Glenns Ferry is a city in
Elmore County,
Idaho, United States. The population was 1,319 at the
2010 census. The city is adjacent to
Interstate 84 and the
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 ...
.
History
Glenns Ferry was one of the most famous and treacherous river crossings on the
Oregon Trail. Pioneers forded the Snake River at the Three Island Crossing until 1869, when Gustavus "Gus" Glenn constructed a ferry about two miles upstream, primarily to expedite freight but also for emigrants. His boat, which could hold two wagons, cut nearly twenty miles from the former route. In 1871 the city of Glenns Ferry was established. Construction of the
Oregon Short Line Railroad through the town in 1883 gave the city its first major employer.
Opened in 1971,
Three Island Crossing State Park is home to The Oregon Trail History and Education Center, where visitors can learn about pioneer emigrants and
Native American history. The Glenns Ferry community sponsors a crossing commemoration the second Saturday of each August.
The Glenns Ferry townsite was platted in 1871, just downstream from the ferry site. It is one of just two incorporated cities in Elmore County, along with
Mountain Home
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...
.
Geography
Glenns Ferry is located at (42.951954, -115.301132),
at an
elevation of above
sea level.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census of 2010, there were 1,319 people, 559 households, and 350 families residing in the city. The
population density was . There were 684 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 82.2%
White, 0.2%
African American, 2.0%
Native American, 0.4%
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 ...
, 11.8% from
other races, and 3.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
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 were 24.6% of the population.
There were 559 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.00.
The median age in the city was 42.6 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
2000 census
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,611 people, 610 households, and 428 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 707 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.41%
White, 1.18%
Native American, 0.31%
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 ...
, 9.75% from
other races, and 3.35% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
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 were 26.44% of the population.
There were 610 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.4% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,379, and the median income for a family was $32,019. Males had a median income of $27,321 versus $17,692 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $12,869. About 20.5% of families and 24.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 38.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Climate
Notable people
*
Korey Hall, American football player
*
Kitty Wilkins
Katherine Caroline Wilkins (May 15, 1857 – October 8, 1936) was a horse breeder around the start of the 20th century known as the "Horse Queen of Idaho." She was the only American woman at that time whose livelihood was based solely on the trad ...
, horse breeder
*
Richard Wills, Idaho State Representative
Gallery
File:Amstutz Apartments - Glenns Ferry Idaho.jpg, Amstutz Apartments
File:Our Lady of Limerick Catholic Church - Glenns Ferry Idaho.jpg, Our Lady of Limerick Catholic Church
File:Wildhorsesowyhee.jpg, Wild horses at Saylor Creek south of Glenns Ferry
File:Idaho vineyard.jpg, Vineyard outside Glenns Ferry
References
External links
Glenns Ferry Chamber of CommerceGlenns Ferry School DistrictIdaho Parks & Recreation- Three Island Crossing State Park
Idaho Transportation Dept.- roadside historical marker - Glenns Ferry
Unofficial Glenns Ferry
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Cities in Idaho
Cities in Elmore County, Idaho