Caldwell

History

The present-day location of Caldwell is along a natural passageway to the Inland and Pacific Northwest. Native American tribes from the west coast, north Idaho and as far away as Colorado came to the banks of the Boise River for annual trading fairs, or rendezvous. European and some Hawaiian explorers and traders soon followed the paths left by Native Americans and hopeful emigrants later forged the Oregon Trail and followed those paths to seek a better life in the Oregon Territory. Pioneers of the Trail traveled along the Boise River to Canyon Hill and forded the river close to the Silver Bridge on Plymouth Street. During the Civil War, the discovery of gold in Idaho's mountains brought a variety of new settlers into the area. Many never made it to the mines but settled along the Boise River and run ferries, stage stations, and freighting businesses. These early entrepreneurs created small ranches and farms in the river valleys. Caldwell's inception occurred largely as a result of the construction of the Oregon Short Line Railroad, which connected Wyoming to Oregon through Idaho. Robert E. Strahorn came to the Boise River Valley in 1883 to select a route for the railroad. He rejected the grade into Boise City as too steep and chose a site 30 miles to the west. He drove a stake into an alkali flat of sagebrush and greasewood and the City of Caldwell was platted. Caldwell was named after one of Strahorn's business partners, Alexander Caldwell, a former senator from Kansas. When Caldwell was platted in August 1883, its founder, the Idaho and Oregon Land Improvement Company, started persuading settlers and businessmen to move to the area. Within four months, Caldwell had 600 residents living in 150 dwellings, 40 businesses, a school, a telephone exchange, and two…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. Caldwell experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with cold and moderately wet winters and hot, dry summers.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• RIDGEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
  High · NAMPA · 1,578 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• NAMPA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · NAMPA · 1,482 students · 21.8:1 ratio
• CALDWELL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · CALDWELL · 1,474 students · 21.7:1 ratio
• MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL
  High · MIDDLETON · 1,364 students · 22.4:1 ratio
• IDAHO ARTS CHARTER SCHOOL
  Other · NAMPA · 1,303 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL
  High · NAMPA · 1,239 students · 20.6:1 ratio
• VALLIVUE HIGH SCHOOL
  High · CALDWELL · 1,235 students · 19:1 ratio
• SKYVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
  High · NAMPA · 1,152 students · 17.5:1 ratio