Midvale, Idaho
city in Washington County, Idaho, United States
Midvale is a city in Washington County, Idaho, United States. The population was 171 at the 2010 census, rising to 193 as of 2020.
History
The city was named when the valley in which it stands was called Middle Valley. The first settlers came in 1868 (The Keithley and Towell families) and in 1876 a post office and school were begun. In 1884 the Middle Valley Ditch was undertaken: in 1885 the first store was built, and in 1898 the P&IN Rail Road came through. From 1870 to 1900 stock raising was the chief industry, but today Midvale serves a diversified farming area. Midvale is the hometown of former U.S. Senator Larry Craig.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.87 square miles (7.43 km2), of which 2.79 square miles (7.23 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.
Highway
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 171 people, 77 households, and 50 families residing in the city. The population density was 61.3 inhabitants per square mile (23.7/km2).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Midvale, Idaho” as city in Washington County, Idaho, United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as city in Washington County, Idaho, United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1510008. VIAF identifies the subject as 139826820. The Library of Congress control number is no00064870. Authority coordinates are 44.471, -116.734. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2010, 2020, 1868 and 1876.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Midvale, Idaho”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Midvale, Idaho primary sources, Midvale, Idaho archive and Midvale research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Midvale, Idaho”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Midvale, Idaho” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.