Priest River History
The Kalispel Indians were
the first inhabitants of the
Pend Oreille River Valley.
The Seneacquoteen historic
marker on Highway 2, eight
miles east of town, marks
the Indian Campground and
river crossing where the old
Indian Trail to British
Columbia joined the wagon
road from Walla Walla,
Washington.
The coming of the Great
Northern Railroad spurred
the town’s growth. Many
Italian immigrants remained
after the railroad’s
construction.
The yellow and white house
built by Henry Keyser in
1895, the first white
pioneer in the area, has
been moved inside Priest
River city limits and houses
the Chamber offices and a
Timber Education Center and
Museum.
The town’s first sawmill was
built in 1897 as the demand
for lumber increased. Logs
were driven down the Priest
River to the sawmills from
1901 to 1949. Logging
contests were held for many
years.
Three large sawmills are
still in operation in the
Priest River area and timber
still forms the basis of our
economy. The Albeni Falls
Dam was constructed on the
Pend Oreille River in the
early 1950s to prevent
spring flooding. There is an
excellent visitor center and
viewing area. It is the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers
headquarters, who also
maintain several campgrounds
in the Priest River area
with excellent facilities
for camping, swimming,
boating and picnicking.
For more information on the
History of Priest River
please stop by the Priest
River Museum and Timber
Education Center at 301
Montgomery Street, or give
us a call
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