In 1878, General William T. Sherman established a military fort on the northern shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, which he named Fort Coeur d’Alene.
While the fort was under construction, a small village began to develop on the eastern edge of the Fort Coeur d’Alene. That was the beginning of Coeur d’Alene, the city by the Lake. Sherman later visited the fort and it was named for him in 1887, three years after his retirement from the U.S. Army. The fort became unoccupied during the Spanish–American War and was abandoned shortly after. The site is now the campus of North Idaho College.Three of the original fort buildings are still in use: the chapel, powder magazine, and one of the officer’s quarters. We decided today was the right day for a history lesson.This hand carved granite marker, found at Fort Sherman, was used as a physical marker to identify the land boundary of the fort. Military boundary markers across America are considered to be the oldest form of federal monuments.Built in 1880 by the U.S. Army, the Fort Sherman Chapel is Coeur d’Alene’s oldest church, school, library and meeting hall. Fort Sherman was abandoned in 1900 and the buildings and property sold at public auction in 1905. Developers bought what is today known as the Sherman Park Addition, which included the Chapel.Over the years many denominations used the Chapel for church services. Concerted effort began in 1934 to preserve the Chapel. In 1942, The Athletic Round Table held the Chapel in trust and began repairs of the structure. To ensure the preservation of Coeur d’Alene’s oldest standing building, the A.R.T. donated the Chapel to the Museum of North Idaho in 1984.From the signage in front of this beautiful building, "This home, one of North Idaho's oldest buildings, was part of Officer's Row at Fort Sherman. The fort was established April 16, 1878 to maintain peace on the frontier. As mining, timber and railroads boomed, the city of Coeur d'Alene grew up around the fort. By 1900, the frontier had passed and the fort was officially abandoned."
The powder magazine was built in 1885 to store arms and artillery. After the Army abandoned the fort, the building was converted to a private residence. The college acquired it in 1941, continuing to lease it as a house as the campus grew up around it. The old powder house became the first home of the Museum of North Idaho in the early 1970s, and the museum continued to lease it for displays until recently.Afterward, we continue to delight in the City Park as we partook of the first Sunday Concert Series. We thoroughly enjoyed Stagecoach West playing Rock & Roll of the 50s, 60s, and beyond.What fun to discover all Coeur d'Alene has to offer!
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