Day 2 - Kalispell, MT to Coeur d'Alene, ID
Highways today were south on US 95 to Elmo, MT 28 to Plains, west on MT 200 to Thompson Falls, west on MT Secondary Hwy 471 and Idaho NF 9 (Thompson Pass Road/Prichard Creek Road/Coeur D'Alene River Road) to Kingston, and finally I-90 to Coeur d'Alene. Google Map
Glacier Quilts, Kalispell, MT
We checked out of the hotel in time to get to Glacier Quilts when they opened. As always, it is extremely difficult to get in and out of this store with any speed. It was a good thing we didn't have to hurry. After spending nearly 45 minutes checking out every nook and cranny, we were ready to go with our fat quarters in hand. They didn't have much in the way of southwestern fabric but there was lots of native and cowboy fabric that would blend in nicely. Glacier Quilts
Bear Country Gallery, Kalispell, MT
Next stop before leaving town is a visit to Jeff Fleming's Bear Country Gallery to check out what is new. We "always" find something new to buy. Bear Country Gallery features Jeff's full collection of artwork from the lovable Bearfoots to his limited edition bronze sculptures, and one of a kind wood and steel sculptures. Bear Country Gallery
Hap
A few years ago, a wonderful appliqué quilt patterns featuring Jeff's Bears started production. I made two Hap quilts - one for me and one for Karen.
Hap is especially important to Karen because it was her father's name and now she has a new grandson named Hap.
US Highway 93, Montana
Route 93 is a major north–south highway in both the United States and Canada crossing the international border at Roosville. The southern terminus is at Wickenburg, Arizona and the northern terminus is at Jasper, Alberta. This little stretch of highway we are temporarily on today, is part of a very big picture.
It's 1360 miles meanders through the states of Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and Montana and the Provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Hwy 93 connects several major cities including Kingman, Las Vegas, Twin Falls, Missoula, Kalispell, and Whitefish. It takes you to the historic Hoover Dam, Jackpot, Nevada, Radium Hot Springs and the Columbia Icefields.
Great Basin National Park, Kootenay National Park, Banff National Park and Jasper National Park are all along Hwy 93. Many parts of the highway are designated Scenic Byways including Joshua Forest Parkway, Nevada Scenic Byway, Salmon River Scenic Byway, Lewis and Clark Trail, and the Columbia Icefields Parkway. The stretch of highway from Ely to Schellbourne Ranch is part of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across the United States.
It is interesting to note that over the years, we have been on every stretch of this highway with the exception of the Canadian Columbia Icefields Parkway. There certainly is a lot of history in one road.
State Highway 28, Montana
Montana State Highway 28 is approximately 47 miles long beginning at the Hwy 93 junction at Elmo and ending at State Highway 200 in Plains. With the exception of a few miles, the highway is entirely within the Flathead Indian Reservation. The highway climbs through steep forest terrain between the two plains.
Flathead Indian Reservation
The Flathead Indian Reservation, located on the Flathead River, is home to the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes – also known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. Flathead Lake lies in the northeast corner of the reservation. All but the northern tip of Flathead Lake is part of the reservation. Flathead Reservation Map
Hellgate Treaty
The reservation was created July 16, 1855 by the Treaty of Hellgate. Notably one-sided the Treaty took nearly 22 million acres of land from the Tribes in return for the paltry sum $120,000.00. The Treaty was not ratified by Congress until April 18, 1859 creating much distrust and resentment of the government by the Tribes.
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| Ward Hotel c 1912-1913 |
Thompson Falls, Montana
Thompson Falls, established in 1910, was named after explorer and fur trader David Thompson. The arrival of the railroad in 1881 brought the first real activity to the area.
During the gold rush, the town grew to accommodate the men going to the mines.
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| Murray Hotel c 1885 |
Murray, Idaho
Located along the Thompson Pass Road, Murray, now home to about 50 people, was one of several boisterous mining camps that became active in the late 1880s.
Mines operated in the area from the 1880s to the 1950s. In 1884, a judge fined Wyatt Earp $65.00 for claim jumping after he forced William Payne off his land at gunpoint near Murray.
Prichard, Idaho
A post office called Prichard was established in 1910, and remained in operation until 1943. The community derived its name from Andrew J. Prichard, a gold prospector.
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| CCC Camp Harry Marsh c 1933 |
CCC Camp Harry Marsh
Prichard Civilian Conservation Corps Camp F-30, Co. 967, renamed Harry Marsh CCC Camp, was one of the first camps in the CCC program. It was located in the Coeur d'Alene National Forest on the Coeur d'Alene River north of present day Prichard. Camp Harry Marsh
Civilian Conservation Corps - 1933-1942
The Civilian Conservation Corps enrolled mostly young, unmarried, unskilled and unemployed men between the ages of 18 and 25. The men came primarily from families on government assistance. Men enlisted for a minimum of six months.
Each worker received $30.00 wages per month for his services in addition to room and board at a work camp. The men were required to send $ 25.00 of their monthly earnings home to support their families. Civilian Conservation Corps - Wikipedia
Enaville, Idaho
Travelling virtually increases the chances of finding some very unique places. Enaville is a small town just north of the junction of the Coeur d'Alene River Road and I-90. Searching the internet didn't turn up much information specifically on Enaville. What it did produce, however, was a wealth of information from the website for The Snake Pit.
There's not much happening in Enaville today but it wasn't always that way. In the early days, Enaville was a transportation center for railroaders, miners and loggers. It was also a railroad changeover, important for early log drives. Enaville was considered the Gateway to the Upper North Fork. The town was named after the wife of a railroad crewman. She was also the postmistress at the time. (Thanks to the Snake Pit for this information.)
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| CCC Camp Enaville c 1935 |
CCC Camp Enaville, F-136, Co. 557, Enaville, Idaho
The Enaville post office sorted all the mail for the hundreds of young workers up the upper North Fork working in CCC Camps. Other CCC Camps in the Enaville area were Camp Jordan Creek P-181.
Horse Haven Camp F-156, Hudlow Creek Camp F-113, and Grizzly Camp F-136. Digital Initiatives University of Idaho
The Snake Pit - Enaville, Idaho
Never let it be said that a fabulous website doesn't attract customers. The good thing about travelling virtually is that you can stop and eat anywhere you want - any time you want - and we just happened to be starving! The Snake Pit has been part of the Silver Valley's colorful history since 1880. It has served as a boomtown bar, railroad layover, hotel, restaurant and house of ill repute (complete with red lights). The Snake Pit
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| Sherman Street c 1908 |
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
The city began in 1878 as Fort Sherman on the north shore of Coeur d'Alene Lake. The town grew when gold and silver deposits were found in Silver Valley and after the Northern Pacific Railroad reached it in 1883.
Population peaked in the late 1920s after the discovery of highly prized white pine resulted in a timber boom which led to the incorporation of the city on September 4, 1906. Coeur d'Alene Wikipedia
Lake Coeur d'Alene
Lake Coeur d'Alene is a natural dam-controlled lake. The lake spans 25 miles in length and ranges from 1 to 3 miles in width and fed by the Coeur d'Alene and Saint Joe rivers. Although the Post Falls Dam on the Spokane River near Post Falls controls the lake levels, the lake is usually kept at natural levels from January to June. Wikipedia
Sunset Cruise - Lake Coeur d'Alene
Once we were on the I-90, we made up a lot of time. We booked into our hotel and rested a bit before getting ready for the Dinner Cruise. The last time I took this cruise was in the middle of huge forest fires all through Idaho. The air was so thick with smoke that I wasn't able to see much. We could not even see the shore from the boat. This time the weather is perfect. Of course - what else would you expect virtually?
We headed to the dock, parked and boarded without a hitch. On board we had a fabulous dinner. On the menu - carved roast beef, baked fresh northwest salmon, double stuffed au gratin potatoes, summer green salad, vegetables, pasta salad, fruit salad, bread basket and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Who could ask for more? After dinner we headed to the upper deck to kick back, relax and take in the scenery.
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| Coeur d'Alene People c 1907 |
The Coeur d'Alene People
The lake was named after the Coeur d'Alene people. The Tribe's rights to the lake were established in the first executive order founding the reservation, which originally included all of the lake.
In United States v. Idaho (2001), the United States Supreme Court held that an 1873 executive order issued by President Ulysses S. Grant formalized ownership by the tribe. Coeur d'Alene People Wikipedia
 Post Note - Day Two:
Wow! After only two days travelling virtually, it's becoming apparent that this trip is going to take a very long time - certainly longer that it takes to drive the roads each day. It is amazing when you are travelling virtually how much more information you can find about the roads you travel on and the areas you pass through. Are these sidetracks I keep getting on while surfing the internet just a replacement for the derailing we usually encounter along the way? |
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