Bruneau, Owyhee County, Idaho Genealogy

Idaho &gt; Owyhee County &gt; Bruneau

Geographic Location
Bruneau is an unincorporated community in the northeastern part of Owyhee County, Idaho.

Resources
Many of the records for the residents of the Bruneau area, such as deeds, probate records, homestead records, etc., are a part of the records of Owyhee County. Since those records cover the entire county, they are discussed on the county page.

Cemeteries
The following cemeteries at or near Bruneau have been identified by the Idaho State Archives.

A transcription of the Bruneau Cemetery is available at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City in a collection called, US Vol. 24 page 51.

Churches
St. Bridget's Chapel of the Roman Catholic Church in Bruneau operates under Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mountain Home, Idaho. It is in the West Central Deanery of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise.

Directories
A directory of the residents and businesses of Bruneau in 1898 is included in A Historical, Descriptive and Commercial Directory of Owyhee County, Idaho. A copy of the directory is in the Idaho State Archives, the Owyhee County Museum, and other Idaho libraries. It is also through the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and its many family history centers and online.

A list of the residents of the Bruneau area in 1898 is online at Owyhee County's GenWeb site.

The Gem State Rural's 1918-19 Farm Directory of Owyhee County Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon is available online. It lists landowners by town, including those owning land in these two counties, but residing elsewhere. The amount of acreage owned, the location of the land, and a list of crops raised on each farm is also included. The resident land owners of the Bruneau area are listed on pages 22-26.

History
The first settlers came to the Bruneau Valley in the 1860s because of the availability of water and the hot springs in the upper part of the valley.

The Bruneau Valley provides fertile soil for farming and access to the large rangelands nearby, which provide grazing for livestock. In the 1860s and 1870s, cattle drives brought large herds from California and Texas. Many of the people who came with those herds stayed to establish homes in the area.

The first store and saloon in Bruneau was built in 1884. Stores in Bruneau by 1898 included a general store, hotel, post office, blacksmith shop, and saloon.

In 1912, the Owyhee Nugget newspaper moved from Silver City to Bruneau and continued there until 1940, when it moved to Marsing.

By 1929, the town had grown to a population of 800 and had a hotel, store, post office, bank, and several other businesses.

Bruneau also had several social organizations, including the Odd Fellows, Rebekahs, Modern Woodmen, and Royal Neighbors.

The area today utilizes the hot springs to produce warm water fish and to grow hydroponic vegetables year-round.

The nearby Bruneau Dunes State Park is a popular scenic attraction.

Maps
Mapquest map of the Bruneau area.

Historical
The Idaho State Archives has copies of the following newspapers, published in Bruneau.

Owyhee Nugget -- 5 Sep 1912 through 23 May 1940 Owyhee Nugget -- 22 May 1924 Owyhee Nugget -- 24 Nov. 1927 through 30 Apr. 1931

School Records and Yearbooks
Bruneau has an elementary school and is also the home of Rimrock High School.

The Idaho State Archives has a 1986 copy of "The Raider," a high school annual for Rimrock High School, which serves Bruneau, Grandview, and Oreana residents.

Websites
Wikipedia page for Bruneau, Idaho.