Elk River, Idaho

Mines developing at Ruby Creek brought the first homesteaders to the area. The founder of the town was Charles G. Morris who arrived here around the turn of the century and built a hardware store. Soon after his son Harry came to assist. In 1910, William Morris and his wife, Mabelle, came to town and started a drug store. The town really began to develop when new housing was built to accommodate employees of the Potlatch Timber Company who worked at its newly built lumber plant. Andrew Bloom became the town's first mayor in 1912.

The largest woods camp was Camp C. Axel Anderson was in charge there, the headquarters for the many camps in the area. Many families lived in the camp and traveled to town for their supplies.

In its heyday, there were about 1,200 people in Elk River, not counting the families that lived at the camps. Many businesses came in, including two hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, confectionery, pool halls, general stores, butcher, drug stores, hardware store, bank, dentist office, jewelry store, photography shop, telephone office, two theaters, dray line, depot, and a print shop. The first school as a tar paper building on Front Street. The same building was used as the first church too. Later Potlatch helped built the first church building.

The first newspaper was called the Sentinel. When William Marineau bought the paper, he changed the name to the Elk River News. Later he moved to Moscow and started the Daily Idahonian. In 1911 the Elk River School Board solicited bids to build a new school. The building still stands today on the hill above town. The Elk River Mill remained operating for about 20 years. In 1927 the company built a larger and newer sawmill in Lewiston and the town began to decline. During the depression the town was one of the hardest hit in the area. The mill was phased out over a period of two or three years. The store lumber was sold or moved. Work at Camp C started again briefly in 1932 and then faded out entirely. Many homes were moved, with some selling for as little as $15 each. Mill workers left for either Potlatch or Lewiston. In 1936 the company deeded the town its property and turned over the water and light system for practically nothing. In 1944 plans for an airfield were approved, and the airstrip was put in use by 1945. The airstrip is still used today.

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Last udpated: 2/7/98