Treasure Valley

[1] In 1834, Thomas McKay built the original Fort Boise, in the area near present-day Parma, which was run for a time by Francois Payette.

In 1883, the Oregon Short Line Railroad reached the Treasure Valley, creating a thriving community, with Nampa as the center of the area's rail activity.

Many Basques, primarily from northern Spain, came to the area looking for gold but, meeting discrimination, it seemed to many that a better occupation was shepherding, familiar from their homeland.

[5] While the dam was under construction, over 98.5 miles (159 km) of irrigation canals were being dug to the north and south.

In 1973, Hewlett-Packard purchased a 150-acre (60 ha) site for a future peripherals plant in northwest Boise.

[7] Micron Technology was founded in 1978, creating an additional, local industry aside from farming and potato packaging.