County Past
Home › Idaho › Ada County

Ada County, Idaho

Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.

—newspaper titles
—digitized titles
168historic places
—earliest paper
1864formed
494,967pop. 2020
15cemeteries
—CW battlefields

At a glance

Summary

The National Register of Historic Places includes 168 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1966; 1 is also National Historic Landmark. Most listings are in or near Boise, Meridian, Eagle.

Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.

Newspapers

Library of Congress

Newspaper directory data for Idaho is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Ada titles at the Library of Congress.

National Register of Historic Places

NPS NRHP

136 of 168 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.

168 listed properties
PropertyCityTypeListed
Abbs, Walter, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Ada Odd Fellows TempleBoiseBuilding1982
Ada TheaterBoiseBuilding1974
Aiken's HotelEagleBuilding1982
Alexander HouseBoiseBuilding1972
AlexandersBoiseBuilding1978
Allsup, Marion, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Anduiza HotelBoiseBuilding2003
Artesian Water Co. Pumphouse and WellsBoiseBuilding1979
Assay Office NHLBoiseBuilding1966
Barber Dam and Lumber MillBoiseDistrict1978
Beck, Albert, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Bell, R.H. and Jessie, HouseMeridianBuilding2006
Boise Capitol Area DistrictBoiseDistrict1976
Boise City National BankBoiseBuilding1978
Boise City-Silver City Road-Fick Property SegmentKunaSite1999
Boise High School CampusBoiseBuilding1982
Boise Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1977
Boise Junior College Administration BuildingBoiseBuilding1982
Boise Junior High SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Boulevard Mo-telBoiseBuilding1998
Bown, Joseph, HouseBoiseBuilding1979
Brookover, J. Gordon and Barbara J., HouseBoiseBuilding2025
Brunzell HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Bryant, H. H., GarageBoiseBuilding1982
Buckner, Aurelius and Dorothy, HouseBoiseBuilding2022
Burnett, H. C., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Bushnell-Fisher HouseEagleBuilding2011
Capitol Boulevard Memorial BridgeBoiseStructure1990
Carnegie Public LibraryBoiseBuilding1974
Cavanah, C. C., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Chinese Odd Fellows BuildingBoiseBuilding1982
Chitwood, Joseph, HouseBoiseBuilding2006
Christ ChapelBoiseBuilding1974
Christian ChurchBoiseBuilding1978
Coffin, Henry, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Cole School and GymnasiumBoiseBuilding1982
Collister SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Congregation Beth Israel SynagogueBoiseBuilding1972
Daly, John, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Davies, Dr. James, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Davis, R. K., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Diversion Dam and Deer Flat EmbankmentsBoiseDistrict1976
Dry Creek RockshelterBoiseSite1991
Dunbar, William, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Dunton, Minnie Preist, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Eagle Adventist SchoolhouseEagleBuilding1980
Echevarria, Pedro, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Eichelberger ApartmentsBoiseBuilding1982
Elks TempleBoiseBuilding1978
Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseBoiseBuilding2019
Firebird RacewayEagleDistrict2018
Fleharty, Alva, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Fort BoiseBoiseDistrict1972
Fort Street Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1982
Forty-Four and Sixty-Six Service StationBoiseBuilding2019
Franklin SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Friedline ApartmentsBoiseBuilding1982
Fritchman, H. K., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Funsten, Bishop, HouseBoiseBuilding1983
GAR HallBoiseBuilding1974
Gakey, J. H., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Garfield SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Goreczky, Anton, HouseBoiseBuilding1986
Green, John, MausoleumBoiseBuilding1982
Guernsey Dairy Milk DepotBoiseBuilding1982
Guffey Butte-Black Butte Archeological DistrictGrandviewDistrict1978
Haines, John, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Harrison Boulevard Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1980
Hays, Samuel, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Hill, Clara, HouseMeridianBuilding2006
Hopffgarten HouseBoiseBuilding1979
Hottes, Fred, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Hunt, E. F., HouseMeridianBuilding1982
Hyde Park Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1982
Idaho BuildingBoiseBuilding1978
Idaho National Guard ArmoryBoiseBuilding1999
Idaho State Forester's BuildingBoiseBuilding1997
Idanha HotelBoiseBuilding1974
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran ChurchBoiseBuilding1976
Immanuel Methodist Episcopal ChurchBoiseBuilding1982
Jackson, Orville and Floy, House (Additional Documentation)EagleBuilding1982
Jacobs, Cyrus, HouseBoiseBuilding1972
Jefferson, W. E., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Johnson, J. M., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Jones, T. J., ApartmentsBoiseBuilding1982
Kieldson Double HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Kinney, Joseph, MausoleumBoiseBuilding1982
Lilyquist-Christianson BuildingKunaBuilding1999
Logan, Thomas E., HouseBoiseBuilding1971
Longfellow SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Lowell Municipal PoolBoiseBuilding2022
Lowell SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Lower Main Street Commercial Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1980
MacMillan ChapelBoiseBuilding1984
Marks, M. J., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
McCarthy, Judge Charles P., HouseBoiseBuilding1979
McElroy, H. E., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Meridian Exchange BankMeridianBuilding1982
Meridian SpeedwayMeridianDistrict2024
Mickle, Willis, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Mitchell HotelBoiseBuilding1982
Mittleider Farmstead Historic DistrictMeridianDistrict2003
Moore-Cunningham HouseBoiseBuilding1977
Morris Hill Cemetery MausoleumBoiseBuilding1982
Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company BuildingMeridianBuilding2008
Murphy, Daniel F., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Neal, Halbert F. and Grace, HouseMeridianBuilding1982
Neal, W. Scott, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Neitzel, H. R., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Ninth Street BridgeBoiseStructure2001
Nixon, Axel, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
O'Farrell, John A., CabinBoiseBuilding1999
O'Farrell, John A., HouseBoiseBuilding1979
Old Idaho State PenitentiaryBoiseDistrict1974
Oregon TrailBoiseSite1972
Owyhee Motorcycle ClubBoiseDistrict2022
Parker, John, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Paynton, Charles, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Phillips, Dr. John and Elaine, HouseBoiseBuilding2019
Pierce Park SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Pierce-Borah HouseGarden CityBuilding1983
Reclamation Service Boise Project OfficeBoiseBuilding2010
Regan, John, American Legion HallBoiseBuilding1982
Reiger, Fred, HousesBoiseBuilding1982
Robbins, Corilla J. and Orlando, HouseBoiseBuilding2020
Roosevelt SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Rosedale Odd Fellows TempleBoiseBuilding1982
Rossi, Mrs. A. F., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Schick-Ostolasa FarmsteadBoiseBuilding2006
Schmelzel, H. A., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Schreiber, Adolph, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Sensenig, Emerson and Lucretia, HouseBoiseBuilding1997
Short, O. F., HouseEagleBuilding1980
Sidenfaden, William, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Simpson, W. A., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Smith, Nathan, HouseBoiseBuilding1983
Sonner-Osier Farmstead Historic DistrictEagleBuilding2017
South Boise Fire StationBoiseBuilding1982
South Eighth Street Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1977
South Municipal PoolBoiseBuilding2022
Spaulding, Almon W. and Dr. Mary E., RanchBoiseDistrict1994
St Paul Missionary Baptist ChurchBoiseBuilding1982
St. Alphonsus' Hospital Nurses' Home and Heating Plant/LaundryBoiseBuilding1982
St. John's CathedralBoiseBuilding1978
St. John's Cathedral BlockBoiseBuilding1982
St. Mary's Catholic ChurchBoiseBuilding1982
Star CampStarBuilding2005
State Street Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1978
Stephan, Louis, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Swan Falls Dam and Power PlantMurphyStructure1976
Tolleth HouseMeridianBuilding1996
Tourtellotte, John, BuildingBoiseBuilding1982
Tuttle, Bishop Daniel S., HouseBoiseBuilding1980
Union Block and Montandon BuildingsBoiseBuilding1979
Union Pacific Mainline DepotBoiseBuilding1974
Ustick SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Villeneuve, Charles and Martha, HouseEagleBuilding1990
Wallace, J. N., HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Warm Springs Avenue Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1980
Waymire, C. H., BuildingBoiseBuilding1982
Welch, Edward, HouseBoiseBuilding1982
Wellman ApartmentsBoiseBuilding1982
West Warm Springs Historic DistrictBoiseDistrict1977
Whitehead, William, HouseBoiseBuilding2016
Whitney SchoolBoiseBuilding1982
Wolters Double HousesBoiseBuilding1982
Zurcher ApartmentsBoiseBuilding1982

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.

County formation

Newberry AHCB

Ada was formed in 1864 (1864-12-22) from Boise.

ADA created by Idaho Territory from BOISE.

Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Population by decade

Census

Ada County population from 1870 to 2020 (Census historical series).

495k249k2,6751870188019201950196020002020
1870188019001920194019501960198020002020
2,6754,67411,55935,21350,40170,64993,460173,036300,904494,967

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.

Cemeteries & historical places

USGS GNIS

15 cemeteries and 3 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.

Cemeteries — 15 of 15 listed
NameLatLon
Cloverdale Memorial Park43.61766-116.3315
Dry Creek Cemetery43.69285-116.3042
Fort Boise Military Cemetery43.62357-116.17897
Home of the Peace Cemetery43.70752-116.46931
Idaho State Penitentiary Cemetery43.5998-116.15996
Idaho State Veterans Cemetery43.69622-116.30595
Joplin Cemetery43.66337-116.33589
Kuna Cemetery43.49522-116.42735
Kuna Pioneer Cemetery43.48496-116.40864
Lower Fairview Cemetery43.64888-116.49049
Meridian Cemetery43.60339-116.38295
Morris Hill Cemetery43.6092-116.23089
Mountain View Cemetery43.61892-116.28549
Pioneer Cemetery43.61093-116.1892
Terrace Lawn Cemetery43.6185-116.34063
Historical populated places — 3 of 3
NameLatLon
Blacks43.46378-116.00927
Neal43.48295-115.99816
South Boise43.57628-116.1665

Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.

Historical markers

HMdb link

Marker text and photos from the Historical Marker Database (HMdb) are not embedded here. HMdb allows non-commercial reuse with attribution, but commercial/compensated use needs written permission; this is a commercial site, so we only link out.

Search HMdb for Ada County, Idaho

Terms: hmdb.org/copyright.asp. Linking is encouraged by HMdb.