Smiths Ferry, Idaho

Smiths Ferry is a census-designated place in Valley County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 75 as of the 2010 census.[1] Situated where the North Fork of the Payette River briefly calms and widens, its elevation is 4,554 feet (1,388 m) above sea level.

Smiths Ferry, Idaho
Census-designated place
Location of Smiths Ferry in Valley County, Idaho.
Location of Smiths Ferry in Valley County, Idaho.
Smiths Ferry is located in the United States
Smiths Ferry
Smiths Ferry
Location in the United States
Smiths Ferry is located in Idaho
Smiths Ferry
Smiths Ferry
Location in Idaho
Coordinates: 44°18′05″N 116°05′22″W
CountryUnited States
StateIdaho
CountyValley
Area
 • Total2.009 sq mi (5.20 km2)
 • Land1.849 sq mi (4.79 km2)
 • Water0.160 sq mi (0.41 km2)
Elevation
4,554 ft (1,388 m)
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total75
 • Density37/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
Area code(s)208, 986
GNIS feature ID400096[2]

A ferry at the river was established by Clinton Meyers in 1887 to transport livestock to summer pasture in the Round and Long Valleys across the river. Also popular with freighters, the ferry was sold by Meyers to Jim Smith in 1891, hence the name Smith's Ferry.[3]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

Highway

Smiths Ferry sits along State Highway 55, the primary north–south route out of Boise, It was designated the "Payette River Scenic Byway" in 1977.[6]

1962 B-47 crash

In 1962, a U.S. Air Force B-47E bomber crashed on a training mission shortly before midnight on August 22 in the mountains several miles south of Smiths Ferry (44.2037°N 116.064°W / 44.2037; -116.064). Controlled flight into terrain started a forest fire near the summit of Packer John Mountain, and all three crew were killed. The B-47 was based in Arizona at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, where it had departed from earlier that Wednesday evening.[7][8][9][10]

References
  1. "U.S. Census website". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Smiths Ferry, Idaho
  3. "Smiths Ferry, ID". U.S. Forest Service, Boise National Forest. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  5. Rand McNally. The Road Atlas '09. Chicago: Rand McNally, 2009, p. 31.
  6. payetteriverscenicbyway.com Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine - about - accessed 2011-12-10
  7. "Crash in Idaho sets off blaze". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. August 23, 1962. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  8. "Jet crashes against Idaho peak, 3 dead". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. August 23, 1962. p. 4A. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  9. "B47 jet crashes north of Boise". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. August 23, 1962. p. 1A. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  10. "B-47 Crash Site - Packer John". Pictures of Cascade. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.


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