Preserving Rathdrum’s past

THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORY wrapped up in the name of the Rathdrum/Westwood Historical Society.

It might be hard to believe today that the little town tucked away at the foot of the mountains on the east side of the Rathdrum Prairie was once the seat of Kootenai County and, in 1884, with 2,000 residents, was larger than either Spokane or Coeur d’Alene. The hamlet also came close to having another name.

Charles Wesley Wood, who was called Wes Wood by the locals, owned the land that eventually became the site of a thriving community. The arrival of the Northern Pacific Rail Road line and the mushrooming mining and logging industry would provide impetus for the community’s growth.

Wood had married a daughter of Fredrick Post and purchased the land from his father-in-law in 1871. Ten years later the postmaster requested that the post office be designated Westwood to honor Wes Wood. However, the department denied the request because there were already too many Westwoods in the country.

In 1881 the postmaster went about finding another name for the town and settled on Rathdrum, suggested by W.W. Cowley, who had been born in Rathdrum, Ireland.

Today’s Rathdrum may be small and far removed from 1919, when President Wilson visited, and 1906, when lawyer Clarence Darrow came to town, but its historical society is large, growing and active. According to its president, Ellen Larsen, there were, at the last meeting, 35 members in attendance out of 45 on the society’s membership roll, and more new members continue to join. Membership dues are $10 per couple.

Other officers include: Vice President Patti McElroy; Secretary Kris Storey; and Treasurer Loreen Ellersick.

The group “has its ups and downs,” Larsen says. “It was very active in the 1980s, and now is on the upside again.”

Larsen is collecting oral histories from longtime residents.

“It’s a big job,” she says. “Too much for one person even with a tape recorder.”

She says that transcribing the information she collects is an even bigger task. “We could use volunteers.”

The society also works to preserve the historical buildings of the town. Its biggest project has been to obtain funding and replace the roof on the brick building that was Kootenai County’s first jail back when Rathdrum was the county seat.

“We have a long way to go,” says member Mary Jane Honegger, whose area of interest is the community’s remaining historic buildings. “But for now, the jail is safe from the weather with a good roof and covered windows.”

Honegger has experience: She once served on Spokane’s Landmarks Commission.

She says that although the jail is secure, other buildings are in danger, among them are the Kirtland Cutter Milwaukee train station and the elegantly designed Methodist Church, built in the early 1900s.

According to Larsen, the church is considered endangered because the insurance has been cut off and there is not enough money to heat the large sanctuary, so the congregation meets in the kitchen area. The bell still hangs in the bell tower over the doorway, and the large stained glass window is protected by an outer layer of glass. Sale of the church is under consideration.

Architect Paul Matthews, a member of the society, feels the building is worth preserving despite some structural weaknesses.

Larsen and Honegger say there are other important buildings – homes that could be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Besides having a commitment to recording oral history and preserving historic buildings, Larsen says, the society is eager to obtain and document photographs that provide an ongoing, historical picture of the town’s people and places.

Other artifacts from the past such as uniforms are welcome donations, Larsen says.

“We are working closely with the North Idaho Museum and hope possibly to have a Rathdrum room in the new museum when it is built.”