While the first museum in Sandpoint began operation in the Sandpoint High School in 1953, the present museum building wasn't opened until July of 1980.
Set in beautiful Lakeview Park, the museum has extensive grounds surrounding the main building, some of which have been used to display a retired
Spokane International caboose and a water wheel labeled
Adair Water Wheel Hoodoo Creek. We surmise that the wheel was used to power a small sawmill. Hoodoo Creek is a small creek which flows north into the Pend Oreille River at LaClede, about 12 miles southwest of Sandpoint.
While the shaft, wooden belt pulley and pylons appear to be original, it looks as though the wooden paddles have been replaced. That old belt pulley, which would have driven a wide, flat belt, indicates the wheel to be around a century old.
Permanent Exhibits include:
- Guardians of the Forest: This History of the Forest Service in North Idaho
- By Way of Water: Early Water Travel in Bonner County
- Take the Train to Town
- Big Timber: Logging North Idaho
- From Forest to Field: The History of Agriculture in North Idaho
- Digging into the Past: Uncovering Sandpoint's Hidden History
- The Early Years
- The Ice Age Floods
- Westwood Geological Collection
- The Kalispel & The Kootenai
- David Thompson & The Fur Trade
We traveled to Sandpoint a bit too early in the year, resulting in our being unable to view any of the interior exhibits. We did, however, tour the grounds, which include a large park with recreational facilities and an arboretum.