Moving History Forward: Steamboat Idaho

The fourth level of membership in the Museum of North Idaho is named the “Idaho” after the steamboat Idaho. This boat’s financial backing was provided by William Dollar, a well-known local banker.

The boat’s keel was laid at a cost of $45,000. She was built and launched from the Johnson boatyard on June 30, 1903. She was 147 feet long, with a 23-foot beam. The Idaho was considered the most palatial and one of the fastest on Lake Coeur d’Alene. It also had a very large passenger capacity of up to 1,000 guests. The Idaho became one of the boats in J.C. White’s Red Collar Line.

The Idaho quickly became the favorite boat in the excursion business. Competition was intense in those years, given that at its peak there where over 100 steamboats on the lake. As evidence of the intense competition, a feud developed between the captains of the Boneta and the Idaho. The feud resulted in the Idaho ramming the Boneta and sinking her in the southern part of the lake. To no one’s surprise, the resulting litigation was long and ugly.

1910 brought the great fire deemed “Dante’s Inferno.” The fire presented itself to St. Maries as a certain threat that could burn the town to the ground, as was the case for Wallace, Idaho. The only routes to safety were by land, but these routes lead into the fire’s path.

The solution was delivered by the Idaho. She towed three 90-foot barges down to the St. Jo River and positioned the barges in such a way as to form a bridge across the river thus providing a safe escape route. Fortunately, the fire turned away from St. Maries sparing the town from Wallace’s tragic fate.

The Idaho had a successful run until the advent of the railroads and combustion engines proved that there where more efficient ways to transport humans and goods. More important was that he excursion business was only profitable on the weekends and holidays, so she was sold since she was idled for so many days. She was taken to Blackrock Bay to be used by the owners of an orchard for sorting, storing and packaging apples. When a fire broke out, she burned to the water line and sunk in the bay in 1915.

This column has contained short histories of five famous early steamboats on Coeur d’Alene Lake. The boats are: the Amelia Wheaton, Flyer, North Star, Idaho and Georgie Oakes. These names are also the names of the five membership levels available to those wishing to become members of the MONI.

The Amelia Wheaton is the individual level at $30/year. The Flyer is for two adults at $55/year. The North Star is for families and costs $75/year. Today’s column is the fourth in this series of five and features the Idaho. The Idaho level of membership is our history sponsor level. It covers three adults and costs $100/year. The last and final boat to be spotlighted will be the Georgie Oakes. This is a family membership level that includes NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum), granting members free access to more than 1,000 museums around the world. It costs $150/year.

As one proceeds up these levels of membership, so do the accompanying benefits. Membership is one of the Museum’s main sources of revenue, funding the ability to design engaging exhibits and provide programs to area schools.

Reference: Hult,E. L.,1955, Steamboats in the Timber (Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers Ltd,1955).