Fort Sherman (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
Coeur d'Alene · Idaho · Indian Wars
History & Significance
The site chosen for the new camp was a large and important summer village site for the Schitsuʼumsh called Hnch'mqinkwe'. Camp Coeur d'Alene had three reasons for its existence: keeping the peace in northern Idaho, protecting railroad and telegraph crews, and guarding the border with Canada.
Troops were dispatched in 1878 to fight against Bannocks in the Bannock Indian War, and in 1892 were called to the Coeur d'Alene miner strike. Despite its scenic location, the site was only five feet above the level of the lake, which periodically flooded the parade grounds.
In 1979 the Fort Sherman Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Only two of the original buildings remain: the chapel and one officer's quarters, with the Fort Sherman Chapel now standing as Coeur d'Alene's oldest church and school. The site is now the campus of North Idaho College.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Historic military post from Indian Wars era on Lake Coeur d'Alene's north shore
- Original fort buildings preserved on North Idaho College campus
- Established 1878 following General Sherman's inspection tour
- Abandoned around 1900 during Spanish-American War era
- Scenic lakeside location in northern Idaho
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Sherman_(Idaho)
- https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/0355.pdf
- https://www.intermountainhistories.org/items/show/106
- https://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/884
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Sherman,_near_Coeur_d'Alene,_Idaho,_circa_1903_(AL+CA_1481).jpg
- https://objects.lib.uidaho.edu/etd/pdf/Kitch_idaho_0089N_12528.pdf
- https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Fort_Sherman_Buildings_79000794.pdf
- https://visitidaho.org/travel-tips/saluting-idahos-military-history/