Bayview Limekilns

Limestone never brought the excitement of a gold rush. But Lake Pend Oreille lime, a key ingredient in plaster and mortar, aided in the construction of Spokane buildings. Prospectors staked the lake’s first limestone claims in 1881. In 1904, the Washington Brick and Lime Company constructed four kilns near Bayview, the largest such operation in Idaho. Workers alternated layers of wood and limestone, then fired the kilns. The extremely high heat reduced limestone to lime. Railroads then carried the lime to Spokane. The 1930s depression stifled the demand for lime, but Bayview’s kilns operated sporadically until 1941.