Palouse Country
COMMUNITIES
Moscow
Pullman
Washington State Univ.
University of Idaho
Genesee
Palouse
Potlatch
Colton
Uniontown
|
|
Palouse Country
|
COMMUNITIES |
Latah County offers a variety of landscapes from forested mountains, steep canyons, and fertile rolling hills. In pre-settlement times, the region was intersected by trails used by Native Americans traveling to trading and gathering sites like Spokane Falls and to camps where families dug camas roots in the spring and picked huckleberries, fished and hunted in the summer. Among the native peoples were the Palus Indians who gave their name to the fertile bunchgrass hills now known as the Palouse.
The first white men were trappers, followed by miners in the 1860s who prospected in the Hoodoo mountains in the north. Some of the early stage stops and trading centers that served the mines still exist. Among them is Bovill named after the English Lord who established a cattle ranch and tourist hotel in the early 1900s. In the southern part of the county the rural town of Genesee, settled in 1872, became a commercial and rail center as wheat production rapidly increased in the late 1800s. Along the Potlatch River where winters were milder, farmers grew the fruits and vegetables that made this the garden spot of the region. Moscow, the county seat, was established in the 1870s. Named after a town in Pennsylvania, it experienced a boom when the University of Idaho was located here in 1889. To the north, the vast stands of white pine attracted lumbermen from midwest, and in 1905 the Potlatch Lumber Company built its company town and the largest steam-powered mill in the world.
Those in search of history can travel north through meadows and forests to find the houses and structures the Potlatch Company built for its workers and managers and the original hotel and opera house in Bovill. A scenic roar descends to the south along Little Bear Creek canyon to the garden communities of Kendrick and Juliaetta. On the high bluffs above are the large, thousand plus-acre farms of the Genesee Valley.
Near the Washington State border is the largest community of Moscow. It retains most of its historic architecture in the downtown area and in the Fort Russell neighborhood which is on the Register of Historic Places.
Visitors can stroll around the University of Idaho campus, explore historic districts, and visit the Appaloosa Museum and the McConnell Mansion which offers exhibits and information on the horse breed, Nez Perce Indians, and the history of the county's people and places. Year round are cultural events ranging from the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, to fairs and music festivals in the park, and a farmers market on Saturdays from May through October.
Discover the magic as people come from miles around to enjoy the music, dance, visual arts, drama and festivals that make Moscow the 'heart of the arts'. Moscow is the home of the Washington-Idaho Symphony, Festival Dance, Idaho Repertory Theatre, and several Art Galleries. There is always something exciting going on in the arts.
Moscow is the home of the world-renowned Lionel Hampton/Cheveron Music Festival that is held the third week in February each year on the University of Idaho campus. The festival brings to Moscow some of the best musicians in the world. Thousands of people come from all over the country to enjoy performances by jazz greats.
In May, Moscow celebrates the Renaissance Faire. Features include artisans and craftsmen from all over the Northwest. The children enjoy many activities such as skits, mimes, clowns and face painting. Many of the participants dress up in medieval and Renaissance costumes. There is fun for all with dancing, music, and delicious international cuisine.
Every Thursday evening during June, July, and August you will find a 'Fresh Air Concert' featuring live entertainment in Moscow's East City Park (3rd and Hayes). Bring a blanket, a picnic lunch, and enjoy.
Another community favorite is the Rendezvous in the Park summer music and arts festival. This festival also features nationally-acclaimed musicians. Music varies from jazz to folk to country western and more. Concerts are held at East City Park on the 2nd and 3rd weekends in July, beginning at 6 PM. There is also food booths for great picnics in the park.
All year round you can experience the culture of the arts with great music, plays, concerts, dances, and exhibits of all styles and nature. Come to Moscow, where the hills are alive with the magic of the Arts!
A History Preserved
Latah County is fortunate in having preserved and documented much of its historic and scenic resources. Currently 23 individual structures and four districts with 156 individual structures are on the National Register of Historic Places, and over 200 more have been surveyed. the Latah County Historical Society's Library contains the National Register nomination forms, copies of the site surveys, and thousands of documents, photographs, maps, oral history interviews, and reminiscences. the Society's Historic/Century Farms project resulted in 21 farm sites being documented through reports, photographs, and in some cases, family reminiscences.
In addition, the Historical Society has published A Great Good Country: A Guide to Historic Moscow and Latah County by L. Otness. This guide provides both location and historical background to 363 buildings and sites. The Society has also published four walking tours of residential and downtown Moscow, and commercial and residential districts in Potlatch.
If you are interested in Latah County's history, you will enjoy visiting the McConnell Mansion museum at 110 South Adams in Moscow. The Mansion has rooms interpreted to different periods and changing exhibits. the Appaloosa Museum is located just west of Moscow on the Moscow-Pullman highway.