Pierce

History

The first discovery of gold in Idaho (then Washington Territory) was made by Elias D. Pierce and Wilbur F. Bassett on Orofino Creek (Canal Gulch) in October 1860, a mile (1.6 km) north of Pierce. On land ceded to the Nez Perce people at the Walla Walla Council in 1855 (with a 1859 treaty), the gold discovery led to significant reduction of that agreement in 1863, and the Nez Perce War in 1877. Pierce was the first county seat for Shoshone County, which was established in January 1861 in Washington Territory and for most of its first year included most of present-day Idaho and Wyoming. The Pierce Courthouse, constructed in 1862, is Idaho's oldest public building. Idaho Territory was established in 1863, and the county seat moved north to the Silver Valley in Murray in 1884 (and to Wallace in 1898). Present-day Clearwater County, formed in 1911, was part of Shoshone County until 1904, when it was annexed by Nez Perce County.

Geography

Pierce is located about 9 miles northeast of the Weippe Prairie, north of the Clearwater River canyon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Pierce has a humid continental climate (Dfb) according to the Köppen climate classification system.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  153
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  145
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  145
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  134
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  129
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  95
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  95
• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  63

Largest nearby schools

• IDAHO YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY FALL
  High · PIERCE · 135 students · 19.3:1 ratio
• TIMBERLINE HIGH SCHOOL
  High · WEIPPE · 109 students · 10.9:1 ratio
• TIMBERLINE ELEMENTARY
  Elementary · WEIPPE · 90 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• IDAHO YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY SPRING
  High · PIERCE

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2022-11-25
  13 km WSW of Saint Regis, Montana
• M 2.7 — 2021-12-15
  1 km NW of Lewiston Orchards, Idaho
• M 2.9 — 2021-10-16
  8 km SSW of Culdesac, Idaho
• M 4.1 — 2018-11-20
  21 km SE of Stites, Idaho
• M 2.65 — 2017-04-17
  5 km ENE of Lewiston Orchards, Idaho
• M 2.7 — 2016-09-20
  16 km SE of Deary, Idaho