Tensed, Idaho — De Smet, Rearranged

Tensed began as Desmet Junction, a transportation point in the farm country of the Coeur d'Alene Reservation.

Then the name changed, apparently with a little alphabetic mischief. Local histories generally connect “Tensed” to a rearrangement or alteration of De Smet, the nearby mission community. Put the two names beside each other and the family resemblance becomes difficult to unsee.

Rail and highway connections kept the settlement linked with Plummer, St. Maries and communities farther south, while agriculture shaped the surrounding prairie.

Tensed eventually incorporated despite remaining tiny.

Plenty of towns are named for presidents, railroad executives or distant hometowns. Tensed appears to have gotten there by taking a neighboring name apart and putting the letters back together differently.