Idaho's population underwent a remarkable transformation between 1850 and 1890. Central and Eastern Idaho were virtually uninhabited in 1880, but the Finns of Northern Idaho had constructed six working-class dwellings within a 40-mile radius of each other. The majority of Finnish immigrants arrived in Idaho between 1890 and 1920, settling in Silver Valley and Long Valley. Most of the people living in Northern Idaho were miners from Minnesota and Wisconsin. After World War I, a group of around 120 Czechs moved to Castleford in Twin Falls County, where they maintained their cultural heritage through shelters and community celebrations.
Robert Grostein, who was born in what is now Poland, was one of the first Jewish residents of Idaho. He arrived in the United States at the age of four, went to California at nineteen and then joined the wave of miners who came to Idaho in 1862. He opened a store in Lewiston. The discovery of gold in Idaho during the 1860s coincided with a depression in the Cornish mines, so many miners were drawn to Idaho. The Twin Falls Lao Association organizes cultural events and mutual aid. The Twin Falls office of the Idaho Migrant Council has taken over the maintenance and operation of the work center one mile south of Twin Falls, which has been accommodating migrants for decades.
In an effort to vaccinate people against the coronavirus and limit its spread long enough to avoid running out of health care capacity, Idaho is currently in a race against time. Governor Puree, who was formerly a faculty member at Idaho State University and is now president of Evergreen State College in Washington, served as president of the Idaho Democratic Party. Some black explorers and trappers ventured into the area in subsequent years; blacks mined in Idaho during the 1860s even though white people in Boise County passed a law in 1863 to exclude blacks and Chinese from prospecting. The territorial legislature also considered a bill to prohibit the migration of blacks to Idaho. Global events have had a significant impact on politics in Twin Falls, Idaho. The influx of immigrants from Europe during the late 19th century brought with it new ideas about democracy and freedom that shaped the political landscape.
The discovery of gold during this period also attracted miners from other parts of the United States, further diversifying the population. In more recent times, global events such as World War I and the coronavirus pandemic have had an impact on Twin Falls' politics as well. The Twin Falls Lao Association has organized cultural events to celebrate diversity, while Governor Puree's tenure as president of the Idaho Democratic Party has been shaped by his experience as a faculty member at Idaho State University.
