Idaho in the 1870s, some of the settlers laid out a town on the Shilling and Lewis homesteads. The planned town, named Blackfoot, which was what the area had been called by fur traders, was near the Corbett stage station, about a mile from the Snake River, and two miles from the Blackfoot River. Civil War veteran William Edward Wheeler, from Vermont, was an early settler. On July 1, 1880, Wheeler began publishing a newspaper called the Blackfoot Register. The first issue described the businesses in operation in Blackfoot on the publication date: "four general merchandise stores, one jewelry store, a livery stable, four saloons, a hotel, one meat market, two blacksmith shops, one barber shop and one lumber yard." Henry W. Curtis opened the first hardware store in 1885. The first issue of the Blackfoot Register also described "a ditch being dug from the Blackfoot River that would irrigate several thousand acres." It was their plan to bring the water into town so residents could grow gardens and plant trees. The goal was finally realized in 1886 when Alfred Moyes planted the first shade trees in the Upper Snake River Plain around the Blackfoot Courthouse. Others in town followed suit and within a few years Blackfoot's tree-lined streets had a reputation that earned the nickname "Grove City." Sightseeing excursions from the surrounding area were reportedly organized so they could "feast their eyes on this verdure," which stood in pleasant, stark contrast with the endless acres of dry, gray sagebrush. Geography Blackfoot is located at (43.190068, -112.346037). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Blackfoot has a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with cold winters and hot summers. Demographics 2010 census At the 2010 census, there were 11,899 people, 4,229 households and 2,958 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 4,547 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.1% White, 0.3% African American, 3.5% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 9.1% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.4% of the population. There were 4,229 households, of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no