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is a city in the rural western part of the U.S. state of Idaho and the county seat of Washington County. With its mild climate, the city supports farm, orchard, and livestock endeavors in the vicinity. The city sits at the confluence of the Weiser River with the great Snake River, which marks the border with Oregon. The elevation is 2123 feet (647 m) above sea level. The population was 5,343 at the 2000 census. Locals pronounce the city's name as "Weezer."
The city was named for the nearby Weiser River, but exactly who that was named for is not precisely known. In one version it is for Peter M. Weiser, a soldier and member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806. Another has it for Jacob Weiser, a trapper-turned-miner who struck it rich in Baboon Gulch in the Florence Basin of Idaho and settled in the area in 1863.
Weiser reached its height of prosperity when a railroad way station was established and it became a transportation hub for travelers. Its history is well-represented by the great number of original buildings from the 1890s and early 1900s that are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson played semi-pro baseball for the Weiser Senators as teenager in 1906-1807. After high school in Fullerton, California, the "Big Train" was lured to Weiser to play baseball and work for the local telephone company. While in Weiser, he once pitched 84 consecutive scoreless innings. His skills attracted a scout from the Washington Nationals (later Senators) and in July 1907 he departed Idaho for the major leagues at age nineteen.
U.S. Route 95 runs through the city, connecting to Oregon and British Columbia.