Gem, Idaho, Shoshone County is a mysterious ghost town that once thrived in Idaho’s Silver Valley during the late 19th century. Gem was a bustling community known for its mining activity until it faced several challenges that led to its decline. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Shoshone County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 47.5333° N, 115.9667° W
Elevation: Approximately 2,749 feet (838 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: 1880s
Disestablished: Not officially disestablished, but the town’s decline began in the early 1900s.
Comments: Gem was primarily a mining town, developed during the silver mining boom in the Coeur d’Alene district. It was named for its potential as a ‘gem’ of a location due to the valuable minerals found in the area.
The town’s population surged as miners flocked to work in the silver mines. However, the town’s fortunes were tied to the fluctuating mining industry, and labor disputes, combined with natural disasters such as fires, contributed to its decline.
Remains: Today, remnants of Gem are mostly limited to a few abandoned buildings and mining structures. The area is largely overgrown, with nature reclaiming much of the land. Visitors willing to explore the rugged terrain can still find some mining equipment and foundations.
Current Status: Gem is considered a ghost town. It has no permanent population, and its structures are largely deteriorated. History enthusiasts and those interested in Idaho’s mining past sometimes visit the area.
Remarks: Gem’s story reflects the boom-and-bust nature of mining towns in the American West. The town’s rise and fall highlight the harsh realities faced by those who sought wealth in the mining industry.
Despite its decline, Gem remains a point of interest for those exploring the rich history of Idaho’s mining era.
On July 10, 1892, miners called a strike, which developed into a shooting war between union miners and company guards. The first shots fired were exchanged at the Frisco mine in Frisco in the early morning hours of July 11.
The gunfire ignited a stick of dynamite in the Frisco Mill, causing the four-story mill to explode, killing six people. The violence soon spilled over into Gem’s community. From there, union miners who had successfully shut down both the Frisco and the Gem mines traveled to the Bunker Hill mining complex near Wardner, to the west, and closed down that facility.
The Idaho National Guard and federal troops were dispatched to the area. The incident marked the first violent confrontation between the workers of the mines and their owners. Burke Canyon was the site of several natural disasters as well.
Two major avalanches struck the canyon in the twentieth century: One on February 4, 1890, which killed three, and another in February 1910, which buried twenty-five people, killing all. In the days after the February 1910 avalanche, snow and rock continued to dislodge from the canyon walls, inflicting additional damage on the towns of Burke and Mace and causing numerous deaths.
In August of that year, the Great Fire of 1910 would cause further damage to the communities in the canyon. Three years later, in May 1913, the communities were stricken by heavy rains that resulted in significant floods.
