National Register of Historic Places

Leesburg

Salmon, Lemhi County, Idaho
Listed
April 3, 1975
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
75000634

About this property

Leesburg is an unincorporated community in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States. It lies at 45°13′26″N 114°6′50″W, along Napias Creek in the Salmon National Forest, west of Salmon. Its altitude is 6,653 feet (2,028 m). Leesburg's population was 75 in 1909. The community possessed a post office as late as 1942, but it has since closed. Little remains of the original community. The entire site has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. Leesburg was established after gold was discovered at the Leesburg Mine on July 16, 1866. The mining town was named for General Robert E. Lee because most of the settlers were Southerners. It once had a population of 7,000, including Chinese; 100 business firms; and a main street a mile long. Miners dug over 400 miles of ditches to carry water to sluice out gold. By 1930 placer mining was carried on nearly entirely by hydraulic methods. The mine produced nearly $16,000,000 in gold prior to 1938.

Location

Salmon, Lemhi County, Idaho
45.22626, -114.11213

Categories

INDUSTRYCONSERVATION
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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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
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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

Lemhi County Courthouse
Civil War
10.7 mi
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
Industrial
10.8 mi
Myers, Socrates A., House
Industrial
11.1 mi
Shoup Building
Industrial
11.2 mi
Salmon Odd Fellows Hall
Civil War
11.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Leesburg listed on the National Register?

Leesburg was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Leesburg?

Leesburg is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Leesburg?

The period of significance for Leesburg is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Leesburg?

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