Explore Historic Harrison Idaho
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Location: Historic Harrison is located 28 miles (45 km) south of Interstate 90 on the Lake Coeur d'Alene Scenic Byway, (Hwy. 97)
Population: 203. Please read the Welcome page for what to expect when coming to Harrison. History Tour Map Western Frontier Town Crane Historical Museum Steamboats Historic Waterfront Walking Tour The Fire of 1917 Historic Downtown Walking Tour Springston Was Here Red Horse Mountain Self-Guided Walking Tour Look for free self-guided walking tour maps at local businesses, Harrison Library, and at the Crane House Museum. The maps will be delivered to the Lakeview Lodge and Grant Building May 6th and distributed around town from there. The maps include 29 buildings/sites in the commercial district, eight of which are federally recognized historical buildings. It also shows the location of mills, factories and other waterfront features. Details and updates are posted here on the history pages as new information becomes available. Seven buildings in the Harrison Commercial Historic District were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. They were all built after the 1917 fire. The district also includes the City Park. The Crane House was added to the Register in 1999. The Harrison Commercial Historic District was developed after the devastating 1917 fire. The district is an intact commercial streetscape from the late 1910s and represents architecture styles typical of small towns during that time.
In vernacular design, the brick-front store was the most popular commercial style of the first half of the 20th century. Such buildings varied in height from one to three stories, but their plans were quite similar. Two and three story structures had ground level store facilities, with offices, meeting halls, living space, or storage on the upper floors. The buildings are simple and directly functional with minimal decorations. They are constructed of brick or clay tile blocks, an expression of the owners' desire to invest in fireproof buildings. Public parking: You can easily explore Harrison by cycle or on foot. All parking is free. Cyclists looking for vehicle parking can head to Lakefront Ave. between Harrison Street and Rose Street. See signs for Trail of Coeur d'Alenes parking. Additionally, there is one ADA space down the hill next to the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes entrance by the city beach. Parking spots at the campground and marina are reserved for campers, boaters, and guests at the Gateway Marina. Street parking is available along Coeur d'Alene Ave (Hwy. 97). Visitors may also park in the Old Harrison School & Gym lot at the corner of Frederick and Park Ave.
Public Restrooms: There are men's and women's restrooms with running water on the northeast corner of the park, at the junction of Hwy. 97 and Garfield Street, across from the Harrison Trading Post. This facility is closed in winter and anyone in a wheel chair will find it difficult to navigate across the grass. There is also a year-round vault toilet at the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes trailhead across from the city beach, which is handicap accessible. Look for the ADA parking spot right next to the trail entrance. Cell Phone Service: Please note that Verizon service is available in town. Sorry, ATT and T-Mobile customers will have to drive up Prospect to the cemetery or up to Harrison Flats. |
This historical building on Lake Front Ave. was built by Mr. Burton, c. 1901, to house the Steam Laundry. It is directly up the hill from where the train depot and steamboat docks were. The walls are 20" thick concrete and steel bars covered the windows. The laundry was only in operation for a short time. After Mr. Burton died the building stood empty until the mid 1940s, when Russ Vetter had a plumbing business here. Ownership transferred to Howard Russell, who used it for storage. Recently, the property changed hands and some items that had been stored there for many years were transferred to The Company Store on Coeur d'Alene Ave., so stop in and have a look at some local artifacts.
This structure adjacent to the old train track bed was likely the ticket house for the Export Lumber Co. where loads were recorded. 
Addison A. Crane, in his office in Harrison, Idaho, November, 1907
If want to share your old Harrison stories and pictures, please fill out the form and we will be in touch.
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Harrison Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 222 Harrison, ID 83833 E-mail: harrison.id.info@gmail.com |
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