Oreana, Owyhee County, Idaho Genealogy

United States &gt; Idaho &gt; Owyhee County &gt; Murphy

Quick Facts
Oreana is an unincorporated rural area and voting precinct in north-central Owyhee County, Idaho. It consists of a loose collection of several residences, a seasonal store or trading post, and a community hall.

Geographical Location
Oreana is located 2 miles south of Highway 78, between Murphy and Grand View.

Cemeteries
The Oreana Pioneer Cemetery is located at Oreana. Some records of this cemetery are available at the Idaho State Archives in Boise; Transcription and photos online (67 interments - 22 Nov 2009 - Findagrave.com)

Church History and Records
Our Lady, Queen of Heaven Catholic Church is located at Oreana.

Directories
The Idaho State Archives has a collection of city, county, state and regional directories.

History
Early settlers began to establish cattle ranches on the north slopes of the Owyhee Mountains in the mid-1860s.

A building was moved from Silver City in 1882 and remodeled into the Oreana Hotel. A post office was established in Oreana in 1885.

In the 1890s, a general store made of native stone, a saloon, a blacksmith shop, a livery barn, a school, and several residences were added.

In 1961, the general store, which had rallen into disrepair, was donated to the Roman Catholic Church and was repaired and remodeled into Our Lady, Queen of Heaven Catholic Church.

School Records and Yearbooks
Students from the Oreana district attend school in Gran View.

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.