City of Potlatch Latah County, Idaho
Mapped Location
City of Potlatch: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on City of Potlatch
- Feature Type: Incorporated
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for City of Potlatch
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| City of Potlatch | Official |
| Potlatch | Official |
Origin Notes and History of City of Potlatch
References to City of Potlatch that document the origin of its place name
POTLATCH RIVER, Latah County.—This is a Chinook jargon (q.v.) word derived from a tribal ceremonial and means "giving." In the early days a Nez Perce by the name of Shucklatumna Hi Hi, which means "white owl," had a cayuse pony with which he carried footman, who were traveling thru the country, to the mines across the river, charging a quarter of a dollar for the service. One day the stream was high and a big Irishman, weighing about 200 pounds, wanted to be taken across. The Indian first took the blankets across and then came back and got the Irishman behind him on the cayuse. When in midstream the pony stumbled. The Irishman fell off and was being swept into the main stream of the Clearwater. The Indian followed him on his pony, hollering to him. "Potlatch quarter! Potlatch quarter! Then drown if you want to." From this incident it was called "Potlatch," but before that time the Indians called it "Yaka" "black bear."—BEALL, Idaho Librarian Report, 1915-16.
A Selected Bibliography of City of Potlatch, Latah County, Idaho
A compilation of essential readings detailing the history, geography, and culture of the region.
Company town Potlatch, Idaho, and the Potlatch Lumber Company by Keith Petersen, Latah County Historical Society (Publisher)
Company Town: Potlatch, Idaho, and the Potlatch Lumber Company by Keith Petersen is a 1987 historical study published in association with the Latah County Historical Society that examines one of the American West's most meticulously planned corporate communities. The book chronicles the establishment and daily life of the lumber town, detailing the Weyerhaeuser syndicate's paternalistic control over its workers' housing, commerce, and social institutions from 1905 until the town's privatization in the 1950s. Ultimately, it serves as a compelling case study of industrial capitalism, labor relations, and the unique socio-economic dynamics that defined early 20th-century timber operations in the Pacific Northwest.
xix, 284 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
Non-circulating [ 1 ]
From the forward by Simon K. Benson: “This new addition of Early History of North Idaho, but more particular the history of Latah County, Moscow (Paradise City) 1871, Troy (Huff Gulch) our first home after World War II. Some of the history first came out in a limited edition in 1903. I have republished with permission and the desire of many of the families, and chiefly as a tribute to my father-in-law Guy Senter (now deceased). “The book is a valuable reference work on early Northern Idaho and Latah County history from the explorations into the old Oregon territory, of which the counties of Northern Idaho were once a part. “This book can bring knowledge, enjoyment and memories for anyone who reads it. Books can have a wide distribution and bring joy as an ideal gift. “Perhaps everyone who ever lived in Latah County or had a parent or grandparent who did, can once again relive the nostalgic, exciting pages of the past. ‘Let’s live to give, learn, love, and remember.’” (276 pages)
276 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 21 cm
Desiderata
Related Online Resources
Potlatch Historical Society Collection
Depicting life in and around Potlatch, Idaho from 1880 to 2023. A digital collection comprised of 3,180 photographs and documents from Potlatch and surrounding areas.
WEB LINK
Latah County
- Advent Hollow (historical)
- Aspendale
- Avon
- Blaine
- Bovard (historical)
- City of Bovill
- Buswell (historical)
- Chambers (historical)
- Cora
- Cornwall
- Crescent
- City of Deary
- Estes
- Freeze
- City of Genesee
- Hampton
- Harvard
- Helmer
- Howell
- Jamestown (historical)
- Joel
- City of Juliaetta
- City of Kendrick
- Lenville
- Lidyville (historical)
- Linden
- City of Moscow
- Mountain Home (historical)
- Nora
- City of Onaway
- Orchard Homes (historical)
- City of Potlatch
- Potlatch Junction
- Princeton
- Sherwin
- Slabtown
- Stanford
- City of Troy
- Vassar
- Viola
- Yale (historical)
- Yellow Dog (historical)
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2025-09-23