Pen d'Oreille City

Kootenai County · dedicated 2025 · SH-54, milepost 8.47

In 1866, gold rushes brought steamboat service to Lake Pend Oreille. Five miles east of here on Buttonhook Bay, Pen d'Oreille City became the home port. The Oregon Steam Navigation Company (OSN) launched the steamboat Mary Moody, providing an alternative to the difficult land route to mines in Canada and Montana. Operating from Pen d’Oreille City, the boat shortened miners’ trips by a couple days. At its peak, the “city” had 25 residents, a store, and a saloon. Soon, the population shrank to one boat tender. When OSN dismantled the Mary Moody in 1876, Pen d’Oreille City disappeared altogether.

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Pen d'Oreille City

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