Clearwater Museum | Clearwater Museum About/History | Clearwater County, Idaho’s Ties to Timber | Mining History Along the Clearwater River | Nez Perce Indians | Clearwater County - Activities
What is the Clearwater Historical Museum?
Western Idaho, a vast wilderness region along the Clearwater River, is steeped in history. The preservation of the richness of the region's ancestral roots and place in American history is a responsibility undertaken by the Clearwater Historical Museum.
The region of Clearwater County, Idaho, including the adjacent wilderness, is rich in history even before what is recorded in American History ledgers and textbooks. Along the shores of the Clearwater River, are untold stories of its Native American heritage.
It is also one of the most critical stepping stones in America's discovery. The historical museum has built a vast collection of artifacts and items representative each of these points on the area's historical timeline.
There are accounts of events and peoples that inhabited the area centuries before the Lewis and Clark Expedition made the Clearwater River one of the most important stopping points on its journey to the Pacific Ocean.
The Clearwater Historical Museum displays information and tells the story of the entire area encompassing parts of Lewis, Nez Perce and Shoshone Counties. The museum houses artifacts that bring to life the Nez Perce peoples, especially the importance of the Lewis and Clark impact on the area.
Visitors can step back in time and envision how rich of a tradition the area has in pioneer homesteading and America's westward journey. Ties to the region's roots in farming and logging are also displayed. Let's look at a taste of the history of this area, so rich in history.
The Clearwater Historical Museum is staffed by a society of individuals dedicated to the preservation of the history and significance of the Clearwater River part of Idaho. They provide knowledge of various important points and events in the area.
Clearwater's spot in America's history is pinpointed by a spot at Lolo Pass located in the southwest corner of the county along the Clearwater River. This is the place where the Lewis and Clark Expedition recovered from one of the most challenging legs on its journey.
The expedition had experienced a devastating winter while navigating the Bitterroot Mountains. They had endured a debilitating snowstorm and written accounts of the journey tell of near starvation. It is here that America's rich Native American History joined with progress.
The expedition set up camp within the Weippe Prairie alongside the Nez Perce Indian Tribe. Much of the importance of this famously docile Native American tribe has been forgotten. The Nez Perce were instrumental in the expedition's efforts to reinvigorate its morale.
The Clearwater Historical Museum has a dedicated area to the invaluable canoes the Nez Perce helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition build. On display are moving examples of the different types of canoes that helped carry America's first pioneers westward to the Pacific shoreline.
The Clearwater River itself is at the core of the area's historical significance. The museum disseminates information surrounding the river's importance at various points in time. Flowing westward out of the Bitterroot Mountains, there is a massive annual discharge of mountain runoff.
Along its nearly 75 miles, the Clearwater River picks up various streams and smaller rivers. The drainage basin of the Clearwater River is nearly 10,000 square miles accounting for over 15,000 cubic feet of water per second on an annual basis.
The main stretch of the Clearwater River forms at the Middle and South Fork Rivers. As the Clearwater picks up Orofino Creek just west of the historical museum, it makes a virtual direct line westward.
It's along this three-mile stretch that the Lewis and Clark Expedition restarted their venture to find the westernmost shoreline of America. The Clearwater River travels along until it empties into the Snake River.
The Clearwater River flows along the shores of some of Idaho's most serene small communities. As the river winds past what is known as the Heart of the Monster, visitors can venture back into Native American history at the Nez Perce Historical Park.
The vast wilderness and the Clearwater River combined to build one of the area's richest industries. Gold miners preceded the loggers, hoping to discover windfall gold deposits within the river's rich beds.
Homesteading became a common practice in western Idaho, especially at points along the Clearwater River. While the actual discovery of gold in the area was limited at best, a valuable resource surrounded the early pioneers.
The wilderness was rich in timber, and the proximal location to the Clearwater River helped blossom the region's timber industry. Log camps dotted the shores of the Clearwater River, with Orofino growing as a central location for logging businesses.
Logging remains an integral part of the area's industry. Many of the massive hardwood logs that were carried down the Clearwater River became vital cogs in the building of America. The timber industry around the Clearwater River helped build the country's railroads along with hundreds of other structures.
Surrounding wilderness beauty have also fostered the tourism aspirations of Orofino and surrounding communities. The spectacular beauty of the area has been well maintained. Visitors can enjoy camping, fishing and licensed hunting.
Despite being less than 100 miles in total length, the Clearwater River holds a richness in America History that rivals rivers that flow across hundreds of miles. Beyond its historical significance to the Native America story, the area was a pivotal point along one of the most important journeys in United States history.
To capture the entire scope of the importance of the area, you need to make it a priority to visit the Clearwater Historical Museum. This is a place where you can step away from the modern world and envision how difficult the challenges were to build our nation's westward progress. The Clearwater Historical Museum is more than just history, it's about a legacy.