The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-12-12
MEMORIES OF EARLY DAYS.
THE INDIAN ROAMED AT WILL
Tbs Prosperous TOwn Of Post Fails Was
Then UaknOwR- The TOwnsits of
Occur d'AIens . BowIinE Wilderness
Bai enc steamer ON the Lake.

A Post Fails correspondent talked
few hours last week with one Of
KoOtenai cOunty's pioneers in refer
ence TO the development Of this part
Of the country during the past twenty
years. In brief he said
~ came here twenty years ago.
came from Spokane Falls to the
4 Spokane bridge and paid the required
toll and crossed the river There
was nothing to be seen then In the
way Of settlement on the prairie ex-
cept two or three houses. There was
one house at the BRIDGE think the
present store building belonging TO
Mr.. Rotchford, and the Indian
village above the bridge on the south
side Of the river. There were quite
a number Of Indian families small
town. One house was noticeable In
the vicinity Of Sam Curo's, and
Judge Kennedy's house that stood
then at the foot of the hill.
THE sAwmill ct Post Falls was
then run by msn named Lewis, who
lived In the house at present occupied
by H. N. Strathern. Mr.. Post at
that time lived in Spokane. A small
shanty decorated the homestead Of
Tommy Ford. That Is all there was
at Post Falls at that time.
AT the brick yard. Mr.. Minor
owned q small house, besides the
Cocoran log house which was torn
down last summer to make room for
the lumber yard. As passed on up
the beautiful river. ! observed houses
at the Turner and Wonnacott farms.
where the Big Four sawmill Is
located.
ION the shore Al lake Occur a.
Alene there stood the garrison.
Besides the government buildings
there was one house on the present
townsite Of Occur d'Alene. This
house was owned by Tony Tubs
and stood about $50 yards from the
Occur d'Alene sawmill. This was
Tony Tubs homestead aud the
present TOWNSHIP was covered with
small brush aud pine timber from
which ! 200 cords Of wood was cut
the following winter for the garrison.
One steamboat belonging 20 Uncle
Sam constituted the shipping facilities
ON the lake then. The settlers beg n
TO appear one by one. We could
stand In our door and shoot deer at
any time We needed fresh meat To
tell the truth, friend, the fact is that
deer then were as plentiful rs dears
are now. But the most perplexing
thing is then l could find plenty of
deer that suited me. but now Il seems
TO be utterly impossible to find a
dear that suit,
~ wrote TO my people to come to
me and settle down on my 100 acre
homestead. | wrote them that the
main line Of the Northern Pacific was
built the year previous and to step
of the train at westWood between
Spokane aud Standpoint. They
looked the map over in vain and no
I westwood was found. They con.
cluded TO come to Spokane and
/ inquire for West wood. which they
did, and we're informed that the
name Of that town had been changed
to Rathdrum.
well. my friend, TO make long
story short, the Indian village, stage
coach. and soldiers have disappeared
from among US and a new era has
dawned. Yes. the writer remembers
that twelve years ago survey was
made for an electric car line and
Messrs. Applequist, Bolster and
others made speeches to the people at
the Hotel Mount Vernon In Post Falls
and pictured the beautiful and
magnificent cars that were soon to
arrive, aud there were admirable
pictures in the Post Falls Post. The
cars as yet have not arrived, but they
are in Spokane and will be here
shortly.
The above delay reminds me of
the time when l asked man IL he
ever lived in Missouri, to which he
replied: No, just came through,
but stopped twelve years to let my
cattle rest. The road is nearing
completion. Some two or three
hundred workmen have just passed
through Post Falls. completing the
road az they 60,
New store at Dudley.