Historical Driving Tour: Post Falls

This month’s historical driving tour based on Roads Less Traveled Through the Coeur d’Alenes covers Post Falls and the Pleasant View area.

Post Falls, Idaho

Lyle and I work at ProPrint in Post Falls, about 10 miles from home. We lived in Post Falls from 2008 to 2013 when we moved to Colorado. We moved back to the area in 2016 and currently live in Rathdrum. (Last month’s tour covered Rathdrum, in case you missed it.)

Post Falls was named for a German immigrant named Frederick Post and the “Little Falls” of the Spokane River. I suppose the “Big Falls” would be Spokane Falls in downtown Spokane.

I have lived in a lot of different places in my life. After awhile the area becomes so familiar it’s just there. I don’t often think about when and how the area was originally developed, even though it’s usually very interesting. Here are some of the local stories:

Mullan Statue

The first stop on our tour is at the Mullan Statue outside of City Hall. Captain John Mullan was in charge of building the first engineered road through the area in 1861.

I’m pretty sure it’s now Interstate 90. (If you look closely for the horizontal gray line through the trees to the left about halfway up, that’s the Interstate.)

Chapin Drug

Also near City Hall is the Post Falls Historical Society Museum located in what was once the Chapin Drug Store. I understand it included a soda fountain.

Can you believe I haven’t visited the museum? I need to rectify that soon.

Samuel and Ann Young Home

The home of Samuel and Ann Young was built around 1900. It is now the Republic Kitchen + Taphouse, which is a relatively new restaurant. I haven’t  eaten there yet, but I’ve heard the food is good.

The Old Church

Isn’t this a lovely building?

According to Wikipedia:

The Post Falls Community United Presbyterian Church was assembled in 1921 from the combination of two former churches that would moved to the site from other Post Falls locations. The former Post Falls Methodist Episcopal Church building has served as the sanctuary and the former Post Falls First Presbyterian Church building has served as a Christian education wing.

I’m not sure when the Presbyterians built their new church but you can see it behind the Old Church. The old building is now the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center where they have concerts and other events.

Seyforth’s Grocery

The Handi Mart is the… well, handiest! …place to the print shop to grab a cold pop or snack. I hadn’t realized before that it is the oldest grocery store in Post Falls. It was built sometime before 1917. These days it’s just a typical convenience store.

Falls Park

Falls Park is only about a mile from the print shop. We have gone there for picnic lunches quite a few times over the years.

The Falls have been dammed for a long time, so they aren’t quite as beautiful as they no doubt were originally. Still, we like to visit them every year to see the spring run-off.

Corbin Ditch

As many times as we’ve been to Falls Park I don’t remember noticing Corbin Ditch before. Or maybe I just didn’t know what it was so didn’t think much about it. Apparently it was part of a 34-mile long canal that provided irrigation for farmland in the area. It was built in the first decade of the 1900s.

Washington Water Power Bridge

This iconic bridge was completed in 1930. It is visible from Falls Park, though you can also catch quick glimpses of it from the Interstate. Sadly, it is closed to the public.

Treaty Rock Park

Not too far from Falls Park is another small park which commemorates a treaty made between Frederick Post and Coeur d’Alene Indian Chief Andrew Seltice.

Apparently they signed a big ol’ rock. The engraving and pictograph have been covered with a large sheet of plexi-glass in an attempt to preserve them.

It is kinda hard to see but if you look close you can make it out.

Slab Inn

The Slab Inn is a run-down building which is not currently occupied as far as I can tell. It has a 1970s vibe but according to the book it dates back to the 1930s. It was originally sides with large log slabs and was a tavern for many years.

Of more interest to us these days is the Terre Coffee kiosk out front which is our favorite place to get coffee. It was originally Post Falls Coffee Company. It is owned by friends of ours. They changed the name when they expanded to other locations beyond Post Falls.

McGuire Wesleyan Church

The “Rock Church” on the corner of Seltice Way and McGuire Road, west of town, was built between 1901-1913. The church was part of the Wesleyan denomination for many years. It is now owned by nearby North Country Chapel and used as their youth building, I believe.

Pleasant View

The Pleasant View community was a farming area west of Post Falls.

Pleasant View School

The Pleasant View School was in operation from 1910 to 1937. After that it was a community center. I assume it still is, but I’m not really sure.

Pleasant View Church

Here’s a funny story from the book about the Pleasant View Church:

The Pleasant View Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1908 by Rev. Jesse Millsap. Rev. Millsap was known to give an excellent sermon but was sometimes long-winded. An old timer recalled that during one of his revved-up sermons Rev. Millsap’s upper plate flew out. His son, sitting in the front seat, said, “Pa, when you preach your teeth out, it’s time to quit.”

Pleasant View Cemetery

I find old country cemeteries fascinating. This one is not particularly well maintained, though it does include some recent graves.

In spite of that, I loved how someone planted a mass of spring bulbs over this one grave. Such a beautiful riot of color.

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This concludes our tour of Post Falls and the Pleasant View. Next month, our tour will take us to Farragut State Park.