The residents of Pend Oreille County have long been interested in the history of their county. In 1923, the Pioneer Historical Society formed to highlight the history of the county’s earliest pioneers. The current Pend Oreille County Historical Society formed in 1966, but it “was without a home” until 1978, when the group purchased the 1908 Idaho and Washington Northern Railroad Depot in Newport, Washington.

The Pend Oreille County Museum opened its doors in 1979 and is operated and maintained by the historical society’s volunteers. The museum has the honor of serving as the keeper of the county’s rich history.

The museum comprises several buildings. The historic I&WN Depot, which houses the gift shop and museum exhibits, is the entrance to the museum grounds. Next to the depot is the Burlington Northern caboose and the Stuart B. Bradley Memorial Building. This building is home to an extensive research library of Pend Oreille County history, which is staffed by a group of dedicated volunteers. Also on the museum grounds are three log cabins: the Claire Howe Schoolhouse, the Settler’s Cabin, and the Hunter’s Cabin. Each of these historic cabins was dismantled at its original location and reconstructed on the museum grounds. At the far end of the museum complex stands a replica U. S. Forest Service fire lookout tower. Also located on the museum grounds are a root cellar, ice house, and a church with original stained glass windows. The most recent addition to the museum’s collection is the Clark Sawmill, the last independent family operated sawmill in the county.

The Pend Oreille County Museum and Historical Society is located at 402 South Washington Avenue in Newport, Washington. It is open to the public from May 1 to September 30, seven days a week. During the off-season, it is open by appointment only. For more information, call 509.447.5388 or visit the museum’s website at http://www.pocmuseum.org/index.html.

Credits and Sources:

Pend Oreille County Historical Society. http://www.pocmuseum.org/index.html.

Reed, Evelyn, and Bill Piper. “Pend Oreille County Historical Society.” Diggings, 2002.

Photographs courtesy of the Pend Oreille County Historical Society and Historical Research Associates, Inc.