The Inland Northwest was a wild Territory that was virtually uninhabited by any others than native peoples until the Lewis and Clarke Expedition of 1805. Once the route was established to the west there was a steady stream of adventurers, trappers, settlers and later on loggers, miners and other seekers of fortune traveled across the Panhandle of Idaho.

In 1810 a fur trading post was built at the confluence of the Spokane River and the Little Spokane River called Spokane House. The fur trade created a well traveled trade route through the Inland Northwest that is still the major transportation route from Montana through Seattle.

“Idaho was born out of the determination of citizens more committed to public unity than to political diversity; more dedicated to high ideals than to geographical rivalries. I believe these same principles continue to make Idaho great. This week we celebrate not only the birth of our nation, but the birth of our state. On July 3, 1890, Idaho became the forty-third state of the Union.” Idaho Senator Brent Hill

As the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, who had fought along side one General William Tecumseh Sherman, signed into law two major pieces of legislation. The first being the landmark Sherman Anti Trust Act and the second the ill-fated Sherman Silver Purchase Act which obligated the US Treasury to print Treasury notes sufficient to purchase 4.5 million ounces per month of silver bullion, the prevalent metal being mined in North Idaho at that time.

Harrison, the town, was a settlement for over 50 years prior to its incorporation in 1899. The population around the turn of the century was approximately 2000, with a work force population that may have doubled during the spring as the work parties traveled up-river to the Cataldo Landing for the overland trip to the mines in the Silver Valley.

Once the largest city in North Idaho, Harrison was a wild-west town, port, transportation hub and important social center for the area. Steam and paddle-wheeler boats once transported passengers from the quay at Post Falls to Independence Point in Coeur d’Alene then on to Harrison where smaller craft were used to navigate the Coeur d’Alene River all the way to the Mission Landing at Cataldo.

French Canadian trappers and fur traders made frequent visits to the richly populated hunting and trapping areas along the shores of the lakes and rivers. Small encampments and settlements boasting integrated populations cropped up all along the shores of these bodies of water.

So plentiful was the small game, large game, waterfowl and fishing that these self sufficient individuals laid claim to and homesteaded much of the rich land of the surrounding area.

In 1917 there was a catastrophic fire that started in one of the lake side lumber mills and burned over half of Harrison to the ground. Very few of the burned buildings were re-built.

TODAY

Harrison’s population is under 300 permanent residents. The town has recently approved the development called STONEGATE at Harrison.

Once final plans are completed there will be 3 phases to this development. First phase will offer approximately 135 Coeur d’Alene Lake View lots. Minimum square footage, design criteria and architectural controls will maintain project integrity and enhance future values. This project alone has the potential to double the current population of Harrison.

Numerous existing sub-divisions including Lacon Tracts, Sunnyside, Crow’s Nest, and Cranes Park, which was established in 1905 all have new home starts that add to the swelling population of Harrison.

The surrounding area (postal codes 83833 & 83842) with boundaries of Highway 90 on the North, Lake Coeur d’Alene to the West, O’Gara Road to the South and Highway 3 to the East is the major focus of this report.

Within this perimeter are approximately 3180 existing residences, 4600 existing platted vacant parcels and the Federal Lands boasting 37000 acres the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene, the Coeur d’Alene River, 9 of the 12 lakes in the Chain of Lakes, approximately 33 miles of the Rails to Trails project know as the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s, 5 public County boat launches, countless miles of Forest Service trails and world class boating, sportsmen’s access and numerous historical and scenic overlooks.

Posted by Ken Gimbel on December 23, 2008 at 11:33 AM

About Ken Gimbel
Ken Gimbel is affliated with Windermere/Coeur dAlene Realty, Inc., which is located in Coeur d'Alene, ID. For further assistance please use the contact information located on the right.




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