Saint Joseph Mission (St'uts'te'wes)

For millennia, Schitsu’umsh (Coeur d’Alene Tribe) trapped fish at this location. In 1842, Jesuits established Idaho’s first Catholic mission here. To encourage Schitsu’umsh to farm, the Jesuits prohibited fish trapping. Ignoring Schitsu’umsh advice, the Jesuits constructed a small church and other buildings near the river. As tribal members had predicted, spring floods ravaged the structures and destroyed much of the farmland. After subsisting a winter on barley soup, the Jesuits relented, collaborating with Schitsu’umsh to build a new fish trap utilizing construction methods from both cultures. In 1846, Jesuits left this challenging location and established a new mission at today’s Cataldo.