National Register of Historic Places

Bayhorse

Challis, Custer County, Idaho
Listed
March 15, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000671

About this property

Bayhorse is a ghost town in Custer County, Idaho, United States, founded in 1877, though active development of the town did not begin until 1880. Bayhorse was once a thriving mining town, principally supported by large nearby silver deposit. In 1882, the town increased its smelting capabilities, producing $300,000 ($10 million in 2025) worth of silver over the course of the year. By 1885, the town had grown to 300 residents, supported by a mill, three stores, a hotel, a restaurant, a meat market, a lodging house, and five saloons. The same year, the town built a refinery, allowing the mining industry to issue silver bars and by 1900, the town had extracted over $10 million ($387 million in 2025) in total ores, including silver, lead, and copper. In 1976, the entire community was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The town property was purchased by the state in 2006 and opened to the public in 2009 as part of the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park.

Location

Challis, Custer County, Idaho
44.40349, -114.33418

Categories

INDUSTRYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Bayhorse

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Building at 247 Pleasant Avenue
Industrial
8.4 mi
Old Challis Historic District
Listed
8.4 mi
Peck, Bill, House
Industrial
8.4 mi
McKendrick House
Industrial
8.5 mi
False-Front Commercial Building
Industrial
8.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bayhorse listed on the National Register?

Bayhorse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Bayhorse?

Bayhorse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bayhorse?

The period of significance for Bayhorse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Bayhorse?

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