Welcome to Benewah County!
"Established 1915
County Seat St. Maries
Benewah County is named for a Coeur d'Alene Indian leader. The county was carved out of Kootenai County, with which all of its earliest history is associated. Settlers began coming to the county after completion of the Mullan Road in 1860, and placer mining in the 1880's added more. Principal industries of the county are farming and lumber. Farming prevails in the western end of the county. Most of the Coeur d'Alene Reservation lies within the county, and the DeSmet mission is near the present town of DeSmet. The Joe River flows through the north end of the county and Lake Chatcolet is the central feature of Heyburn Park." - "The Idaho Almanac," 1977 Edition, State of Idaho.
map from almanac :: location and population
from Idaho Almanac :: neighbors :: Benewah ISU Digital Atlas :: detail from Cram's township and railroad map, 1896 (before county was formed)
The county seat is at St Maries.
Other towns include:
Plummer ~ Santa ~ Fernwood ~ Tensed ~ Sanders ~ Chatcolet ~ DeSmet ~ Emida
The Coeur D'Alene Indian Reservation is in the westerly portion of the county. The office is in Plummer.
a guide to beginning Native American research
History by James Hawley, 1930. Includes first officials
Post Offices
Photos
St. Maries postcard, 1877
Links
Benewah County Historical Markers
Benewah Co., IDGenWeb
Benewah Co. USGenweb Archives
"This is Idaho’s famous “River Between the Lakes” in Heyburn State Park. It is and isn’t a natural feature. Prior to installation of the Post Falls Dam in 1908, Hidden, Round, Benewah, and Chatcolet were individual lakes, except during high water when they merged with the larger Lake Coeur d’Alene. The dam holds the lake at is high-water level, so the St. Joe River, which winds between the southern lakes, has now all but disappeared, leaving just a thin strip of bank on either side through Heyburn State Park." - Rick Just, "Speaking of Idaho."
Webspace for this site is generously provided by Genealogy Village and Access Genealogy
Copyright © 2013 - Sharon McConnel. All Rights Reserved.