Kootenai’s rich lumber history has helped build it to what it is today
Kootenai may be a small town in Northern Idaho, but like many towns has a rich history in lumber. Did you know these four things about it’s past?
- In 1899 Kootenai was first started by the Ellersick family of whom had recently relocated from Minnesota. The mill’s name was called the Kootenai Bay Lumber Company.
- During the early days of this area Kootenai was one of the largest communities in the area. With the mill being at full capacity, there were many buildings including hotels, ice houses, bakeries, and even an ice rink.
- After being resold to a new firm in 1930, the Kootenai Bay Lumber Company was shut down. This cause many of the businesses in the area to shut down a long with it and many moved.
- Until 1968 the town was called the “Village of Kootenai”. At that time it was switched to the “City of Kootenai” to conform with a new ordinance.
If you found this interesting, you might want to check out 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Priest River.
