Entry Points:
About Parma
Parma is located on the route of the Oregon Trail, near the site of old Fort Boise. Fort Boise, built by the Hudson’s Bay Company, was an important source of provisions for emigrants heading to Oregon. There were actually two forts. The first one was located five miles east of Parma. Then a new one was built at a ford on the Snake River, and was destroyed by a flood in 1853. A replica of the fort was built in a park in Parma in 1927 to preserve its history.
Parma is surrounded by the rich farmland of the Snake River area. The Snake River flows by several miles to the west, and the Boise River is a mile to the south of Parma. They meet nearby. The abundant irrigation water has turned this desert area into a farming capitol of the west, where potatoes, onions, corn are produced by the millions each year, along with other crops. The irrigation systems were built in the early 1900s, and Parma’s population swelled to a thousand during that time. It has continued to grow up to the present time. The Boise metropolitan area is nearby and Parma provides a home for some people who want to live in the country and commute to work in the city.
U.S. Highways 20, 26 and 95 pass through Parma as a combined route. Highway 95, being a north-south route separates from the other two a few miles on either side of town. It leads to Wilder to the south and Fruitland to the north. Highway 20 & 26 crosses the Snake River into Oregon not far to the northwest of Parma, and come to Nyssa. To the east it comes to Notus and Caldwell. The railroad passes through Parma, and is still in use today.
The population of Parma was 1,771 at the year 2000. The elevation is between 2,200 and 2,300 feet, there being a modest hill dividing the lower part of the town from the upper part.
For More Information:
See also the Wikipedia Parma, Idaho article.