Day Trip to Northern Idaho Ghost Towns
Idaho is a state neighboring to Washington State. It is known for its mountainous landscapes, vast swaths of protected wilderness, crystal clear alpine lakes, outdoor recreation areas and the famous potatoes. What I didn’t know is that Idaho was a lumber and mining state and at one time has the largest silver mine in the world. Several of the mining towns experienced boom but eventually the riches dwindled and the towns became abandoned. Today Shane and I are making a day trip to two of Northern Idaho ghost towns.
Frisco, Idaho
The first stop of our Northern Idaho ghost towns trip started with Frisco Mill. There was a silver mine, mill and a small town from the 1880s. According to the information board, the Silver Valleys miners organized into unions and went on strike when they were faced with reduced wages and increased work hours. The mine owners replaced them with new workers and hired Pinkerton guards to protect them. There were gunfights and union miners used powders to blow up the four-story mill building. The short lived win was curtailed when the Idaho’s governor declared martial law and brought in Idaho National Guard.
Burke, Idaho
Burke, Idaho was once a thriving lead, silver and zinc mining town when the minerals were discovered in 1884. It was situated in a narrow canyon only 300 feet wide at its narrowest point. This resulted in some creative architectures. The train tracks and the road for vehicles both shared the main street, so cars and carriages had to pull over when the train rolled by. Stranger still, the railroad was built right through the lobby of the town’s hotel called Tiger Hotel. The cramped conditions resulted in many of its residents to build outhouses on stilts that emptied straight into Canyon Creek!
Burke Canyon
The Burke Canyon was mined until 1991 and efforts to lower heavy metal concentrations in Canyon Creek are ongoing. There is a warning sign advising visitors not to go into the water or take anything out of the area. Mining sites and the area around them can have high concentrations of lead, arsenic, and other heavy metals in the soil and water.
Check out the places we have visited in Idaho by clicking on this LINK.