A Tale of Two Counties: the Mini-Cassia Area

South Central Idaho’s Magic Valley covers an immense area, stretching from Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln and Twin Falls counties in the west, across Minidoka and Cassia counties, nearly to American Falls in the east. Magic Valley is particularly associated with the Snake River Plain agricultural region.
Its title refers to the “magical” transformation made from the region once deemed as nearly uninhabitable, into some of the most productive farmland in the United States. During the early 1900s, the Milner and Minidoka Dams were constructed on the Snake River and irrigation canals dug to disperse live-giving water,enabling the Magic Valley to blossom.
The Minidoka Irrigation Project in Minidoka and Cassia counties was established after congress passed the Reclamation Act of 1902. Water from the Snake River was pumped to lift stations delivering precious water through gravity-fed canals to farmland. Homesteads throughout Minidoka and Cassia had recently opened for settlement. Through the years, subsequent homestead acts, still taking place during the 1950s and ‘60s in Minidoka county, allowed these eastern-most counties to grow and develop. Somewhere along the way, the two counties’ names were combined in a portmanteau, a term that combines two abbreviated terms into one word. Minidoka and Cassia counties are now collectively referred to as the “Mini-Cassia” area.
The legacy of “Mini-Cassia” is rich with history, innovations and accomplishment. Our people possess an absolute “never-die” attitude, and are incredibly proud of what makes the area so very unique.
Doug Manning a life-long resident, and former director of Burley Development Authority, recalls how Burley got its name. “As the City of Burley prepared for its Centennial Celebration in 2005, folks began to take a greater interest in the history of the surrounding community. So, Cassia County commissioned an official history book, and little-known and obscure facts were brought to light. For instance, after the railroad came to the area, and prior to the signing of its Articles of Incorporation in April of 1905, the city’s name was going to be “Commerce.” However, after much deliberation, it was decided that “Burley” would become the name of this small town, named after the local railroad agent, David E. Burley.’
“The city’s water tower, then located just north of Main Street, had a sign painted on it that stated, ‘10,000 by 1910,’ referring to the population they then hoped to attain. The population did grow, as Burley became somewhat of a boom town. But, the ten thousand mark within the city was never reached until the 2010 Census. All of the growth seemed to take place outside the city limits.”
What makes the Burley-Rupert area unique in Idaho’s thriving economy? Doug continues, “Located half-way between Seattle and Denver, the Mini-Cassia area is perfectly located for distribution, warehousing, and logistics-centered businesses, with direct access to rail service. Food processing and manufacturing have always been key to our thriving industries, since all of the states west of the Mississippi River can be serviced within 24 to 36 hours from our area. Consequently, the local economy is booming!’
“Within the past decade nearly 2,000 new jobs have been created, and about $1 billion has been invested in the community. Unemployment is currently at record lows (2.1% in November 2019), wages are up, additional benefits are being offered to employees, and the standard of living is constantly improving. Both nationally- and internationally-recognized companies have chosen this community to be their home. All of this success has been accomplished through hard work by dedicated people on the local, state and regional levels. We are growing. And, as we like to say…”Burley is open for business!” And so are Rupert, Heyburn, Paul and a host of smaller communities in our area. But, that’s just a small part of who we are.
We invite you to spend a few moments discovering the history and heritage of our areas. Cassia County boasts five major pioneer trails within its border- the largest concentration west of the Mississippi. In 1904, Congress’s Newlands Act authorized the Minidoka Irrigation Project, which brought irrigation waters to the area. The act’s seventh project eventually brought economic prosperity . . .but not without long struggles and back-breaking hard work. Here, the resulting reservoirs, streams and waterways also contributed to an amazing diversity of wildlife and outdoor recreation.
The railroad came. Homesteads were staked out, cleared of sagebrush and eventually farmed, taking enormous amounts of energy. Along the way, settlers battled ravages of nature: rabid coyotes; jack-rabbits and other predators preyed on their crops, even including hordes of ravenous insects. Residents also fought through challenging economic times, but undeterred, they fought for progress and economic prosperity, always displaying incredible strength and resiliency.
A new generation of pioneers cleared their stakes of sagebrush on the land north of Rupert and Paul during the 1950s and ‘60s, where they began their new lives. Eventually the whole Magic Valley earned a reputation as “The Breadbasket of the Nation,” because of the enormous numbers of crops that flourish in its fertile soil. It has been said that the Magic Valley raises the greatest diversity of crops of any region in the United States.
But while telling the stories of communities is important, real understanding comes only by absorbing the stories of individuals and their families; their trials, triumphs and tragedies, Great stories of the Mini-Cassia history are gathered in “Cassia County, Idaho The Foundation Years” by Kathleen Hedberg. Published in 2005, it is the official history of Cassia County. Many other excellent books, articles and materials (many by local historians) are available for those who wish to know more about this fascinating area we call home.
Besides Burley and Rupert, many other smaller communities are important to this region. In the vast areas that later became Minidoka and Cassia counties, smaller communities and towns sprung up, and their populations grew. Towns like Declo, Oakley, Malta, Albion, Almo and Elba in Cassia County have fascinating histories. Likewise, settlements in Minidoka County, such as Heyburn, Paul, Acequia and Minidoka have their own stories and lore.
Since relatively few farmers lived in town boundaries, even smaller, rural communities also emerged. Local residents often refer to those rural areas, where residents’ roots often go back three generations or more- View, Pella, Springdale, Unity, Golden Valley, the Oakley Basin and Stars Ferry are important rural areas of Cassia County, many boasting their own church buildings, and local heritage. Minidoka County’s rural farming communities include Emerson, Jackson, Adelaide, Acequia, Minidoka and others. Rural communities grew, and schools, churches and Grange Halls soon followed.
We’re proud of our agriculture base, but that economic base has broadened with our unprecedented growth in the past decade. Of course, much of the growth is indirectly tied to the agricultural industry. Many support businesses have thrived as innovation found better ways of processing farm commodities.
During the gold-rush era of the late 1800s, precious metals including silver and gold deposits were found, especially in the mountains south of Oakley and Almo. Inevitably the rich veins ran dry, leaving numerous ghost towns in their aftermath. The coming of the railroad coincided with settlements as homesteaders sought methods to transport their crops to processors and distributors. Many railroad spurs were constructed, bringing prosperity to select towns. Other, less-fortunate communities vied for the commerce of booming railroad towns, planned spurs that never developed. Dams were constructed, others never really panned out. Almo was once the center of commerce in the City of Rocks area; Albion, the first county seat of Cassia county, once had a respected college; and Oakley once had a population of over 2,000 with a bustling business district, as economic forces shaped many communities’ future.
Settlers came from all over, for differing reasons. Many early-day settlements, including Oakley were established by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who colonized the area, coming from many settlements in Utah, including Box Elder county and the Tooele Valley. Many more religious and ethnic groups also settled here, as the area became a mixing pot of ethnicity, struggling to maintain their culture and unique ways of life.
Burley was recently recognized as one of the “10 best small towns to do business in” nationally. The good news just keeps coming, thanks to the dedication and values of our people.
We really are excited about our future. Idaho is known for its business-friendly environment, and there’s no better place to sink down your roots, than the Mini-Cassia area. So, give us a try. We’re sure you’ll join us as we say:
Welcome Home to Burley. . . to Rupert . . . and the entire Mini-Cassia area