The Museum of North Idaho

For almost 50 years the Museum of North Idaho has been collecting, preserving and interpreting the history of the Coeur d’Alene region. The idea of a museum in Coeur d’Alene can be traced back to the North Idaho Historical Society, which was organized in 1949. However, it was not until the 1960s when the Hoo Hoo Club, an organization of loggers, lumbermen and foresters, began serious discussions about organizing a museum focused on the history of the timber industry. Several members of the club began collecting small artifacts which were stored at the Potlatch Mill. Articles of Incorporation for the new museum were approved by the Secretary of State on May 1, 1968. Since the scope of the museum included the five northern counties, it was named the Museum of North Idaho.

The first issue for the board of directors was to construct a museum building for the artifacts. They estimated the cost to be about $200,000. It soon became obvious that the residents and civic leaders in other towns in northern Idaho did not have a strong desire to contribute funds to to the museum. Since the cost of a new building was too great, a site committee was appointed to find a historic structure in Coeur d’Alene that could be converted into a museum. After considering several buildings, they worked with Barry Schuler, President of North Idaho College, to secure the old Fort Sherman Powder Magazine as a temporary museum.

Even though the Powder Magazine was located on the North Idaho College campus, it was owned by Idaho Forest Industries. With the help of President Schuler and other college officials, a fund drive was organized to raise $6,000 for the building and $5,000 for renovation. It was a success. In the summer of 1972 North Idaho College received title to the Powder Magazine and make an agreement for the building to be used as a museum. Extensive restoration, including a new slate roof, sewer line, electrical work, and the reinforcement of the foundation and walls, was completed by the end of spring in 1973.

The Museum of North Idaho opened its doors on July 28, 1973 with Mayor John McHugh proclaiming Museum Week. The Museum had over 1,000 visitors by the end of the summer. With the help of several volunteers, Richard Snyder, anthropology instructor from North Idaho College, planned and installed the exhibits. In 1975, a smoke chasers cabin, built in 1925 in the Big Hank Meadows, was donated to the Museum. It was taken apart and re-assembled next to the Powder Magazine by Forest Service employees. By 1977 the cabin was open to the public with exhibits about fire-fighting.

In a few years the Museum had outgrown the old Powder Magazine and a search was started to find a larger building closer to the downtown area. One of the buildings under consideration was the vacant 1960s era Cenex Service Station, located on Northwest Boulevard near the City Park. In 1977 Arthur Hart, Director of the Idaho State Historical Society and Ellis Burcaw, Professor of Museology at the University of Idaho, sent letters and plans showing how the building could be converted into a museum. After these plans were reviewed by the City Council in 1978, Mayor Ron Edinger signed an agreement to lease the Cenex building to the Museum.

In the fall of 1978 several volunteers began to transform the service station into a museum. The project received many donations, including lumber, material and labor. The cash outlay was a little over $32,000. The Museum opened on August 10, 1979. During the 1980s many improvements were made to the landscape and exterior of the building. The parking lot was paved, curbing and trees were added.

The most significant event in the history of the Museum of North Idaho was the hiring of a professional director. In 1982, Dorothy Dahlgren, a Coeur d’Alene native and a graduate of the Museology program at the University of Idaho, was hired for that position. From that day to the present Dorothy has insisted that the Museum of North Idaho be operated according to professional standards. Over the years, exhibit design, interpretation, artifact care and information retrieval have steadily improved.

In 2012 Robert Singletary was hired as the Program and Marketing Director. He also brings local history alive through articles, lectures and tours. He is noted for his living history programs.

Although the Museum of North Idaho’s exhibit hall is where visitors explore our unique heritage, the Museum offers much more behind the scenes, which includes a research library and over 30,000 photographs that are accessible to the public on a searchable in-house database. The Museum is one of the leading publishers of regional history books in the Inland Northwest. Stop in today for an adventure and a history lesson about the place we call home!

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