Some of the displays in the Museum of North Idaho in Coeur d’Alene tell the history of the region.
Explorers and Fur Traders
The European invasion of Idaho was led the the early explorers (such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark) and the fur traders of the North West Company (called Nor’westers).
Firearms
Guns are an important part of both the history and mythology of the West.
The Mullan Road
President Millard Fillmore appointed Isaac Stevens as the first Territorial Governor of Washington in 1853. His primary focus was on opening up the territory for non-Indian settlement by bringing in the railroad. West Point graduate and U.S. Army topographical engineer John Mullan helped in the initial survey for the railroad route and in 1858 he became the officer-in-charge of the Military Road construction which was to bear his name.
According to the museum display:
“The Mullan Road was the first major engineered highway in the Pacific Northwest. The 624-mile road connected Fort Walla Walla near the Columbia River in Washington with Fort Benton on the Missouri River in Montana and provided a link from the Great Plains to the Northwest.”
The Fort
Fort Sherman was established in 1878 at the site of a large Coeur d’Alene village. The Indians had been moved away from this traditional village to a reservation. An average of 250 troops helped to keep the Mullan Road open, to keep peace between the American settlers and the Indians, to watch the Canadian border, and to guard railroad and telegraph crews.
Civilian Conservation Corps
Steamboats
Situated on a large lake, steamboats are an important part of the history of Coeur d’Alene. The steamboat display includes artifacts, old photos, and models.
More Museums 101
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Museums 101: Quilts (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Saddles and Boots in Nevada City (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Movies (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Clothing (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Heritage Station Museum (Photo Diary)
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