Potlatch in Latah County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)
Company Town
Built as a model town, Potlatch was owned by Weyerhaueser's Potlatch Lumber Company.
Spokane architect C. Ferris White designed the new community in 1905. Workers’ housing stood close to the mill. Managers’ homes were built away from the plant’s noise and smoke. The railroad depot separated town from industry. All company owned, Potlatch was complete with churches, school, gym, hospital, opera house, and company store.
Erected by Idaho State Historical Society & Idaho Transportation Department. (Marker Number 505.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Idaho State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.
Location. 46° 55.505′ N, 116° 54.165′ W. Marker is in Potlatch, Idaho, in Latah County. Marker is at the intersection of State Highway 6 and Onaway Road, on the left when traveling west on State Highway 6. Marker is located at a pull-out on the west side of Idaho highway 6, near the intersection with Onaway Road. There is a small, fenced, grassy area with two Potlatch town historical markers at this location. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Potlatch ID 83855, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. World's Largest Mill (here, next to this marker); White Pine Scenic Byway (approx. 0.9 miles away); It These Walls Could Talk (approx. 9˝ miles away); Giver of Parks (approx. 10.8 miles away); Title Building (approx. 14.1 miles away).
More about this marker. A large wooden marker in good condition
Also see . . . Potlatch Corporation History.
As the railroads brought settlers to the Western frontier, stories of the land's riches were carried back east. Northern Idaho, cut off from the southern part of the state by the deep gorge of the Salmon River, was uncharted for the most part, but many Midwestern timbermen began to hear of the area's towering stands of white pine and other valuable trees. Frederick Weyerhaeuser of St. Paul, Minnesota--a powerful lumber capitalist and one of the founders of Potlatch--saw an exhibit of Idaho timberland at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, and it was he who led the charge of Midwest lumber companies to the Northwest. He did this with the help of the 'Weyerhaeuser syndicate,' a group of Midwestern businessmen who had long worked together to secure timber for their individual mills. (Submitted on November 22, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 262 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 6, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 22, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.