Old St. Joe Lodge on the market for $550,000

CALDER — Cradled in the embrace of evergreens between St. Maries and Avery, a rustic lodge that epitomizes North Idaho quietly sits on the shores of the rushing, shadowy St. Joe River.

Antlers and shoulder mounts of indigenous forest wildlife hang on the wooden walls. The floors glisten, and it seems if you listen closely enough, you can still hear the music, the clink of glasses, laughter of loggers and tall tales of fishermen who once frequented the historic St. Joe Lodge.

"It's not just our lodge," said Lynnel Wolfe, who owns the lodge with husband Larry. "Everyone has really specific memories of the lodge, the whole local community."

The Wolfes are both Idaho kids who grew up in the Worley and St. Maries areas. Lynnel's uncle owned an outfitter on the St. Joe and her family camped and hunted in the region. Larry and his dad hunted cougar in the thick North Idaho wilderness.

The St. Joe Lodge, built in 1948, was a favorite stopping point for many families and sportsmen as they embarked on adventures.

“The residential part was built with hand-hewn logs right off the property," Lynnel said, adding that the restaurant side was built on in the 1960s.

At one point in its history, the lodge was converted by then-owners John and Stella Ragan into Ragan's Golden 20's Musical Museum. They spent a lifetime collecting musical machines and antiques that were on display for visitors to enjoy. The floor is lower in one part of the building "because there were these stacked player pianos," Lynnel said. "They were really tall so the floor was lowered."

It also had a very big pet on the property at one time.

"There was a guy who owned it who had a cougar out front and her name was Sarsaparilla,” Lynnel said. "She was in a cage, and I've never seen it, but people will tell you all the time. I believe she was declawed. I don't know how he ever came to have a cougar."

Later, in the 1980s or 1990s, a gambling bust shut the place down.

"This is the story I’ve been told," Lynnel said. "The day they got busted, they started up in Wallace and they came around and they ended up in the lodge."

And that led to an exciting revelation.

"There is a secret room in the lodge," she said. "The federal agents came in. They were dressed like the FBI and there was one agent that would walk back and forth and he said the square footage wasn’t adding up and he found that secret room."

It's not a big room, Lynnel said, but it's hidden inside a closet in a back bedroom.

"It's lined with cedar," she said. "It could make a really nice sauna."

As long-time North Idahoans with a love for the area and its history, the Wolfes purchased the old lodge about 10 years ago after it had sat empty and quiet for some time.

"It was in very much disrepair when we bought it," Lynnel said. "My husband paid $260,000 cash for it. We’ve got at least that much into it."

Their real estate agent, Wendi Helmick, said they came in having to do a lot of work.

"It had been sitting vacant for years," Helmick said. "It had not been taken care of."

She said the Wolfes have put on a new metal roof, spruced up the landscaping and refurbished everything back to its original state.

Helmick, also an Avery-St. Maries girl, remembers dropping by the lodge as a kid to get a candy bar or soda pop when her friend's parents owned it. She, too, remembers the musical museum.

"It was always exciting to go there," she said. “Now it's in really good shape. You can tell by the pictures, and the owner is pretty meticulous about getting stuff done."

Lynnel said one of her favorite memories of the lodge is just from a few years ago when she and Larry contracted to feed and house hotshot wildland firefighters who were battling the Marble Creek Complex Fire.

"We got to meet people from all over the world," Lynnel said. "They gave us their patches and T-shirts and they’re hanging in the lodge."

The Wolfes welcomed the firefighters two summers in a row.

"There were times when we were feeding 180 firefighters at one time,” Lynnel said. "And they never complained. We loved them."

The campground that used to be included with the St. Joe Lodge property is now separately owned, so the purchase includes the lodge and residence together — four bedrooms, three bathrooms, commercial kitchen, grand dining room, original 1940s bar and more in 5,218 square feet on 1.38 acres.

It's listed as residential but zoned as residential and commercial, so financing could be tricky. Helmick and Lynnel said the $550,000 price is firm and purchasing the lodge will require a strong buyer with a big down payment.

"When you’re not running the restaurant, it's so affordable to live there," Lynnel said. "It's super affordable for somebody to live there and just have their family there. But on the other side, I know the public wants it open."

The Wolfes are reaching retirement age. They have property with horses in other parts of Idaho, so they're ready to say goodbye to the old lodge they've so loved.

"They’re putting it on the market to let someone else continue with that dream,” Helmick said.

Lynnel said she just hopes whoever buys it takes good care of it.

"It's definitely a piece of history," she said. "There's been weddings, funerals. So many people pull in that driveway and share their memories."

The St. Joe Lodge is at 33253 St. Joe River Road.

Info: www.stjoelodge.com