Ione, Washington

While other parts of Pend Oreille County were settled in the 1880s, the area that became the town of Ione remained untouched by non-Indians until well into the 1890s. Two settlers, James Morrison and Elmer Hall, acquired land under the Homestead Act of 1862 and became the town’s first residents. In about 1900, the first sawmills in the area began operation just a few miles away and more settlers purchased land in the developing town.

Thanks to businessman Frederick Blackwell, 1909 was a pivotal year for Ione with the arrival of the Idaho and Washington Northern Railroad (I&WN) that ran from Newport to Metaline Falls and the construction of the Panhandle Lumber Company sawmill. By mid-summer 1909, Blackwell had purchased large sections of land in and around Ione and construction of the new mill, homes, and businesses had commenced. In November, the I&WN line had reached town. By the end of the year, Ione had a newspaper, graded streets, a water system, 33 businesses, and boasted a population of about 300. County commissioners incorporated Ione the following January.

Once the Panhandle Lumber Company sawmill opened in 1910, “life in Ione centered around” the mill. The town continued to enjoy its prosperity over the next few decades, as schools, churches, a hospital, butcher shop, bakery, and saloons continued to spring up. A devastating fire in August 1939, destroyed much of Panhandle’s property and holdings. The sawmill was forced to close. Other companies, such as the Ione and Vaagen Brothers lumber companies, continued small-scale operations on the former Panhandle site until 1995, when the sawmill closed for the final time.

Though a bit smaller than in its heyday, Ione still has numerous businesses and services in the downtown area and serves as a portal to many nearby recreational opportunities for residents and tourists alike.