Photo circa 1908. The "twin" houses in the picture are still standing on Hill Street in Kamiah. The picture on the right was taken from the same spot in the fall of 2000 - 92 years later. Several theories surround the meaning of the word "Kamiah". Some say it means "winter home, "beautiful valley" or "place of litter". Another story relates its meaning to Kamiahcan, a Yakima chief whose father was Nez Perce. The idea that makes the most sense is related to a plant that grew along the creeks called kamo. The Nez Perce used it to make ropes and fishing lines. The litter consisting of pieces of broken sticks and weeds that resulted from the rope making process was called "kamia". When Lewis and Clark visited Kamiah in 1806, the Nez Perce referred to the area as Kamiop and the creek south of town now known as Lawyer's Creek as Kamiop Creek. It seems logical that Kamiop and Kamia eventually became Kamiah.