Warren is an unincorporated community in the remote north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho, near the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
Geography
Located within the Payette National Forest in southern Idaho County,[1] Warren is northeast of McCall, approximately 50 miles (80 km) by vehicle and about 30 miles (50 km) by air. South of the Salmon River, the elevation is 5,906 feet (1,800 m) above sea level.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Warren has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).
| Climate data for Warren, Idaho 1991–2020 normals, 1895-2020 extremes: 5907ft (1800m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 58 (14) |
62 (17) |
70 (21) |
80 (27) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
98 (37) |
100 (38) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
69 (21) |
55 (13) |
100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 47.2 (8.4) |
51.6 (10.9) |
58.5 (14.7) |
64.6 (18.1) |
75.3 (24.1) |
81.9 (27.7) |
89.8 (32.1) |
88.0 (31.1) |
83.2 (28.4) |
73.3 (22.9) |
55.9 (13.3) |
44.1 (6.7) |
90.8 (32.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 35.0 (1.7) |
40.8 (4.9) |
45.7 (7.6) |
49.8 (9.9) |
59.3 (15.2) |
68.1 (20.1) |
79.2 (26.2) |
78.9 (26.1) |
69.2 (20.7) |
56.0 (13.3) |
41.2 (5.1) |
34.1 (1.2) |
54.8 (12.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 21.1 (−6.1) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
35.1 (1.7) |
43.3 (6.3) |
51.1 (10.6) |
58.0 (14.4) |
56.9 (13.8) |
49.4 (9.7) |
39.4 (4.1) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
38.3 (3.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.1 (−13.8) |
7.3 (−13.7) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
34.0 (1.1) |
36.8 (2.7) |
34.8 (1.6) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
9.1 (−12.7) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17.0 (−27.2) |
−15.4 (−26.3) |
−5.7 (−20.9) |
5.4 (−14.8) |
15.2 (−9.3) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
8.2 (−13.2) |
−7.4 (−21.9) |
−14.4 (−25.8) |
−24.9 (−31.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −44 (−42) |
−48 (−44) |
−31 (−35) |
−11 (−24) |
2 (−17) |
17 (−8) |
19 (−7) |
14 (−10) |
5 (−15) |
−12 (−24) |
−38 (−39) |
−45 (−43) |
−48 (−44) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.27 (58) |
1.56 (40) |
2.18 (55) |
2.05 (52) |
2.50 (64) |
2.76 (70) |
1.14 (29) |
1.03 (26) |
1.32 (34) |
2.03 (52) |
2.85 (72) |
2.39 (61) |
24.08 (613) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 24.0 (61) |
17.8 (45) |
17.3 (44) |
10.1 (26) |
4.1 (10) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
3.0 (7.6) |
18.7 (47) |
24.9 (63) |
120.8 (305.9) |
| Source 1: NOAA[2][3] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (1981-2010 snowfall, records & monthly max/mins)[4] | |||||||||||||
History
Miners from the previous gold strikes in Pierce and Florence fanned out to the south and discovered gold in the Warren Creek area in August 1862.[5] It led to the formation of the settlement, then in Washington Territory, making it one of the oldest settlements in present-day Idaho. With a gold mining boom in multiple regions during the Civil War, the Idaho Territory was established in 1863. Shortly after the gold discovery by Lewiston's James Warren,[6] the Warren's Camp population swelled to over 2,000; the southerners called their area of the camp "Richmond" and northerners called theirs "Washington."[5][6] Washington was established as the seat of Idaho County from June 1, 1869 until voters in the June 1875 election selected Mount Idaho over Slate Creek and Washington.[7][8]
After the initial boom ended in 1875, Warren was known for its significant Chinese population.[9][10]
The boom-town population plummeted when mining declined, but enjoyed a brief renaissance in the 1930s with the introduction of dredge mining in the area.[9][11][12] During World War II, gold mining was shut down by the U.S. government in 1942.[13] Following the war, interest in Warren was high for rare-earth metals in its by-product monazite.[12][14][15][16] A modest gold mining industry remains in the area.
The town has been threatened several times by forest fires, most recently in 1989, 2000, and 2007.[11][17] Recent fires have made the Warren area a haven for morel mushroom hunting.
Warren currently has a full-time population of 12 to 16.[18]
Population history
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 542 | — | |
| 1880 | 470 | −13.3% | |
| 1890 | 113 | −76.0% | |
| 1900 | 159 | 40.7% | |
| 1910 | 100 | −37.1% | |
| 1920 | 131 | 31.0% | |
| 1930 | 180 | 37.4% | |
| 1940 | 209 | 16.1% | |
| 1950 | 30 | −85.6% | |
| 1960 | 12 | −60.0% | |
| 1970 | 30 | 150.0% | |
| 1980 | 35 | 16.7% | |
| 1990 | 30 | −14.3% | |
| source:[19] | |||
References
- ^ Kingsbury, Lawrence A. (2000). "Chinese Properties Listed in the National Register" (PDF). NPS. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
- ^ "Warren, Idaho 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ "Warren, Idaho 1981-2010 Monthly Normals". Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ a b "Centennial observed for gold strike". Spokane Daily Chronicle. September 6, 1962. p. 40.
- ^ a b Buchanan, Wyatt (September 28, 2001). "Road to Warren takes visitors through history". Spokesman-Review. Lewiston Tribune. p. B4.
- ^ Laws and Resolutions passed by the fifth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Idaho. James Reynolds, Territorial Printer. 1869. p. 148. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "An Act to define the boundaries of Idaho County and for other purposes". babel.hathitrust.org. hathi trust. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Ruark, Janice (August 29, 1978). "Old Idaho mine town fading but still alive". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 20.
- ^ "Chinese terrace gardens uncovered". Spokane Chronicle. Associated Press. August 8, 1988. p. A2.
- ^ a b Warren Idaho Walking Tour
- ^ a b "Dredge to operate near Warren, Idaho area". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. September 21, 1956. p. 16.
- ^ "Closing of gold mines be blow to five towns". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. October 13, 1942. p. 1.
- ^ "Warren future may be thorium". Spokesman-Review. June 20, 1948. p. 27.
- ^ "Rare ore finds open new vista in central Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. December 8, 1951. p. 1.
- ^ "Miners scorn gold now; they're after monazite". Rome (GA) News-Tribune. April 11, 1952. p. 10.
- ^ Governor orders Yellow Pine evacuation
- ^ Warren Idaho
- ^ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 99.
- ^ "1864 territorial census" (PDF). Idaho State Historical Society, Reference Series, #130. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- ^ "1863 territorial census" (PDF). Idaho State Historical Society, Reference Series, #129. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
Additional sources
- A History of Warren, Idaho: Mining, Race, and Environment
- "Site Report - Warrens" (PDF). Reference Series, no. 197. ISHS. 1981. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Warren, Idaho
External links
- State of Idaho tourism site - Warren
- AirNav.com - Warren USFS Airport
- Weather.com - Warren, Idaho
- Western Regional Climate Center - Warner, Idaho climate data
Municipalities and communities of Idaho County, Idaho, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
