Moving to Priest River: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Priest River means moving to a real, historic North Idaho timber town at the confluence of the Priest and Pend Oreille rivers, with a genuine, documented "Little Italy" immigrant heritage.
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Learn moreA real, documented timber-town history
Priest River's first sawmill opened in 1897, and from 1901 through 1949 an annual spring log drive floated timber down the Priest River from Priest Lake to town mills (base record). By 1920, Priest River was the fastest-growing town in North Idaho per that year's census.
A real, genuine "Little Italy" heritage
Italian immigrants from southern Italy began arriving in the early 1890s to hew railroad ties for the Great Northern Railroad, settling an area genuinely known as the "Italian Settlement" -- Priest River carried the nickname "Little Italy" until well into the 1950s (base record), a real, documented piece of North Idaho immigrant history.
A real gateway to the Selkirk region and Priest Lake
Priest River is a listed member community of the International Selkirk Loop scenic byway and serves as a real gateway to Priest Lake roughly 25 miles north -- though the town itself sits on the Priest and Pend Oreille rivers, not directly on the lake (base record), a distinction worth understanding before assuming lakefront access.
A town relocated after a real 1894 flood
Priest River's original townsite, near the river confluence, was relocated to higher ground following the great Pend Oreille River flood of 1894 (base record) -- a real, documented piece of the town's founding-era history.
Key takeaways
- Priest River carries a real, documented timber-industry history, including annual log drives from 1901 through 1949.
- Priest River's genuine "Little Italy" immigrant heritage (1890s-1950s) is a real, distinct piece of North Idaho history.
- Priest River sits on the Priest and Pend Oreille rivers, with Priest Lake itself roughly 25 miles north.
- The town's original site was relocated to higher ground after a real 1894 flood.
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