1 8 6 2 . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁rich ▁pla cer ▁gold ▁fields ▁in ▁the ▁Florence ▁Bas in ▁brought ▁thousands ▁of ▁prospect ors ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁Id aho ▁Territ ory ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁the ▁r ush ▁to ▁Florence ▁was ▁short - l ived ▁as ▁int ensive ▁min ing ▁de ple ted ▁the ▁rich est ▁ground . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁first ▁census ▁of ▁Id aho ▁Territ ory , ▁only ▁ 5 7 5 ▁residents ▁remained . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁territorial ▁census ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁the ▁population ▁dw ind led ▁further ▁to ▁ 2 5 4 ▁residents . ▁ ▁Even ▁in ▁its ▁decl ine , ▁Florence ▁continued ▁as ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁until ▁ 1 ▁June ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁when ▁the ▁territorial ▁legisl ature ▁moved ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁to ▁the ▁Warren ' s ▁Camp ▁settlement ▁of ▁Washington . ▁The ▁town ▁th riv ed ▁again ▁from ▁ 1 8 9 5 – 1 9 0 0 , ▁based ▁more ▁on ▁l ode ▁min ing . ▁Then ▁the ▁town ▁slowly ▁f aded ▁away , ▁having ▁only ▁ten ▁inhabitants ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁and ▁was ▁totally ▁abandoned ▁som etime ▁after ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁ ▁Early ▁discover ies ▁and ▁prosper ity ▁The ▁discovery ▁of ▁gold ▁around ▁Pier ce ▁and ▁O ro f ino ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁drew ▁thousands ▁of ▁prospect ors ▁into ▁the ▁Clear water ▁River ▁area ▁of ▁present - day ▁north ▁central ▁Id aho , ▁east ▁of