Adams County History by Hawley, 1920

"The county is irregular in shape and being at a comparatively low altitude, with considerable rainfall, the sheltered valleys are particularly adapted to agriculture and fruit growing. Some of the largest apple orchards in the Northwest are in the Weiser Valley in this county. The southern part of the mountain range called the 'Seven Devils' extends into Adams County. In this section large deposits of copper ore exist, but there has not been sufficient development of them owing, chiefly, to the lack of transportation facilities, the nearest railroad being the Huntington & Homestead branch of the Oregon Short Line, west of the Snake River in Oregon. The central part of the county is traversed by the Pacific & Idaho Northern Railroad, the northern terminus of which is at New Meadows, in the northeastern part of the county, and this affords an easy method of transporting to market the products raised. The Adams County stations on this line going north) are: Goodrich, Vista, Council, Mill Creek, Fruitvale, Hot Springs, Glendale, Evergreen, Woodland, Tamarack and Rubicon.

"The act creating the county assigned it to the seventh judicial district and designated the town of Council as the temporary seat of justice, the location of a permanent county seat to be decided by the people at the general election of 1912. At the election a majority voted in favor of Council on account of its central location and railway accommodations.