Payette County, Idaho: History
The county was established in 1917, partitioned from Canyon County. It was named after the Payette River, which was named after French-Canadian François Payette.
Originally a fur trapper with the North West Company, Payette was the first white man in the area in 1818.
Payette County is one of the few counties in Idaho to be the home to the endangered Idaho ground squirrel.