Blackfoot, Idaho

Home to the Idaho Potato Museum, Blackfoot is designated the "Potato Capital of the World." In the museum you'll find the world's largest potato chip and the world's largest baked potato on display, among other exhibits that display and explain the story of Idaho's potato industry.

Blackfoot got the name because of folks walking through the black ashes left after wildfires in the area in the early 1800's. There were no Blackfoot people in the area but early Hudson's Bay Company traders and trappers who came through here named it for all those folks with blackened footwear.

In 1874, two astute businessmen who figured the Union Pacific Railroad was going to build through the area came and built the first general store. As the property was just outside the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, the men were hoping the railroad would build a station next to their store to service the area. The post office was opened on October 10, 1878 and on November 10, 1878, the railroad laid track through town in such a way as to be able to use the loading dock on the back of that general store to load materials onto the train, too. The settlement officially became Blackfoot on March 20, 1879.

Bingham County was established in January 1885 and the original county seat was supposed to be Eagle Rock (which is now known as Idaho Falls). However, the night before the legislation was finally voted on, 2 businessmen from Blackfoot bribed a clerk to erase the name Eagle Rock and replace it with Blackfoot. When the legislation passed the next day with no opposition and was signed into law by the governor, Blackfoot became the official county seat.