Rocky Bar is a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

in Elmore County,

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 Wyomi ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. At its height in the late 19th century Rocky Bar boasted a population of over 2,500 and served as county seat of Alturas County from 1864 to 1882. It was also the original county seat of Elmore County when it was created in 1889. Rocky Bar was founded in December 1863 soon after gold was discovered along the nearby Feather River. Within two years it became the main settlement in the area and was even considered as a possible capital for Idaho Territory. Although the town was rebuilt after the 1892 fire, it began a slow decline. Rocky Bar has not had a permanent population since the 1960s. Rocky Bar is located 62 miles northeast of Mountain Home. A ten-mile square area including Rocky Bar, covering much of the large basin in which it is located, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

as South Boise Historic Mining District. Originally a placer mining camp, the South Boise area of Rocky Bar and Atlanta had a population of 560 by 1863. Discovery of gold and silver

lode In geology, a lode is a deposit of metalliferous ore that fills or is embedded in a fissure (or crack) in a rock formation or a vein of ore that is deposited or embedded between layers of rock. The current meaning (ore vein) dates from the 1 ...

s prompted the development of underground workings and 80

arastra An arrastra (or arastra) is a primitive Mill (grinding), mill for grinding and pulverizing (typically) gold or silver ore. Its simplest form is two or more flat-bottomed drag stones placed in a circular pit paved with flat stones, and connected ...

s by 1864. Stamp mills were in operation by 1865, later improved with a 50-stamp mill by 1887. Yet the ore bodies were relatively shallow, and production started to decline in 1889. The 1892 fire destroyed much of the town.

References

External links

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/id/rockybar.htmlPeg Leg AnnieHistoric images of rocky Bar
Geography of Elmore County, Idaho Former county seats in Idaho Ghost towns in Idaho Populated places established in 1863 1863 establishments in Idaho Territory {{US-ghost-town-stub

See also

References

External links