Almo, Idaho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Almo, Idaho
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 Almo, Idaho
Location in Idaho
Almo, Idaho
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho |
| County | Cassia |
| Elevation | 5,397 ft (1,645 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code |
83312
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| Area code(s) | 208, 986 |
| GNIS feature ID | 376562 |
Almo is a small, unincorporated town in Cassia County, Idaho, in the United States. Being "unincorporated" means it's not officially a city or town with its own local government. However, it is still a community where people live. Almo is located in the beautiful Upper Raft River Valley.
What is Almo, Idaho?
Almo is found in the state of Idaho. It is just over 2 miles (about 3.2 kilometers) east of the City of Rocks National Reserve. This reserve is a huge area, about 14,300 acres (57.8 square kilometers). It is famous for its tall granite rock formations. Some of these rocks stand as high as 600 feet (183 meters).
The special mailing code for Almo is 83312. Almo is also considered part of the Burley, Idaho area. This means it's connected to the larger economic and social activities of Burley.
A Look Back: Almo's History
In the mid-1800s, many pioneers traveled west on the Oregon Trail. They passed right by where Almo is today. Some of these travelers wrote letters home about meeting Native Americans. While some stories were exaggerated, there were small incidents between 1860 and 1862.
The Almo Massacre Myth
Almo is known for a story called "the Almo Massacre of 1861." This story claimed that nearly 300 pioneers were surrounded and killed by Native Americans. In 1938, a group called the Sons and Daughters of Idaho Pioneers even put up a marker for it.
However, historians have found that this event likely never happened. The first written record of this "massacre" only appeared in 1927. There is no information about the pioneers who were supposedly killed or the five survivors. Because of this, the Idaho State Historical Society has suggested removing the marker. But the town has chosen to keep it.
How Almo Grew
Almo officially started around a post office in 1881. Before that, it was part of a ranch. For a while, people even thought it might be in Utah. By 1890, many families in the area belonged to the LDS Church. Most of them had English or Scandinavian backgrounds.
Around the year 1900, Almo was a busy place. It had a store, a post office, and a school. There was also a brass band and a theater group. The town even had three saloons and a welfare society. Almo's population reached its highest point in 1920, with 260 people. After that, the population started to shrink. This was because there wasn't as much land available for new settlers. By 1960, Almo's population was about 100 people.
