A walk down memory lane
Before Shane’s mom, Marion passed away, they took a walk down memory lane to see the house and area where she grew up. They visited the Crane House Museum and she said her uncle Henry used to live there. Today, we are driving to Lake Coeur d’Alene and heading to Harrison, Idaho where the museum is located.
History of Harrison, Idaho
The history of Harrison, Idaho is best explained from the Crane Historical Society:
The town of Harrison was founded in 1891, incorporated into the village of Harrison in 1899 and named for the then current U.S. President, Benjamin Harrison. The site was on land settled by S.W. Crane and his sons William, Edwin and Addison Crane. Harrison was a busy thriving little town. At one time it was considered for the County Seat. The population fluctuated between 1,000 and 2,000 people depending on the number of mills running at the time.
Between 1880 and 1920 there was more steamboat trade on the Coeur d’Alene Lake than on any other west of the Great Lakes. The big paddle-wheel boats took supplies, workers and sightseers up the St. Joe and Coeur d’Alene Rivers. Most of the boats only drew around three feet of water, so they could navigate the twisting channels of the rivers. Harrison was an important stopping point for them.
The railroads, completed in 1890, made the steamboat business unprofitable. Many of the beautiful big boats were set on fire and sunk in the lake.
The Crane House Museum operated by the Crane Historical Society is the first house built in Harrison. The house was built by the Silas Crane family who established the town of Harrison. The Crane Historical Society was established April 25, 1984. The purpose for this Society is to discover and memorialize the history of the city of Harrison and the surrounding area.
Crane House Museum
The Crane House Museum contains artifacts and memorabilia from Harrison’s early settlement days. There is a photo of Shane’s relatives on the wall! I will explain about this photo further down the post. Behind the museum is a small red building and it was the Harrison jail. The two-cell jailhouse is one of the few existing in the United States.
Family History
Here is Shane family history on his mother’s side. Marion’s dad William, worked for the forestry service and stationed in Grand Coulee, Washington on the Nez Pearce Indian Reservation. She grew up spending her summers there. Her family lived in Coeur d’Alene while Henry, William’s brother lived in Harrison. The family took a ferry across Lake Coeur d’Alene whenever they visited Henry. According to Marion, Henry lived in the house where the museum is now.
Harrison’s timber industry took root in the 1890s and was booming by the turn of the century. Harrison’s location was ideal to profit from it. The logs were dropped into the water at Harrison, processed and floated across the lake to saw mills in Coeur d’Alene. William and Henry practiced log rolling in Harrison where many competitions were held. In fact William was a 5 time World Log Rolling Champion.
This is a photo taken during a practice session. Grandpa William (left) and uncle Henry (right). Grandma Lucille was the lady on the steamer watching them. According to Marion, the other people next to her were relatives.
Grandpa William – World Log Rolling Champion
Shane shares some photos of his grandpa William’s amazing balance and skills on the log. He could jumped rope, sat on a chair and stood on a ladder all while balancing himself on a log! No doubt Grandpa William was truly a 5 times World Log Rolling Champion. These photos are still in the family’s private collection.
