Museum packed with intriguing history
One of the best little museums in the state is located on the shores of Priest Lake.
On West Lakeshore Road, approximately half a mile south of Luby Bay Campground and North of Hill’s Resort, you will find an intriguing package of the lake history, relics and even recordings of “old-timers” talking about the area.
Last year was an important one for the museum because of its publication of “Pioneer Voices of Priest Lake.” The book was built on a framework of recorded oral histories of pioneer lake personalities. It includes a timeline history, biographies of the characters and includes such founders as Leonard Paul, whose store is still a Priest Lake operating landmark with its own Web site, www.leonardpaulstore.com.
Interviews include second-generation pioneers such as Paul’s daughter, Marjorie. Last year the museum produced a DVD with Hill Films, “Priest Lake-See the Changes.” In CD form, it preserves old audiotape recordings made with longtime lake residents. This 2008 season opens with the creation of the museum’s new Web site: www.priestlakemuseum.com. This site will feature its newsletter, information about coming events, pictures and new additions as well as work to recruit volunteers to contribute time to keep the museum operating.
The original beginning of the museum has an interesting twist. Lois Hill (of Hill’s Resort fame) has shared with us about how a family conflict enabled the museum to be created. According to Hill, sometime in the late ‘60s a longtime local resident had decided to sell their family cabin. She explained to Lois that her children had already begun to fight over which pieces of the antique furnishings they each wanted. Tired of the conflicts, she decided to end the fighting by giving none of the items to any of them. She asked Hill to take possession of all of the furnishings and store them and do anything she chose to do with them.
The proper documents were signed and the entire package of goods ended up languishing in the Hill’s Resort warehouse. There was no such thing as a Priest Lake Museum in those days. Hill realized that the antique pieces could be the nucleus of a museum, but where? A short distance from the resort was an old Forest Service cabin that was deserted. It had been the residence of the Forest Ranger Supervisor, and then later used to house Forest Service employees, but by 1988 it was out of service.
A Priest Lake Museum Association was formed and worked with the USFS to get the log building available for the museum. After negotiation of all the details of the transaction that needed to be dealt with, the museum was given a special use permit with the goal of providing a glimpse of the early days of the region and to record its history by maintaining interpretive displays pertaining to Priest Lake’s past.
Whether day tourist, summer resident or local, check out the museum. The log building itself is a great venue for its use. Easy to get to, on the lake with dockage, ample parking and packed with interesting history of the lake.