The Treasure Valley is a valley in the western United States, primarily in southwestern Idaho, where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur, Owyhee, and Burnt rivers drain into the Snake River. It includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rural eastern Oregon to Boise, and is the most populated area in Idaho. The urbanized landmass in the Treasure Valley region is just slightly under that of Las Vegas. However beyond the solid urban landmass of Treasure Valley, there is settled land like ranches, small towns, and farms where Las Vegas is just empty desert beyond the subdivisions. The urbanized population of Treasure Valley is estimated to be 850,000. The tallest building is the Zion’s Bank Building in Downtown Boise with a height of 323 feet. Boise is a secluded metropolis with the closest cities being Reno, Nevada and Salt Lake City, Utah. Boise is one of the safest Metropolitan Areas in the United States. Historically, the valley had been known as the Lower Snake River Valley or the Boise River Valley. Pete Olesen, president of the valley's association of local Chambers of Commerce, coined the name "Treasure Valley" in 1959 to reflect the treasure chest of resources and opportunities that the region offered. History Settling the region The tribes that roamed the area, specifically, were the Northern Paiute and Shoshone. In 1834, Thomas McKay built the original Fort Boise, in the area near present-day Parma, which was run for a time by Francois Payette. It later was moved because of flooding troubles and was abandoned in 1854. The Oregon Trail runs through the Treasure Valley. The valley was settled for the most part by ranchers and farmers, initially to supply the gold and silver mining communities in the higher elevations nearby: Idaho City in the Boise Basin and Silver City in the Owyhees. A new Fort Boise was constructed by the U.S. Army in 1863 in present-day Boise, from which the city grew. In 1883, the Oregon Short Line Railroad reached the Treasure Valley, creating a thriving community, with Nampa as the center of the area's rail activity. Basque immigration Many Basques, primarily from northern Spain, came to the area looking for gold but, meeting discrimination, it seemed to many that a better occupation was shepherding, familiar from their homeland. Over 15,000 Basques came to the Treasure Valley, making it the largest community of Basques outside of Europe. Farming As