Lemhi County, Idaho
| Lemhi County, Idaho | ||
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 Location in the U.S. state of Idaho |
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 Idaho's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | January 9, 1869 | |
| Named for | Fort Lemhi | |
| Seat | Salmon | |
| Largest city | Salmon | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4,569 sq mi (11,834 km2) | |
| • Land | 4,563 sq mi (11,818 km2) | |
| • Water | 5.4 sq mi (14 km2), 0.1% | |
| Population | ||
| • (2010) | 7,936 | |
| • Density | 1.7/sq mi (1/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 2nd | |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 | |
| Website | www |
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Lemhi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,936. The largest city and county seat is Salmon. The county was established in 1869, named after Fort Lemhi (or Limhi), a remote Mormon missionary settlement from 1855–58 in Bannock and Shoshone territory.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,569 square miles (11,830 km2), of which 4,563 square miles (11,820 km2) is land and 5.4 square miles (14 km2) (0.1%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in Idaho by area. The highest point is Bell Mountain at 11,612 ft (3,539 m) above sea level, and the lowest point is the Salmon River as it exits on the county's western border with Idaho County at approximately 3,000 feet (914 m). The river cuts through the center of Lemhi County before turning west. The county's eastern border with Beaverhead County, Montana, is the continental divide.
Habitation of the Lemhi and Salmon Rivers dates back 14,000 years ago. Early natives were spear hunters of big game. The Salmon River was the dividing point among the first cultural split which occurred after 5,000 BC. The Lemhi band of Shoshoni developed culturally in similar fashion to other Shoshoni tribes located south of and east of the Salmon River. The Lemhi band of Shoshoni gained early access to horses and had developed into a migratory culture. They were also known as "Salmon Eaters". Their migratory pattern consisted of fishing for Salmon in the Lemhi Valley in the summer, digging Camas on Camas Creek in the spring, and hunting buffalo in the Three Forks area of the Missouri River. They were also known to travel to trade with other tribes. The Lemhi band was forced to a reservation on 12 February 1875, even though the tribe failed to ratify the treaty creating it in 1868. The reservation was disbanded in 1907 and the tribe sent to Fort Hall.
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