Milltown, Idaho — Name From the Industry That Built St. Maries

Milltown sits just east of St. Maries, and its name does not require much decoding.

Timber built much of this part of Benewah County. Forests fed sawmills and wood-products operations, while the St. Joe and St. Maries river valleys provided routes for moving logs, lumber and workers through otherwise difficult country.

A small settlement associated with that industrial landscape developed beside the county seat. As St. Maries became the stronger commercial center, Milltown remained closely attached to it rather than growing into an independent city.

The airport, schools and city services are all nearby now, but the old name still tells the economic story.

“Milltown” is almost blunt enough to be an occupational title: this was a place whose identity came from what northern Idaho did with trees.