Prichard, Idaho — Gold Sent Prospectors Up the North Fork

Prichard sits along the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River north of Kingston.

Gold discoveries in the 1880s drew prospectors into tributary valleys throughout the Coeur d'Alene mining district. Camps and claims appeared in mountain country difficult to reach and impossible for miners to leave alone once rumors of gold began circulating.

Prichard developed along that rush.

Timber later supplied another reason to work the surrounding forest, while roads replaced older transportation systems.

Today the valley draws anglers, campers and travelers heading into public land as much as miners.

The gold rush explains the sudden arrival of outsiders. The North Fork explains why the route they opened never stopped being useful.