Graham - Idaho Ghost Town

GRAHAM

NAME: Graham
COUNTY: Boise
ROADS: 4WD
GRID: 6
CLIMATE: Cool winter/snow and summer.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Summer.

COMMENTS: Many remnants but summer access only.
REMAINS: A few buildings and towers. UPDATE:We visited Graham in August,2005. Contary to the current information on the web page,almost nothing remains of the mine site and man-made structures. A major forest fire over 10 years ago burned the entire valley and foothills. The mill, the tram towers and the miners cabins were reduced to ashes. We think we pin-pointed the mill site because of the significant rock wall that supported the mill. Scattered pieces of rusty metal, broken bottles and some square nails were all that is left. What a shame! The road to Graham remains 4WD only.
Gene Daugherty. Nampa, Idaho

Named after a Matt Graham, who boasted he had discovered a wide vein of silver ore on Silver Mountain, he had no difficulty finding willing stockholders to finance the construction of a mile long tunnel and a fifteen thousand-dollar road to the mine. This was in 1887 and by 1888 the boom was at its peak. After the town and mill had been built, it was discovered there wasn’t sufficient ore to make it pay. The venture was financed by British money and millwrights were even brought over from England to build the mill. The mill ran only eight or ten hours and never ran again. With winter coming, the people packed up and moved away. Some of the wooden tram towers and cabins located among the trees are still standing. Although the road into Graham winds through some beautiful mountain scenery, it is only open during the summer months. A four-wheel drive is the vehicle of choice. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

Named after a Matt Graham, who boasted he had discovered a wide vein of silver ore on Silver Mountain, he had no difficulty finding willing stockholders to finance the construction of a mile long tunnel and a fifteen thousand-dollar road to the mine. This was in 1887 and by 1888 the boom was at its peak. After the town and mill had been built, it was discovered there wasn’t sufficient ore to make it pay. The venture was financed by British money and millwrights were even brought over from England to build the mill. The mill ran only eight or ten hours and never ran again. With winter coming, the people packed up and moved away. Some of the wooden tram towers and cabins located among the trees are still standing. Although the road into Graham winds through some beautiful mountain scenery, it is only open during the summer months. A four-wheel drive is the vehicle of choice.

Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

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