Spirit Lake attracted Chatauquas

There was a “gold rush” to Spirit Lake in 1907, but the “gold” was timber — white pine and Douglas fir. Frederick Blackwell and a host of other entrepreneurs pushed in a railroad, lumber mill, hotels, shops and school within a couple of years. This boomtown was high-quality, with a downtown, a brick school, electricity and piped heat provided by mill operation. While logging and lumbering were the most-profitable businesses, the natural beauty of Spirit Lake, as well as easy access to the Inland Empire, through the new train service, attracted many tourists and caught the eye of the Idaho Chatauqua (Sha TAW’ kwa) organization.

Chatauquas were learning and faith-based events set in rural locations, starting at Chatauqua, N.Y., in 1874. Initially designed to educate sunday school teachers, the outdoor leisure activities and traveling entertainment kept the program lively and fun.

When approached with the idea of having Spirit Lake as the home for the regional Chatauqua, local department store owner Henry Krech donated 10 acres of lake frontage across from what is now the Fish and Game access. There was no bridge to that area, so the one-lane Chatauqua pole bridge was built for the first two-week Chatauqua in 1912. The grounds included an assembly/dance hall, mess hall, bath house, tent platforms and sanitary facilities.

The 1912 Chatauqua included noted preacher William Spurgeon of England and national labor leader John Mitchell. There was also a music festival with orchestra and choral concerts, boating, swimming and hiking to the top of Mt. Spokane and back in 24 hours. The next year, the program was extended to three weeks and included crew races, boxing and tennis tournaments.

Like Vaudeville, Chatauquas died out with the growing fads of movies, radio and recorded music, as well as the down time of the Great Depression. Although the first half-mile of shoreline was part of Chatauqua grounds, the name locally only continues in the first resort along the lake. The one-lane bridge served the community for 40 years before being replaced by the current bridge, which is to the west of the old bridge.

Area residents might associate the name Chatauqua with the New Old-Time Chatauqua which made numerous appearances at Art on the Green and the Panida Theater in Sandpoint. They were a conscious revival of the original, but modernized. They might be seen parading through the area with a 10-foot-tall puppet while a ragtag marching band played along with lots of vigor. The Flying Karamazovs juggled items from cabbages to chainsaws, and I remember an actual sword swallower, as well as magicians, slack-rope walkers and more. The COVID pandemic knocked the performing arts for a loop, but the New Old-Time Chatauqua will be rising again with a performance at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint on June 10.

Back in Spirit Lake, the museum, at Sixth and Jefferson, will be reopening May 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and may feature an old-time music jam.

Information for this article came from the book “Historical Spirit Lake and Vicinity,” available at both the Museum of North Idaho and Spirit Lake Museum. Please join us for more fascinating history from our area.

The Museum of North Idaho is currently open Tue.-Sat. 11am to 5 pm, and starting Labor Day Weekend, we will be open Daily. Find us at Museumni.org or on Facebook for more information about us, including upcoming events, exhibits, and lectures.