History Blog
Explore these articles to learn more about the unique history of North Idaho.
2nd Infantry Band
By Robert Singletary, Special to The Nickel’s Worth The first musical organization to perform in what is now the city of Coeur d’Alene was probably the 2nd Infantry Band, stationed…
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Stanley Easton: Mr. Bunker
By Robert Singletary, Special to the Coeur d’Alene Press Stanley Easton, an 1894 graduate of the University of California, was associated with the Bunker Hill Mining Company in Kellogg, Idaho…
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Chautauqua at Spirit Lake
By: Robert Singletary In 1912, Spirit Lake was chosen as the home of the Inland Empire annual Chautauquas. Each summer, a comprehensive program featuring lectures, educators and entertainers of nationwide…
Read MoreHistoric Mansion on Hayden Lake
By Robert Singletary Spokane millionaire F. Lewis Clark built a mansion on the south end of Hayden Lake Lake in 1910. At the time, it was said to be the…
Read MoreEARLY HAYDEN LAKE
By Robert Singletary With the completion of the first railroad across northern Idaho in 1881 and the rapid development of towns, there became a very high demand for agricultural products.…
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Blackwell Park History
By Robert Singletary In 1902, Frederick Blackwell, a wealthy lumberman from Williamsport, Penn., came to Coeur d’Alene to invest in the emerging timber industry. In addition to developing one of the…
Read MoreMeet Lake Cd’A’s father of steamboating
By Richard Sheldon And Deborah Mitchell| February 27, 2021 1:00 AM Peter C. Sorenson was born in 1833 in Kragero, Norway, where he learned the art of boatbuilding. In 1864, Peter, a…
Read MoreFt. Sherman Band
By Robert Singletary For twenty years, 1878 to 1898, the military band at Fort Coeur d’Alene/Sherman provided much of the musical entertainment for the village of Coeur d’Alene. After the closure…
Read MoreDesert Hotel Fire
By Robert Singletary for the Nickelsworth On Sunday night, June 25, 1972, the Desert Hotel, and several offices in the building, were destroyed by fire. None of the guests or employees…
Read MoreFort Sherman Closes After 20 years
By Robert Singletary Fort Sherman was officially closed on March 9, 1900, after being in operation more than twenty years. In 1901, the grounds and buildings were turned over to…
Read MoreThe First Sawmill
Written by Robert Singletary for the Nickel’s Worth 2/12/2021 The first sawmill to operate in northern Idaho was built in 1878 by the U.S. Army on land near the Spokane…
Read MoreThe History of Lochaven Farms
By Deb Mitchell and Dorothy Dahlgren Today, on the corner of Honeysuckle and 4th, there stands a large barn, a two-story home and several other faded-white buildings surrounded by a…
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