Murray, Idaho — Gold Camp That Stayed Alive

Murray boomed during the Coeur d'Alene gold rush of the 1880s, when prospectors crowded into a mountain valley and hotels, saloons, stores and newspapers appeared to serve them.

Investment later shifted toward richer silver-lead deposits elsewhere in the Silver Valley, and Murray lost much of the population that had made the boom possible.

Unlike many mining camps, the community remained inhabited. Historic buildings survived, local businesses continued serving residents and visitors, and recreation joined mining history as a reason to travel into the valley.

The boom belongs to Murray's past. The more distinctive achievement is continuity: after the prospectors moved on, the town stayed.