Coeur d'Alene North Idaho, Then and Now

Just as Coeur d'Alene Lake served as the traditional focus for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, it is the center of the Coeur d'Alene community today. The lake, during all seasons, remains the heart of our area.

Early French-speaking fur traders named Coeur d'Alene Lake. According to legend, the traders believed the local Indians to be sharp traders and called the lake Coeur d'Alene since their hearts were as sharp as an awl. In 1878 Fort Sherman was established and the city began to grow. Coeur d'Alene was incorporated in 1887 and continued to flourish. It’s a town with a rich background in lake steamers, fur trading, logging, and mining.

Until the early 1890's, Coeur d'Alene served as the railroad / steamboat transfer point for transportation between the mines in the Silver Valley to the east and the smelters they fed. The area continued to prosper in the early 1900's when a major timber boom caused the population to increase 16-fold in a period of 10 years. The city continued to expand from a small frontier village into the political and business center of Kootenai County and became the County seat in 1908.

Today, Coeur d'Alene remains the center of business and recreational activities in the Inland Northwest complete with festivals, fairs, concerts, unique bistros, and elegant restaurants, main street and mall shopping and much more. Its strong presence is found in state government and its increased economic development over the past several years is remarkable. Coeur d’Alene continues to grow and prosper in the new millennium.

About Post Falls

In 1870, German immigrant and founder, Frederick Post first claimed the Post Falls area as the site of a water powered lumber mill at the falls. He negotiated a treaty with Chief Andrew Seltice of the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe. They recorded this land cession on a prominent rock near the falls. This contract is preserved and exhibited, with authentic Native American pictographs, on a 4 acre site north of the Falls Park, which is listed on the National Historic Register.

Idaho's River City has everything to make your family's visit one to remember! Post falls offers waterfront activities on the Spokane River, fine dining, golf, and shopping are just a few things to do!  North Idaho is also an outdoor enthusiast's paradise with hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking at your doorstep.

Surrounded by mountains in the heart of North Idaho's recreational mecca is where you'll find Post Falls. Right on I-90, Post Falls is the perfect getaway and gateway to your North Idaho adventure and well worth adding to your places-to-go list.

Post Falls, with a population of nearly 21,000 people in the city limits, is 2,150 ft above sea level surrounded by mountains and lush farmland. The town is located 5 miles from the Washington-Idaho border on I-90; it is 64 miles from the Idaho-Montana border, and 120 miles south of the Canadian border. Within a 35 mile radius of Post Falls are 30 golf courses, the North Idaho Centennial Trail, 3 state parks, 55 lakes and 4 major rivers. The city is only 25 minutes from downtown Spokane, 35 minutes from Spokane International Airport, and 10 minutes from downtown Coeur d'Alene.

Post Falls has four distinct seasons, with temperatures ranging in the 80's mid-summer and low teens during the winter. The annual average amount of sunshine ranges from about 30% in the winter, but in July and August the average rises to the 80's, as crystal clear days may linger well in fall for perfect golf and boating weather. The annual average relative humidity is 46%; average amount of rain is 29", and an average of 49" of snow.

About Hayden Lake

The communities of Hayden and Hayden Lake are located in the beautiful panhandle of North Idaho in Kootenai County, one of the fastest growing counties in Idaho.

Hayden Lake, with its crystal clear waters, sandy beaches and picturesque timber shores, is one of the most beautiful and popular lakes of Northern Idaho. Its irregular shape gives it about 40 miles of shoreline, with the main portion of the lake being seven miles long and one to two miles in width. Normal lake elevation is 2,239 ft. above sea level, and portions of it reach 800 ft. deep. The lake is surrounded on three sides by panoramic timbered mountains, which rise to an elevation of 4,500 to 6,000 ft. and extend for many miles to the east as part of the Bitterroot Mountain Range. Much of this land is the Coeur d’Alene National Forest, which offers excellent hunting, fishing and camping.

Hayden Lake has long been used and enjoyed by man. The first known inhabitants, beginning in April of 1846, were the Coeur d'Alene Indians who camped along the shoreline, lived on an abundance of berries and bulbs and fished its waters. As natural resources became scarce, the Indians moved on.

During 1878, Matt Heyden homesteaded the southwestern shore and developed an extensive farm including the first fruit orchard planted in the area. Heyden and a man named Hager were friends who often played cards together and this led to the naming of the lake. So the story goes, the two men had decided to name the lake and elected to let the winner of a game of “seven-up” select the name. Matt Heyden won and the lake became Heyden’s Lake. The spelling changed throughout time and it is now known as Hayden Lake.

At one time, as many as four steamboats served the logging and mining interests around the lake. Hunting and fishing were excellent and at the turn of the century, attracted many persons, including Presidents Taft and Teddy Roosevelt. Golf, tennis and all forms of water sports are included in the recreational opportunities offered at this beautiful setting. The area is often referred to as the Switzerland of America.

A house, with perhaps the most fascinating heritage of any in Idaho, is located 3.6 miles from Highway 95, on the south shore of Hayden Lake. This is the F. Lewis Clark Mansion, and the details of its past, still within hearsay, would make an absorbing novel. The Hayden lake villa, sometimes called Honeysuckle Lodge, was designed as a summer home for the Clarks and was finished in 1912. The 15,000 sq. ft. house boasted a multitude of rooms which took several years to complete and was the most expensive house in the state at that time. Today the home is being operated as a very elegant country inn, the Clark House of Hayden Lake. Among celebrities, Bing Crosby chose to build his summer home on the northwest shore of Hayden Lake in the 1950’s. Bing’s love for golf and fishing attracted him to the area.

Today the lake is an ideal setting for several hundred homes. Housing is good with a wide variety of homes for particular lifestyles. There are two public campgrounds available on beautiful Hayden Lake within a few miles of State Highway 95. Nearest is Sportsmen’s Park, at the north end of the lake and the other is Mokins Bay Campground, on the east side of the lake. Hayden Lake public beach, known locally as Honeysuckle Beach, is located at the southwest edge of the lake and is the only public beach, boat launching ramp and picnic area on the lake.

North Idaho Contacts

Chamber of Commerce:

Coeur d’Alene - 1621 N. 3rd St. (www.coeurdaleneidaho.org) (208) 664-3194
Hayden/Hayden Lake - 157 W. Hayden Ave (www.haydenchamber.org) (208) 762-1185
Post Falls - 510 E. 6th Ave (www.postfallschamber.com) (208) 773-5016
Rathdrum - 8184 Main St (www.rathdrumchamberofcommerce.com) (208) 687-2866

Licenses:

Fish & Game- 2750 Kathleen Ave (208) 769-1414
Dept. of Motor Vehicles- 451 N. Government Way (208) 446-1340
Boat Registration & Licensing- 451 N. Government Way (208) 446-1580
Boat Registration & Licensing- 120 E. Railroad Ave (208) 446-1590

Government Agencies:

Building Safety- 1250 W. Ironwood Dr., Ste #250 (208) 769-1579
Dept. of Lands- 3780 Industrial Ave (208) 769-1525
Environmental Quality- 2100 N. Ironwood Parkway (208) 769-1422
Air Quality (800) 633-6247
Forest Service- 3815 Schreiber Way (208) 765-7223
Health & Welfare- 1120 W. Ironwood Dr (208) 769-1456
Parks & Recreation- 2750 Kathleen Ave (208) 769-1511
Social Security- 120 S. 6th St (208) 765-1322, (800) 772-1213
State Tax Commission (208) 769-1500, (800) 972-7660
Voter Registration- 315 Garden Ave (208) 446-1030
Waterways & Parks- 10905 N. Ramsey Rd (208) 446-1275

City Hall:

Athol, City Clerk- 30355 3rd St (208) 683-2101
Bayview (208) 683-3948
Coeur d’Alene- 710 Mullan Ave (208) 769-2300
City Building Dept (208) 769-2267
City Clerk/ L.I.D (208) 769-2231
City Licensing and Permits (208) 769-2229
Electrical & Plumbing Inspection (208) 769-2267
Engineering Dept (208) 769-2285
Marriage Licensing (208) 446-1491
Mayor’s Office (208) 769-2204
Street Lights, Names, Numbers (208) 769-2215
Street Maintenance/ Snow Information (208) 769-2233
Dalton Gardens, City Clerk- 6360 N. 4th St (208) 772-3698
Hauser- 11837 N. Hauser Lake Rd (208) 777-9315
Hayden, City Clerk- 8930 Government Way (208) 772-4411
Hayden Lake- 9545 N. Strahorn Rd (208) 772-2161
Post Falls, City Hall- 408 S. Spokane St (208) 773-3511
Rathdrum, City Hall- 838 Main St (208) 687-0261
Spirit Lake, City Hall- 409 Maine St (208) 623-2131