Payette is the name of a town, county, river system, three lakes, mountain, and a national forest in the U.S. state of Idaho. They are named for François Payette (1793-18xx), a French-Canadianfur trapper and later the manager of Fort Boise for the Hudson's Bay Company from 1835-44. He was one of the first men of European descent to settle in the area, venturing east from Astoria, Oregon in 1818. A large and amiable man, he was highly regarded for being very helpful to travelers. He returned to Montreal in 1844 and the remainder of his life is a mystery.
