Salmon is a city in
Lemhi County, Idaho
Lemhi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,974. The largest city and county seat is Salmon. The county was established in 1869, named after Fort Lemhi (or Limhi), a remote Mormon mis ...
. The population was 3,112 at the
2010 census. The city is the
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 ...
of Lemhi County.
Located in the
Lemhi River
The Lemhi River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 3, 2011 river in Idaho in the United States. It is a tributary of the Salmon River, which in turn is tributary t ...
valley, Salmon is home to the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural and Education Center, which focuses on
Lemhi Shoshone
The Lemhi Shoshone are a tribe of Northern Shoshone, also called the Akaitikka, Agaidika, or "Eaters of Salmon".Murphy and Murphy, 306 The name "Lemhi" comes from Fort Lemhi, a Mormon mission to this group. They traditionally lived in the Lemhi Ri ...
culture, as well as the interaction between
Sacagawea
Sacagawea ( or ; also spelled Sakakawea or Sacajawea; May – December 20, 1812 or April 9, 1884)[Sacagawea]
...
and other Shoshone and
Lewis and Clark
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
.
History
The
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
crossed 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 ...
at
Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Pass is a high mountain pass in the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains and within Salmon-Challis National Forest. The pass lies on the Montana-Idaho border on the continental divide, at an elevation ...
, to the southeast of Salmon. They followed the Salmon River through the present site of the city, then ascended the
north fork of the river, at the
present-day town named after the confluence, to cross into present-day Montana near
Lost Trail Pass
Lost Trail Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of the northwestern United States, on the border of Idaho and Montana in the Bitterroot Mountains. The pass is at an elevation of above sea level and is traversed by U.S. Highway 93.
The ...
. The sole female in the party,
Sacagawea
Sacagawea ( or ; also spelled Sakakawea or Sacajawea; May – December 20, 1812 or April 9, 1884)[Sacagawea]
...
, was born in the Lemhi Valley near Salmon. The Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural and Educational Center was opened in Salmon in August 2003.
From 1910 to 1939, Salmon was the western terminus of the now-defunct
Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad
The Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad (G&P), now defunct, was an American railroad located in southwestern Montana and east-central Idaho. Constructed in 1909 and 1910 between Armstead, Montana, and Salmon, Idaho, the G&P served mining and agricult ...
.
File:Salmon idaho owl club.jpg, The Owl Club in downtown Salmon, Idaho.
File:Salmon, ID Intersection.jpeg, Intersection. Salmon, Idaho.
Geography
Salmon is located at (45.178110, –113.902660).
The elevation is
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
.
According to the
United States 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 city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
The
Salmon River passes through Salmon;
whitewater rafters and other people interested in outdoor recreation have brought additional economic activity to Salmon. The
Lemhi River
The Lemhi River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 3, 2011 river in Idaho in the United States. It is a tributary of the Salmon River, which in turn is tributary t ...
flows into the Salmon River at Salmon.
Climate
Salmon experiences a
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''BSk'') with cold, dry winters and hot, slightly wetter summers.
Demographics
2010 census
At the
2010 census there were 3,112 people, 1,420 households, and 807 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,628 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 96.5% White, 0.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6%.
Of the 1,420 households 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.2% were non-families. 37.9% of households were one person and 16.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.80.
The median age was 45.7 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 20.9% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
2000 census
At the
2000 census there were 3,122 people, 1,369 households, and 829 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,576 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 96.76% White, 0.19% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18%.
Of the 1,369 households 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 34.6% of households were one person and 16.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93.
The age distribution was 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median household income was $26,823 and the median family income was $34,844. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $18,819 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,749. About 15.5% of families and 19.5% 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 28.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
J. D. Cannon, American actor, born in Salmon in 1922
*
Dick Randolph
Richard L. Randolph (born April 10, 1936) is a longtime insurance agency owner in Fairbanks, Alaska who is best known as the first person to be elected to partisan office under the banner of the Libertarian Party with his election to the Alaska ...
, the first
Libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
elected to a U.S. state legislature; born in Salmon in 1936
*
Sacagawea
Sacagawea ( or ; also spelled Sakakawea or Sacajawea; May – December 20, 1812 or April 9, 1884)[Sacagawea]
...
(also Sakakawea, Sacajawea; English pronunciation: /ˌsækədʒəˈwiːə/) (c. 1788 – December 20, 1812)
*
Elmer Keith
Elmer Merrifield Keith (March 8, 1899 – February 12, 1984) was an American rancher, firearms enthusiast, and author. Keith was instrumental in the development of the first magnum revolver cartridge, the .357 Magnum, as well as the later .44 M ...
, creator of the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .41 Magnum
*
J.D. Folsom, former Miami Dolphins linebacker
Education
Education in Salmon is provided by Salmon School District #291.
and the Upper Carmen Public Charter School.
Media
Radio
KSRA (AM) 960 and
KSRA-FM 92.7, both owned by Bitteroot Communications formerly
Salmon River Communications, are licensed to Salmon.
References
External links
City of Salmon Idaho WebsitePortal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Salmon
Salmon School District #291
{{authority control
Cities in Lemhi County, Idaho
Cities in Idaho
County seats in Idaho