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 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.

Two 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 local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers base of operations, 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 the Chamber a call at 208-448-2721.