In 1884, miners discovered an abundance of lead and silver in the Burke Canyon.
The first mine in Burke, the Tiger Mine, was discovered in May 1884.
That same year, the Tiger Mine was sold to S.S. Glidden for $35,000.

By the end of 1885, over 3,000 tons of ore had been extracted from the Tiger Mine.
The high volume of ore being extracted from the mountains led Glidden to begin construction on a railroad from the mine to Wallace.
On July 6, 1887, Glidden incorporated the Canyon Creek Railroad, a 3 ft (0.91 m)-wide narrow-gauge railway which operated from Wallace to the Tiger Mine.
Additional investors on the Canyon Creek Railroad were Harry M. Glidden, Frank R. Culbertson, Alexander H. Tarbet, and Charles W. O'Neil.

By September 1887, little work had been accomplished on the railway; accumulations of mined ore in the area had reached over 100,000 pounds (45,000 kg), pressuring Glidden to sell the line to D.C. Corbin.
Under Corbin's overseeing, by November 1887, 3 miles (4.8 km) of tracks had been laid, and it was then that the town of Burke was formally established.
The railway was completed in December 1887, and the first shipment of ore to Wallace took place on December 12.
In 1888, the town was serviced by trains from the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company.

Given its position within the narrow canyon, Burke had to share its boundaries with the Northern Pacific rail spur, resulting in a railway that occupied the street running through town.
According to some sources (such as the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice), the limited space forced businesses on the west side of the railway to have to retract their awnings when trains passed through.
However, according to Bill Dunphy, a town resident, this was an exaggeration: "It was narrow," he recalled. "
They always said that when a train came through Burke, you had to hoist the awnings to get the train through, which wasn't right.
But it's a good story."

On February 4, 1890, the first of several avalanches in Burke's history caused major damage to the residences and businesses in the town, and killed three people.
In 1891, tensions between miners and the mining companies began to rise.
In 1892, hard rock miners in Shoshone County protested wage cuts with a strike.
Two large mines, the Gem mine and the Frisco mine in Burke Canyon 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Burke, operated with replacement workers during the strike.
Several lost their lives in a shooting war provoked by the discovery of a company spy named Charles A. Siringo.
On the morning of July 11, 1892, gunfight at the nearby Frisco Mill inadvertently ignited a box of dynamite, causing the mill to explode, killing six people.
Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg declared martial law and sent the U.S. Army and National Guard into the canyon to keep the peace.
In 1884, miners discovered an abundance of lead and silver in the Burke Canyon. The first mine in Burke, the Tiger Mine, was discovered in May 1884. That same year, the Tiger Mine was sold to S.S. Glidden for $35,000.
By the end of 1885, over 3,000 tons of ore had been extracted from the Tiger Mine. The high volume of ore being extracted from the mountains led Glidden to begin construction on a railroad from the mine to Wallace. On July 6, 1887, Glidden incorporated the Canyon Creek Railroad, a 3 ft (0.91 m)-wide narrow-gauge railway which operated from Wallace to the Tiger Mine. Additional investors on the Canyon Creek Railroad were Harry M. Glidden, Frank R. Culbertson, Alexander H. Tarbet, and Charles W. O'Neil.
By September 1887, little work had been accomplished on the railway; accumulations of mined ore in the area had reached over 100,000 pounds (45,000 kg), pressuring Glidden to sell the line to D.C. Corbin. Under Corbin's overseeing, by November 1887, 3 miles (4.8 km) of tracks had been laid, and it was then that the town of Burke was formally established. The railway was completed in December 1887, and the first shipment of ore to Wallace took place on December 12. In 1888, the town was serviced by trains from the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company.
Given its position within the narrow canyon, Burke had to share its boundaries with the Northern Pacific rail spur, resulting in a railway that occupied the street running through town. According to some sources (such as the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice), the limited space forced businesses on the west side of the railway to have to retract their awnings when trains passed through. However, according to Bill Dunphy, a town resident, this was an exaggeration: "It was narrow," he recalled. "They always said that when a train came through Burke, you had to hoist the awnings to get the train through, which wasn't right. But it's a good story."
On February 4, 1890, the first of several avalanches in Burke's history caused major damage to the residences and businesses in the town, and killed three people. In 1891, tensions between miners and the mining companies began to rise. In 1892, hard rock miners in Shoshone County protested wage cuts with a strike. Two large mines, the Gem mine and the Frisco mine in Burke Canyon 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Burke, operated with replacement workers during the strike. Several lost their lives in a shooting war provoked by the discovery of a company spy named Charles A. Siringo. On the morning of July 11, 1892, gunfight at the nearby Frisco Mill inadvertently ignited a box of dynamite, causing the mill to explode, killing six people. Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg declared martial law and sent the U.S. Army and National Guard into the canyon to keep the peace.
Burke, Idaho