Wild Place: A History of Priest Lake, Idaho - Softcover

Kris Runberg Smith (author)|Tom Weitz (with)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0874223296 ISBN 13: 9780874223293

Publisher: WSU Press, 2015

Synopsis

Remote and rugged, Idaho's Priest Lake remains a wild place, with brutal winters and an upper lake accessible only by foot, mountain bike, or boat. Even so, beginning in the 1890s a wide cast of homesteaders, prospectors, speculators, and loggers tried their best to tame it.

Despite impressive forests, turn-of-the-century Western expansion bypassed the area, sparing its idyllic beauty. In 1897 President Grover Cleveland created the Priest River Forest Reserve, initiating an enduring tension between public and private lands. Soon both timber and summer cottages were in high demand. Rangers doled out permits, scrappy residents eked out a living, and families created a cherished seasonal community.

Devastating wildfires initiated profound change, leading the Civilian Conservation Corps to concentrate on fire suppression. After World War II, population growth accelerated, electricity became commonplace, and a local newspaper crowed, "Priest Lake has become a cult with many vacationists." Wild Place traces the region's history, focusing on little-known yet captivating stories of its colorful characters.

About this title

About the Author

Kris Runberg Smith is professor of history at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. She earned her Ph.D. in American Studies from Saint Louis University, a M.A. in American History from Washington State University, and a B.A. in Museum Science from University of Idaho. She has written for both academic and popular audiences. She edited Pioneer Voices of Priest Lake for the Priest Lake Museum in 2007. Her family connections to Priest Lake date back to 1897.

Tom Weitz is a retired geologist and mining manager. He earned a M.S. degree in Geosciences from the University of Arizona, and a B.S. degree in Geology from Washington State University. Tom first came to Priest Lake in 1959, and now lives at the lake full time with his wife Anne. He has served as president of the Priest Lake Museum Association since 2011.

From the Inside Flap

Remote and rugged, Idaho's Priest Lake has remained a wild place. Even today, the upper lake is accessible only by foot, mountain bike, or boat.

Once a favored Native American location, brutal winters discouraged any permanent settlement. Beginning in the 1890s, adventurous souls--a wide cast of homesteaders, prospectors, speculators, and loggers--all dazzled by its natural resources, tried their best to tame it, with limited success. Despite Priest Lake's impressive white pine forests, grand turn-of-the-century Western expansion bypassed the area, sparing its idyllic beauty. Most venture capitalists considered the ore and timber too expensive to extract.

At the same time, forestry leaders like Gifford Pinchot were guiding the country toward new land management and conservation ideals. In 1897 President Cleveland created the Priest River Forest Reserve, expanding federal influence over the region and introducing an enduring tension between public and private lands. Still, industrial and recreational use increased.

The Dalkena Lumber Company won a Forest Service contract in 1914, and within three years, there were thirteen logging camps. The Diamond Match Company was another major lumber harvester. Along with timber, summer cottages were in high demand. Rangers doled out permits and scrappy residents eked out a living. Families christened their cabins with names like the Playawhile, Sylvan Haunt, Slabsides, and This-L-Du as they created a seasonal community cherished for generations.

Devastating wildfires--especially in 1926--also initiated profound change. A few years later, work by the Civilian Conservation Corps centered on fire suppression, although conservation efforts and recreational improvements were also part of their Depression-era mandate. After World War II, population growth accelerated. Electricity became commonplace in the 1940s, and in 1947, a local newspaper crowed, Priest Lake has become a cult with many vacationists.

Today, every privately-owned acre and lot represents past optimism, opportunity, hard work, greed, or politics.Wild Place traces those remnants--focusing on little-known yet captivating stories of the colorful characters who navigated Priest Lake's demanding physical, political, and economic challenges.

Edition details

• Publisher: WSU Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0874223296
• ISBN 13: 9780874223293
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240