| Just as Coeur d'Alene Lake served as the traditional
focus for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, it is the center of the
Coeur d'Alene community today. The lake during all seasons
remains the heart of our area. Early French-speaking fur
traders named Coeur d'Alene Lake. According to legend, the
traders believed the local Indians to be sharp traders and
named the lake Coeur d'Alene since their hearts were as
sharp as an awl. In 1878 Fort Sherman was established and
the city began to grow. Coeur d'Alene was incorporated in
1887 and continued to flourish. It is a town with a rich
background in lake steamers, fur trading, logging, and
mining. Until the early 1890's, Coeur d'Alene served as
the railroad/steamboat transfer point for transportation
between the mines in the Silver Valley to the east and the
smelters they fed. The area continued to prosper in the
early 1900's when a major timber boom caused the population
to increase 16-fold in a period of 10 years. The city
continued to expand from a small frontier village into the
political and business center of Kootenai County and became
the County seat in 1908.
Today, Coeur d'Alene remains the center of business and
recreational activities in the Inland Northwest complete
with festivals, fairs, concerts, unique bistros, and elegant
restaurants, main street and mall shopping and much more.
Its strong presence is found in state government and its
increased economic development over the past several years
is remarkable. Coeur d'Alene continues to grow and prosper
in the new millennium. |
