Power County Courthouse

This historic Idaho courthouse was designed by architect C. A. Sundberg and built in 1925. The community is named for the American Falls Power Plant and the community was the first community settled by people of non-Native American descent in the county. Prior to the county's formation, this area was a frequent camping place on the Oregon Trail and later became a railroad station when the Oregon Short Line was built across southern Idaho. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

People of European descent first arrived at what is now American Falls and Power County in southeastern Idaho in 1811 - only a few years after Lewis and Clark's epic journey through the Northwest to the Pacific Ocean. A party of American Fur Company Trappers was floating down the Snake River when they encountered turbulent waters at American Falls. Although they escaped injury, most of their supplies and trading goods were either lost or damaged. The Whitman-Spalding missionary party also passed by "The Falls" on August 5, 1836. And in1854 John C. Fremont recorded visiting "The Falls" in his journal.

Idaho became a state on July 3, 1890. Power County was then included in Oneida County. However, the opening in 1910 of this part of the state for the homesteading of dry-land farms, resulted in a marked influx of settlers. And, it was difficult for these new sew settlers - especially during the winter - to travel to the county seat in Malad. Thus, Power County was established on January 30, 1913. The county was named after the power plant at American Falls and American Falls became the county seat. Power County is bordered on the north by Bingham County, on the south by Oneida County, on the west by Blaine and Cassia Counties and on the east by Bannock County. It encompasses 1,403 square miles and presently has about 7500 residents. Although it is smaller than many of Idaho's other 43 counties, it is larger than the state of Rhode Island, which encompasses only 1.214 square miles.

Power County contains a major river (the Snake), a large reservoir (at American Falls). Three mountain ranges (the Bannock and Sublett Ranges and the Deep Creek Mountains), an Indian Reservation (Fort Hall), and a National Forest (Minidoka). The County is primarily agricultural but has a phosphate plant, a power plant, and a potato processing plant.

Points of interest in Power County include Indian Springs, Crystal Ice Caves, Massacre Rocks State Park, Great Rift National Landmark, The American Falls Reservoir and Dam, and the Power County Historical Museum in American Falls.