MOVING HISTORY FORWARD Frederick Blackwell: A man of vision

In the early 1900s, Frederick A. Blackwell, a very successful lumberman from Pennsylvania, and his son, Russell, visited North Idaho to check on reports about abundant timber resources in this part of the country. His trip confirmed that those reports were true. He immediately formed a lumber company and began to buy large tracts of timber land in the area. He purchased property on East Sherman Avenue and built two beautiful houses, one for himself and one as a wedding gift for Russell. Within a few years, the Blackwells became one of the most prosperous and well-respected families in Coeur d’Alene. Blackwell was more than a successful lumberman, he was one of the most diverse businessmen in the history of Coeur d’Alene. In 1909, the Spokane Chronicle listed Frederick Blackwell as one of 17 millionaires in the Inland Northwest.