Shoshone County

	More About Shoshone County
County Statistics
Interesting Facts
What To See And Do
Famous Shoshone County Natives and Residents

Shoshone County, Idaho's 6th county, was established on February 4, 1864, with its county seat at Pierce. In 1885, the county seat was moved to Murray; in 1890 to Osburn; and finally to Wallace in 1893. It was the first organized unit of government within Idaho boundaries, created and named for the Shoshoni Indians in 1858 by the Washington Territorial Legislature as part of Washington, effective in 1861.

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County Statistics:

County seat: Wallace
Population: 12, 827

Borders:  Benewah, Bonner, Clearwater, Kootenai and Latah counties; Montana

Interesting Facts:

Shoshone County borders the state of Montana. It is the 21st largest county by population and the 8th largest by area. The federal government owns about 75 percent of the land. While mining is the traditional economic foundation in the county, tourism and recreation are growing.

The mining area around Wallace (the Coeur d'Alene Mining District) has produced more silver than any other mining area in the world.  Estimates are than it has produced more than $4 billion in precious metals since 1884.

Wallace was originally called Cedar Swamp because it was located in a swamp surrounded by a heavy stand of cedar trees. In 1884, it was named Placer Center for the amount of placer mining occurring in the area. It was incorporated four years later in 1888 and re-named for Colonel W.R. Wallace, who was the owner of the site and a member of the first city council.

Silver Mountain Ski Resort has the world's longest single-stage gondola.

In 1996, the movie Dante's Peak, starring Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton, about a volcanic eruption, was filmed in Wallace, even though the surrounding mountains aren't really volcanoes.

After the 1910 fire in Wallace, Ed Pulaski, a forest ranger, responded to the need for better firefighting tools by combing a mattock and an axe into one.  The result is used widely in constructing firebreaks and bears Pulaski's name.  The Forest Service began using the Pulaski tool in 1913.  Ranger Pulaski is also reponsible for saving the lives of a crew of firefighters during the wildfires.

What To See And Do:

The Northern Pacific Depot, located in Wallace, is one of Shoshone County's treasured landmarks. The depot was constructed between the late 1880s and early 1890s. It became a hub for passenger and freight trains operating between Wallace and Missoula, Montana. It is an elegant chateau styled two story building. It was built with a unique brick transported from China and concrete panels made from mine tailings.

The depot has been in the public eye on more than one occasion. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt arrived there on an official visit to the city. In 1979 a portion of Michael Cimino's movie "Heaven's Gate" was filmed in Wallace and the movie opened with scenes of the train coming into the station. More recently however the Northern Pacific Depot has become a popular spot during Depot Day, a town holiday that celebrates the coming of spring, and America�s favorite mode of transportation, the automobile.

The Northern Pacific Depot closed on September 2, 1980, and now serves as a museum.

Famous Shoshone County Natives and Residents:

Lana Turner (1921-1995) became a famous movie actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She was born Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner in Wallace. When she was 16 years old, she was discovered by the publisher of the Hollywood Reporter at Schwab's Drug Store, a story which has become Hollywood legend. She signed a movie contract, but was required to change her name. She chose the name "Lana." Some of her more well-known movies include: "Johnny Eager" (1942),"Ziegfeld Girl" (1941), "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946), and "The Bad and The Beautiful" (1953).

 

(Sources include The Idaho Blue Book, 2005-2006, Insiders' Guide: The Idaho Panhandle; Idaho Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary; County Profiles of Idaho.)