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 20.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.52. In the county, the population was spread out, with 35.20% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 110.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,576, and the median income for a family was $31,534. Males had a median income of $23,854 versus $20,192 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 $11,141. About 18.70% of families and 19.90% 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 t ...

, including 24.10% of those under age 18 and 11.70% 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 servin ...

, there were 982 people, 345 households, and 243 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 531 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 72.4% white, 1.0% American Indian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 23.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 40.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.8% were

, 7.4% were

, and 6.5% were

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 ...

. Of the 345 households, 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.6% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.41. The median age was 32.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $40,909 and the median income for a family was $37,656. Males had a median income of $32,895 versus $24,125 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,737. About 8.7% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the

, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The public schools in the county are operated by Clark County School District #161, headquartered in Dubois. Clark County High School competes in athletics in the Rocky Mountain Conference in IHSAA 1A Division II; the school colors are

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and

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 have o ...

and its mascot is a

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

Communities

Incorporated communities

* Dubois (county seat) * Spencer

Unincorporated communities

Humphrey Humphrey is both a masculine given name and a surname. An earlier form, not attested since Medieval times, was Hunfrid. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Medieval period :''Ordered chronologically'' *Hunfrid of P ...

Politics

Presidential elections

Clark County has participated in every presidential election since the election of 1920. The county has voted for every Republican candidate except in 1932 when it voted for the Democratic candidate

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

giving him 54 percent of the vote. It was the solitary county in Idaho, and one of only three counties west of the Continental Divide alongside Rio Blanco County in Colorado and Kane County in Utah, to give at least a plurality to

Alf Landon Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887October 12, 1987) was an American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential ...

in his 1936 landslide defeat.

Voter registration

Government

Federal

The county is represented in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

by Republican

Mike Simpson Michael Keith Simpson (born September 8, 1950) is an American politician and former dentist serving as the U.S. representative for since 1999. The district covers most of the eastern portion of the state, including Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Sun ...

of the 2nd Congressional District. It is represented in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

by Republicans

Mike Crapo Michael Dean Crapo ( ; born May 20, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Idaho, a seat he has held since 1999. A member of the Republican Party, Crapo previously served as the U.S. repres ...

and James Risch.

State

The county is in the 35th Legislative district. It is represented by Republican Senator

Van Burtenshaw Van Burtenshaw is an American politician serving as a member of the Idaho Senate from the 35th district. He previously represented the same district in the Idaho House of Representatives. Education He has an associate degree from Ricks Colleg ...

and Republican representatives Karey Hanks and

Rod Furniss Rod Furniss is an American businessman and politician serving as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives for District 35, seat B. Early life and education Furniss was born in Rigby, Idaho and grew up in Menan. He attended Rigby High Sch ...

County

The county has 3 County Commissioners Nick Hillman, Greg Shenton, and Macoy Ward. The county also has other County officials like Sheriff, County Clerk, Attorney, Coroner, Treasurer, and Assessor.

References

External links

*
State of Idaho official site
– Clark County
Clark County School District #161Clark county historical photographs
at th
Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University {{authority control Idaho counties 1919 establishments in Idaho Populated places established in 1919