Sense of Place Rolling Seminar: Silver Valley  - A Synoposis

March 28-30, 2003

Notes by N. Chaney

Fri. 3-28-03

7:30a            Assemble, Sweet Ave parking lot

8:00a            Depart, Wheatland Express bus, with driver Harry Stoner

8:15a            Kenton: Welcome & overview

8:30a   Film: “North Idaho’s Silver Legacy”

8:45a       Rodney: History of Mullan Trail. John Mullan was a surveyor under Governor Stevens, who authorized construction of a 600 mile-long road from Fort Benton MO to Walla Walla WA in 1854. By 1855, with increased settlement, tensions increased among the Flathead, Colville, Kalispell, Palouse, Cayuse, Coeur d’Alene, and Nez Perce, prompting Steptoe to deploy Nez Perce-led troops from Fort Walla Walla to Colville. The Mullan Trail project was completed in 1862. John Mullan’s descendants still live in the area.

8:55a   Film: “Paradise in Peril,” produced by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Film deals with heavy metal contamination, secondary to intensive mining activities in the Coeur d’Alene Basin. In his on-camera introduction, Tribal elder Henry SiJohn declares, “The things they do to Mother Earth…It is degradation.” President Grant’s Executive Order of 1873 gave treaty rights to the Coeur d’Alenes, who assert those rights in efforts to restore the health of the basin today. (In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled that the lake shore belongs to the Tribe.) In his on-camera comments, Phil Cernera, Director of the Coeur d’Alene Basin Restoration Project, explains his work and Tribal, State, and Federal efforts to clean up waterways to the standards of those above the mines. As an example, he noted that Canyon Creek measures 63PPM lead upstream, but 76,000PPM lead, zinc, mercury, and cadmium downstream. At the time of the film’s production, according to Cernera, no aquatic life existed there. He points out that lead diminishes emotional and intellectual function and is associated with lung cancer in adults. People in the area have known about the problem for 80+ years. In Kellogg at the time the video was made, 28% of school children had elevated blood levels of lead. In the film, the White Pine Scenic Route is identified as “…where pastoral meets poison.” Migrating tundra swans are dying from their consumption of lead-contaminated plants around Harrison, ID., where the lake is in the early stages of eutrophication, wherein excess nutrients from runoff reduce oxygen concentration and cause heavy metal sediments at the bottom to “liquefy” and become remobilized. At the close of the film, Henry SiJohn tells us, “Tribal sovereignty has come to the rescue of the general public…I hope that we are not too late.”            

~9:45a “Welcome to the Silver Valley.” As we crossed over Fourth of July Pass, Kenton explained that the pass was so named because on that date in 1863, the Mullen party camped there, near what came to be known as the Mullan tree. The tree was struck by lightning in 1968, and only a portion of it remains. Kenton pointed out that the valley is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and speculated that the rugged isolationism of its inhabitants may have been influenced topography. He noted that Wallace and Kellogg are geographically close to Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, “but psychologically, they’re very far apart.” As we passed Mission Flats, onetime headwaters for steamship navigation, our driver Harry pointed out a bald eagle, perched on a snag.

10:00a Arrive Cataldo. Our first speaker, Bill Scudder, has worked as park manager there for 25 years, and is well-acquainted with his subject. He gave us the day’s copy of the Shoshone News-Press (Vol. 18, No. 286, dated 3-28-03), in which our visit to the Silver Valley made front page news. We watched a film, titled “The House of the Great Spirit,” that provided an historic overview, beginning with the Schitsu’umsh belief that this was “the found place.” The mission was built between 1850 and 1853 by Coeur d’Alene Indians. Father Anthony Ravalli worked with the Coeur d’Alenes to build a 90’ x 40’ structure. They stained some of the ceiling panels blue with huckleberry juice to resemble the sky, and crafted chandeliers out of tin cans. To the Cd’A, the Jesuits seemed to have the powers like the natural spirits to grant favors. Tribal members were encouraged to become involved with agriculture and education, but retained their interest in their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, seeking seasonal food sources. Relations became strained with the influx of increasing numbers of miners, pioneers, and military personnel. In 1877, the mission was moved 60-miles to DeSmet because the original site was not included within the newly-established reservation boundaries. The Indians were heartbroken to leave “their place.” At the turn of the last century, the Jesuits used the Old Mission as a way station between Spokane and mining communities like Burke and Wallace. In 1909, due to faltering finances, the Jesuits left the Old Mission too. A major restoration in 1930 increased tourism, and the Catholic Diocese of Boise used the parish house. The Old Mission was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962. Another restoration took place in 1974, and in 1975, it received State Park designation. The Feast of the Assumption still takes place there each Aug. and the Mission continues to be a pilgrimage site for the Schitsu’umsh. It remains the oldest standing building in Idaho. Our second speaker, Phil Cernera has been Restoration Coordinator for the C’A Tribe for the past 11-years. He is presently involved with providing an overview of environmental pollution in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin and to describe clean-up efforts. In reference to the “insidious flow of contamination past this sacred spot,” he told us, “There (have) been a lot of tears that have been shed in this area.” He said that he learned about space and time and location form the C d’A, who believe that they were created there and that the 4-million-acre heartland was given to them by the Creator. “The Tribe is within me,” Cernera said, and through the influence of the great teachers, “I feel like I’m on the high road.” The most concentrated area of concern for contamination is a 1-mile wide x 32-mile long section along the Coeur d’Alene River. Cernera told us that he’d visited the nearby Lateral Lakes Area two weeks before, and had seen 4,000-5,000 migrating birds there. “Birds are still eating that crap,” he said, and “birds are still dying.” He complained that health warning signs have been knocked down or blown up, and that words on them were changed to suit the politics of the area and to avoid deterring would-be picnickers, etc. Cernera directed the Tribe’s $3B lawsuit, filed in 1991, against the mining industry. “It was the pollution that was our enemy. It was portrayed as anti-economic development…We want development.” The Tribe also sued the Union Pacific Railroad for the proposed $50M clean-up along its 72-mile long right-of-way. Judge Lodge in Boise has yet to issue a verdict in the case against Hecla and other parties who haven’t settled, heard by him one year-eight months ago. Cernera told us that 75-million tons of contaminated sludge lie 1-foot deep over the 26-mile bottom of Lake Coeur d’Alene. He reminded us that the reason the water is so clear is because so much zinc contamination kills the algae. According to Cernera, the EPA “cookie-cut” the Lake out of the game plan secondary to political pressures, but it technically remains part of the Superfund site. (Record of Decision/ROD Phase I clean-up is estimated to cost $350M.) If the proposed “Lake Management Plan” is effective, then the Lake will be deleted from the Superfund site. Due to limited funding for EPA projects responsibility is delegated to a team of State-County-Tribe-EPA representatives. According to Cernera, the Tribe’s involvement is due in large part to the efforts of the late Henry SiJohn, who, he said, “is still here.”  Tribal elders teach the environmentally responsible mindset of thinking in terms of seven generations. After their formal presentations, Bill Scudder and Phil Cernera accompanied visitors on tours of the Mission and the surrounding grounds.

12:15p       “Welcome to Kellogg, the town discovered by a jackass and inhabited by its descendents,” quipped native-born Kenton, paraphrasing the community’s own promo. (Legend has it that a donkey kicked loose a stone that started the whole mining boom.) Kenton pointed out Wardner Peak (elev. 6,200 ft.) and Kellogg Peak (elev. 6,300 ft.) and the Middle School, next to the base of the gondola, where we had lunch at Zany’s. Our group was joined by two students from Kellogg High School, two from Wallace High School, Vince Rinaldi, Director of the Silver Valley Economic Development Corporation, and Rick Shaffer, Director of Operations at the Wallace Inn. Our guests were scattered among us, to encourage dialogue. Vince Rinaldi spoke to the whole group about his work: “My biggest focus is building living wage jobs,” he said. Regarding the part that is tourism, he said, “We’re huge on outdoor recreation.” He said that they are also strong in the labor market, with work experience in mining lending itself to jobs in manufacturing, light industry, and assembly. There are 20 primary industrial entities in the Valley now, meaning that they draw money from outside of the area. Area employers include Hoffman Boots (Manufactures pole-climbing boots), Dave Smith Motors (Diversified to apply truck-bed turbo lining technology to increase the tensile strength of tanks that maneuver through minefields around the world), Lucky Friday Mine (owned by Hecla), Galena Mine (owned by Coeur d’Alene Mines), and the anticipated Eagle Crest Golf Course (to be built over the smelter site). They aspire to attract a NIC branch campus and to increase business diversity by establishing post-secondary education in the Valley. The Valley recently received a $500,000 rural community development grant. An ADA grant is forthcoming. Rinaldi grew up in Kellogg, lived away from the area for many years, and feels fortunate to have reached this stage of his life. “You know it’s time to go home,” he said. Kenton asked what drew him back. Rinaldi attributed his return to strong family ties in the Little Italy section of Kellogg and to the fact that the community is so supportive of its youth (e.g. new schools).

2:05p   Arrive Wallace, population 960. Check-in, Wallace Inn.

2:50p       Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum tour, with introductory remarks by Bob Dunsmore. He told us that the gold rush started on the North Fork of the Cd’A River in 1883. In 1884, W.R. Wallace staked a claim there. Most major mine claims in the area were staked by the late 1800s. The original name of Wallace was Placer Center, but postmistress Lucy Wallace changed the town’s name. In 1887, the narrow-gauge railroad came from Cataldo, eventually to Burke and Mullan. Ore had to be removed from narrow-gauge rail cars by hand and transferred to standard-gauge cars for transport to Cd’A. A fire destroyed most of the town in 1890. In 1892, a major labor strike culminated in blowing up the Frisco Mine and Marshall Law being declared. Eighteen ninety nine brought more labor problems, and the result was to break the union for the next 9-10 years. President Theodore Roosevelt visited Wallace in 1903, and the community is planning a 100th anniversary celebration of that event for June 28-29, 2003. (For more about this event, see Cynthia Taggert’s article in the Spokesman Review, April 16, 2003, p. B1 & p. B8.) A fire in 1910 burned everything east of 7th St., except the then new concrete courthouse. Wallace had its first hearing on relocation of the highway in 1964, but the EIS for the West Wallace Interchange wasn’t completed until 1976. Work on the project began in 1984, and the Northern Pacific Depot was moved across the river in 1986. Cost for the relocation, including relocating people, was $488,000. The 2 hr. 45 min. 56 sec.-long depot moving was a major community happening, or as Bob said, “It doesn’t take much to have a celebration in Wallace!” (An interpretive sign in the museum describes the move this way: “(O)n May 10, 1996, the depot was moved over the bridge as 2,000 onlookers, including some pessimists, watched.” Total cost for 1.71 miles of freeway there was $40M. The liver-colored freeway walls drew considerable criticism, and the opposition convinced officials to repaint them tan to better match the surrounding soils. Leftover liver-colored paint went to the State Penitentiary in Boise.

Walking tour. Archie Hulsizer joined our group at the Depot Museum, and added commentary to Bob Dunsmore’s guided tour of downtown Wallace. The last stoplight on I-90 between Seattle and Boston was at 7th and Bank Streets, and saw upward of 10,000 vehicles per day. To recognize its demise, the town held a mock graveside service, and a commemorative wreath still resides in the Wallace District Mining Museum. The town held a 3-day celebration of the removal of the traffic light, replete with dinners, a dance, and an arts and crafts sale Sept. 12-14, 1991. Another significant memory involves filming Dante’s Peak, starring Linda Hamilton and Pierce Brosnan, in Wallace. The filmmaking brought an estimated $7M to the local economy, according to Archie.

Wallace District Mining Museum, John Amonson, Director. This fascinating eclectic collection includes mining maps and paraphernalia and Archie’s old desk and a couple of old safes from the bank, including the safe that once held a visiting moon rock for exhibit at the school. A large quilt, with squares depicting important Wallace links, hangs on one wall, and each quilter has a page in an accompanying notebook to explain the significance of her creative contribution.

5:50/6:30p Elks Lodge dinner, with introductions and remarks by Kenton.

8:00p   Burke video, “Interviewing Nana,” with comments by its creators, Irv & Connie Broughton. Film was funded by KSPS Television and a grant from the Council on the Humanities. One interviewee in this film jokes that Burke Canyon was so narrow that even the dogs wagged their tails up and down. It is so narrow that it has been dubbed “not so much a wide spot in the middle of the road as it is the road itself.”  Even so, in 1915, the population in Burke was 5,000. One worker was responsible for drying miners’ clothes at the end of each workday, in preparation for the next. In the film, Connie’s “Nana,” Mrs. Anne Magnuson, said that having a warm, dry place to change clothes was one demand of striking miners. We learned that at one time, The Beanery housed 800 miners. That building held a hotel and restaurant, and a road, creek, and two railroad tracks ran through it. Trains would idle (and wake tenants), while their crews went in for coffee and pastries. Narrator Irv called the nickname for the creek that runs through Burke “an ignominious title.” The “Little Nasty” earned its moniker because it was laden with mining waste and because outhouses were positioned directly over it. In his on-camera interview, John Amonson, Director of the Wallace District Mining Museum, talked about the challenges of snow removal in Burke. We heard that “Burke had two seasons: Winter and July…and sometimes, July was very short.” The mine owners made an effort to provide recreational opportunities in Burke. In the 1930s in Burke, the mine’s power station provided electricity to a rope tow at the ski area. Residents had baseball teams, even in the narrow canyon. One oft-made request of outfielders was, “When you run out there, bring me a deer!” Burke developed the reputation of being one of the three toughest towns in the country, and boxing was a popular pastime, with Firpo Bardelli being one of the best known boxers. A fire in 1923 devastated the town, but it was rebuilt, and one mine, Hecla, had the then new insurance to cover its losses. As mineral resources diminished and became too expensive to extract, Burke withered. Connie Broughton’s “Nana” was the only person alive who was born in Burke, and Connie explained that she became the “theme” or vehicle to tell the story of that community. “Burke is dead as well…more or less,” she said. In the comment period after the film, guest Bill Wollum pointed out that Firpo Bardelli’s son, Fred, had the most strongly-written anti-war letter to the editor in this day’s Spokesman Review. Bill noted the contrast between the father’s belligerent tendencies and his son’s peaceful leanings. He said simply, “Things change.” Kenton asked the Broughtons to speculate on the role that topography played in Burke. Connie likened the crowding to people in a big city like Chicago, crammed in by tall skyscrapers on each side, closing in on the streets. Irv brought up the interesting point that, “Things would occur suddenly,” meaning that just having someone step out of a doorway could be a bit of a surprise. Connie recalled the authenticity of the people and the place. “It wasn’t a hard life,’” she said. “It was a good life.”

 

Sat. March 29

6:45a Group run, west, along Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, a great asset to the Silver Valley! (Recommend improved directional signage.) Group discussed that the morning’s local paper had war news relegated to page 6.

8:00a Breakfast presentation on community identity and sense of place by Bill Wollum, native of Kellogg and instructor at Lane County Community College in Springfield, OR. His voice cracking with emotion, the speaker told us about growing up with Kenton in Kellogg. He recalled their adventures as Boy Scouts and their shared interest in music and band. We learned something of the strength of friendship and honest, open communication when he said, “Kenton must be a colleague you all love and admire…He has been a loyal and consistent friend.” Bill went on to say, “I was raised by my town as well as by my family to believe that this was the best place in the world to live.” He spoke of “Uncle Bunker” and the love-hate paternalistic relationship many locals had with the mine owners. Employees depended on them for jobs, but weren’t paid enough, and some stole from the company to make up for it. Historian Kathy Aiken drew the analogy of the relationship between slaves and masters in the “big house.” Bill told us that although he lives and teaches in Springfield, he “(thinks) about Kellogg almost every minute of every day.” Surely, it is with mixed emotions. He said that at Kellogg, they “played (sports) on ‘astro-dirt’ because grass wouldn’t grow.” Sometimes, he said, air pollution was so thick that they couldn’t see the church across the street. Still, he told us, he is proud and happy to have been born and raised there. Bill recalled that sense of place in the Silver Valley was largely defined by death and danger, not just with mining-related accidents, but also with alcohol-related problems and motor vehicle crashes. Perhaps related to a certain look that comes with living around that daily risk, Bill and his sister decided that they could pick out somebody from that place in a crowd. “They’ve got the Silver Valley look,” they’d agree. (Counselor Jerry Fischer identified it as post-traumatic stress syndrome.) Bill vividly told the story of an accident that nearly cost him his life. At age 19, when another employee inadvertently shunted poison gases into the roaster room in the zinc plant where he and a friend were cleaning, Bill was overcome by fumes and fell into a roaster. He remembered having planned that he wanted to die peacefully (so he could look good for the newspaper coverage-), so he lay down in the tank, palms together under his cheek, as if to sleep. As a result, he stayed below the most toxic concentration of fumes, and survived. He recalled that, “for a year or so after the accident, I had the taste of the valley in my mouth and in my system.” Bill described the process of mining as “almost spiritual,” finding the intricate veins deep in the earth and applying heat/fire/acid/fumes to convert ore to marketable products… He reiterated that theme as he spoke of the “soul of (his) hometown,” so apparent when he observed the tenderness shown to his dad at the end of his life by his old buddies. “They knew what my dad needed,” he said. Bill told us that his experience with his dad during those three weeks reversed the motivation he once had, being so anxious to leave that place. He described the legacy of hard work and courage. In 1973 as a freshman at NIC, Bill went to a poetry-reading by Richard Hugo. Right away, he recognized the “Silver Valley look,” and that Hugo was someone who had labored and known poverty and was unpretentious. He admired his passion for language and truth. He described Kellogg as his home, with welcoming honest good people, but apocalyptic, with a physical landscape of the end of the world. Bill found Hugo’s poetry “prophetic,” and felt that he understood the spirit or soul of those who had lived there. Bill interpreted Hugo’s poem, Cataldo Mission, as a vision of conversions, representing at one level, heavy metal industrial production and at another, Cd’A Indians’ conversions to Christianity. Bill speculated that some like the inherent risks of mining, “in the same way that rock climbers enjoy the dangers” of their sport. Bill noted, “Now that the mines are closed, the uncertainty is still there,” however. He recalled a conversation at the barbershop in which someone told him, “Everybody has cancer (here).”

9:30a Bus tour of Burke Canyon, with Irv & Connie Broughton. Natalie Kreutzer accompanied the group with her guitar as we sang “Ghigleri’s Cannonball,” timed perfectly, as we drove past its rusting remains. As we drove up the Canyon, Irv pointed out Gorge Gulch, where Hercules miners would have foot races down the road to the bars after work. We got off the bus to walk among the deserted business buildings of Burke. An auto supply business was active there until 1994. A couple of fellows from Mullan were checking out a castoff jeep and looking for collectable old bottles in a junk pile. Up the road a bit, we came upon recently remodeled cabins, and Irv had heard that the owners were from California or maybe Oregon and had money from software companies to invest in rebuilding and restoring cabins for cross-country skiing. At the end of the road, we came to a lot with 10 trucks and snowmobile trailers parked. The baseball field that we saw in Broughton’s film was just beyond that turnaround.

10:30a Sunshine Mine Memorial. Ken Lonn (sp?) created the sculpture to commemorate the 1972 mining disaster.

10:45a Crystal Gold Mine Tour. $7 for 30 min. guided tour; 550 feet, mostly level, into the side of the mountain, 900 feet below the mountaintop. Mine was built in 1879. Tom Irwin and partner hid the productive mine in 1881, but mysteriously, never returned. No claim was filed, presumably because 1. No courthouse was near and 2. To file would have given away the secret. (Still, rumors of the miners’ success spread.) The mine was rediscovered during highway construction on 1978. Visitors can still see gold in the wide quartz veins, along with the mineral Smithsonite, in colors of aqua, turquoise, and lavender.

12:30p Transported by the world’s longest (3.2 mile) gondola to the top of Silver Mountain for lunch (catered by Claudia Laskey (sp?)) in the Alpenrose Dining Room and presentations by J. Murph Yule, Consultant for Eagle Crest Properties and Brian Rhodes, Mountain Manager. (Operations officers “Mark” and “Steven” were also present.) The $26M project through Silver Mtn. Corp. is municipally-owned. Swiss Bank ands von Roll backed the project with credit enhancement. The gondola itself cost $16M. Murph remarked that since becoming involved, he has met “wonderful, dedicated people who really enjoy living here.” As background, he explained that the parent company of Eagle Crest is Jeldwen, a $4.5-$5M door and window manufacturing company based in Klamath Falls OR. Eagle Crest acquired the project in 1996. Murph asked, “How do you make money in a ski resort operation?” Answer: “You start with a lot of money.” Goals include improved access and amenities, improved skiing and other activities (such as golf) throughout the year, and successful marketing as a year-round regional destination resort. Murph reminded us that “people are starting to make business and lifestyle decisions based on quality of life.” He is enthused about the quality of life there, economic development opportunities, cost of living, recreational opportunities, and the natural beauty, including wildlife. Where he’s from-Boston- a 1000 sq. ft. residence might cost $8M and parking spaces rent for $890 per month. (He sold his for $360,000 last year.) They have a supplemental plan to build 700-800 housing units on 40-45 acres, and to include 2 high-speed chairlifts, to create an on-mountain ski in-ski-out arrangement for visitors and to avoid closure days due to shutting down the gondola in high winds. Plans include construction of a 600-acre golf course over the former smelter site. With the global economy soft, Murph offers “fractional ownership” as one possible solution. Wealthy would-be visitors may enjoy the $8M home ownership experience by co-owning it with four others with similar desires. Murph closed by saying, “There are no experts in this business, only observers.” Brian Rhodes said that the break-even point at Silver Mtn. is at 100,000 skiers per season. He is anxious to develop the “Alhambra” resort expansion, named after the geologic fault there. Brian said, “This mountain is not just for skiing,” and pointed out that just the gondola ride was “a nice experience.” In a good season, Silver Mtn. is open 7days per week. “We’re snow farmers here,” and “we can open up this mountain in good condition with 24-inches” of snow, he said. Proposals to expand services include changing the terrain to be more protected (to avoid problems with the high wind conditions). They’d like to have a guaranteed Nov. 24 opening, to increase public awareness and direct marketing, to add snow-making equipment, interpretive centers, horseback riding, and have more concerts and mountain biking, with the annual target of 250,000 skier visits. (This season, they had 50-60,000, due to El Niño conditions.) He offered the following baseline info: In 1980, there were 50m skiers in the US & Canada; in 1990, there were 54m, and in 2000, there were 56m. Ten years ago, the average skier skied 18 days per year, and now that number is just 9. In comparison, ten years ago, the average golfer played 20 days per year, and now that number is just 9. Brian attributed the changes to lots of competing recreational opportunities, including video games. “There’s just too much to see and do and live…” he said. Marketing experts know that eighty percent of skiers are 11-23 years of age. Fifty-two percent of visitors to Whistler-Blackcomb in BC don’t ski, but because, “they come to a destination resort,” visitors will spend $3m there. Once completed, the new developments at Silver Mountain Resort will be incorporated into the city of Kellogg, so will have benefits of municipal police and fire protection and schools. To re-emphasize the importance of decisions based on quality of life, Murph pointed out that in a study involving homeowners living next to either of two golf courses, 72% had declined deeded club memberships in association with their property ownership. Instead, they bought where they did in order to have a sense of open space, something in ample supply at Silver Mountain.

4:30p Tour, Oasis Bordello Museum, Michelle Mayfield, Director. The bordello operated from 1895 until 1988. Women who worked there put in 16-hour days, and participated in a Las Vegas to Wallace rotation. One woman might bring in as much as $1800-2100 per week and $100,000-150,000 per year, with 40% going to the madam and 60% to the girl. As members of the community, in 1970, they purchased 270 band uniforms for the Wallace High School Band, and in 1983, they bought a police car for the WPD. When asked about law enforcement’s attitude to the place, Michelle said, “Each time we’ve had a sheriff, he’s lasted an awful long time.” On official records, employment was listed variously as “seamstress” or “sporting lady.” Gundars wondered if any might have identified themselves as “miners.” A woman who performed abortions in Wallace was called “the laundry lady.” Among the many light notes on the tour, Michelle pointed out an interesting box on the shelf in one of the girl’s rooms. It said, “Miracle Grow.”

6:00p Dinner at Albi’s.

7:30p Sing-along of labor songs, Elks.

9:00 Wallace after dark walking tour.

 

Sun. March 30

7:00a Group run, east, along Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. Not as scenic as the comparable distance we ran on Sat. Group wished for vegetative buffer and maybe a sturdier fence between freeway traffic and the trail. Great opportunities to link trail to downtown area, much like Corvallis OR has done. Propose developing skate park, basketball court, & bike racks along trail in shelter under freeway overpass.

12:00p Depart, Wallace Inn.

12:15p Bavarian village architectural tour, Kellogg & Wardner. Kenton pointed out Milo Creek flood control project, with concrete catch basins at intervals along stream through Wardner. Wardner has its own mayor, city council, and one-person street dept. The narrow canyon is prone to snow slides. Until 1970, the population there was about 500. The peak population in Kellogg was 5,100, in 1961. In Kellogg, the McConnell Hotel establishes the height limit for other buildings there. We admired the grand old red brick building that is the YMCA. It was built in 1910. It housed Bunker Hill, Sullivan Mining Co. and Concentrate company offices, a gym, reading room, classroom, bowling alley, and swim facility. The bakery building, built in 1909, now houses the Uptown Hair Studio. Teeter’s Field, where Bill Wollum & Kenton recalled playing on “astro-dirt,” is now green. We saw the Staff House Museum, Bunker Hill President Stanley Easton’s home for 50 years. Our bus turned around at the Superfund Project Office, next to the Central Impounding Area (CIA). The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is nearby, along the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, AKA “Lead Creek.” We were interested to observe that Kellogg’s City Park still has about 40 horseshoe pits. The bus crossed over the river to the “Little Italy” neighborhood, where Friday’s speaker, Vince Rinaldi, grew up. Someone reported seeing a mock-up of a lynched spotted owl. We drove past Shoshone Medical Center and Hospital, built in 1958. A new facility is slated for construction. We turned around at Kenton’s Alma Mater, Kellogg High School.

1:30p Traveled up North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, then back to consume box lunches from the Wallace Inn outdoors at the Enaville Snake Pit. Lovely sunny day.

~2:45p On the way home, we observed some of what were the 7 Chain Lakes, fused since

construction of Post Falls Dam. Stopped at site of original St. Joseph Indian Mission (estab.

Nov. 4, 1842 by Fr. Nicolas Point). After floods, the Mission was moved to Cataldo. We wondered why it would have been located in such a low-lying area.

4:20p Arrive Moscow.