▁north . ▁It ▁was ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁Ne z ▁Per ce ▁County ▁for ▁several ▁years ▁and ▁then ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁new ▁county ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁The ▁original ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁Sh osh one ▁County ▁was ▁Pier ce , ▁in ▁today ' s ▁Clear water ▁County . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁gold ▁r ush ▁area ▁of ▁present - day ▁Id aho ▁( then ▁Washington ▁Territ ory ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁and ▁was ▁made ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁a ▁vast ▁Sh osh one ▁County ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁two ▁years ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Id aho ▁Territ ory . ▁When ▁the ▁Silver ▁Valley ▁population ▁rose ▁dram atically ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁the ▁seat ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁Murray ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁( and ▁to ▁Wal lace ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 ) ▁to ▁better ▁serve ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁county ' s ▁population . ▁ ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁area ▁increased ▁with ▁hom est ead ing ▁in ▁the ▁Wei ppe ▁area ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁The ▁vast ▁distance ▁and ▁time ▁required ▁for ▁travel ▁to ▁Wal lace ▁from ▁the ▁Clear water ▁River ▁area ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁move ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁portion ▁to ▁Ne z ▁Per ce ▁County . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁county ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ ▁(