Pend Oreille County County
Pend Oreille County was created out of Stevens County on March 1, 1911. It is the most recently formed of the state's 39 counties. It is named after the Pend d'Oreilles tribe, whose name is French for "earring" (literally "hangs from ear"), which refers to the large shell earrings that these people wore.
Mapped Location
Pend Oreille County: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Pend Oreille County
- Feature Type: County
- County Seat: City of Newport
- Established: Wednesday, March 1, 1911
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Pend Oreille County
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Pend Oreille County | Official |
Origin Notes and History of Pend Oreille County
References to Pend Oreille County that document the origin of its place name
PEND OREILLE INDIANS.—This name is of French origin meaning "Pend," "drop" and "Oreille." "ear" or literally "earrings" and was doubtless given by the Canadian French explorers to Pend Oreille Lake (q.v.) on account of the peculiar shape of the lake, being that of an ear. Some authorities state that the name was originally given to the tribe of Indians that inhabited the shores of this lake because of their custom of wearing earrings, but there is no evidence either of observation or tradition that they ever wore ear ornaments, besides, the custom of wearing ear ornaments was so universal among Indians that it could not have been considered a distinct tribal characteristic. The Indians call themselves "Kalispels" (q.v.).—GUIDEBOOK, Northern Pacific Route.
PEND OREILLE, a county in the northwestern corner of the State, which was created by the Legislature on March 1, 1911. A creek and lakes bear the same name. The name originated with the French employees of the Northwest and Hudson's Bay Companies who gave it to Indians who had ornaments hanging or pendant from the ears. A flippant translation in some journals was "Ear Bobs."
Related Catalog Titles
A Bibliography for Pend Oreille County, County
History of Pend Oreille County by Tony Bamonte, Suzanne Bamonte
Authored by regional historians Tony and Suzanne Bamonte, History of Pend Oreille County chronicles the rugged development of northeastern Washington through an extensive compilation of historic photographs and archival narratives. The book details the arduous transition of the remote river valley from an indigenous seasonal hunting ground and fur-trading route into a bustling hub of timber harvesting, hardrock mining, and steam-boat navigation. Through its detailed local chronicle, the text captures the tenacity of the pioneer families and industrial workers who carved out permanent settlements along the treacherous banks of the Pend Oreille River. A keen insight drawn from the work is how river systems in the Inland Northwest served simultaneously as lifelines and barriers; while the waterway provided the only viable transportation corridor for hauling timber and supplies out of the dense mountainous terrain, its unpredictable rapids and waterfalls also enforced an intense geographic isolation that kept the county's communities tethered to boom-and-bust resource economies for generations.
xv, 271 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 29 cm
CIRC [ 1 ]
Sheriffs, 1911-1989 a history of murders in the wilderness of Washington's last county by Tony Bamonte
Authored by regional historian Tony Bamonte, Sheriffs, 1911-1989: A History of Murders in the Wilderness of Washington's Last County chronicles the grim true-crime history, law enforcement challenges, and violent frontier legacies of remote Pend Oreille County. The book investigates a series of harrowing homicide cases, missing persons mysteries, and complex investigations handled by local sheriffs operating across a sprawling, densely forested wilderness bordering Idaho and Canada. Through meticulous archival research, newspaper accounts, and police records, the text examines how rural law enforcement struggled to maintain order in an isolated landscape plagued by rugged terrain and transient populations. A keen insight drawn from the work is how regional crime reporting exposes the dark underbelly of wilderness escapism; by documenting how rugged isolation routinely attracted desperate outlaws and shielded violent criminals, the narrative shatters the romanticized myth of the peaceful frontier, revealing instead a lawless hinterland where justice was constantly undermined by vast geography.
251 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
CIRC [ 1 ]
Pend Oreille County
- Blueslide
- Calispell
- Camden
- Town of Cusick
- Dalkena
- Deer Valley
- Delkena
- Diamond City
- Diamond Lake
- Furport
- Grahams
- Town of Ione
- Jared
- Locke
- Lost Creek
- Town of Metaline
- Town of Metaline Falls
- City of Newport
- Pend Oreille Village
- Penrith
- Ruby
- Scotia
- Tiger
- Tweedie
- Usk
- Wolfred
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2017-06-29