Kendrick

First named Latah, and later Kirby, after the founding father, Thomas Kirby; Kendrick would ultimately derive its name from a Northern Pacific Railway engineer John Kendrick.  With the coming of the railroad in 1891, Kendrick became a thriving city.  It was the trading center for the back country mining operations.  Kendrick thrived but faced more than its share of natural disasters.  Kendrick burned to the ground the first time in 1893.  The town rebuilt only to have a disastrous train wreck and massive flooding in early 1900.  With courage the patrons rebuilt the town only to have it burned again in August 1904.

Kendrick after the 1904 fire, image courtesy of the Latah County Historical Society, 10-01-19.

Kendrick during the 1900 flood, image courtesy of the Latah County Historical Society, 10-01-002.

After Kendrick was rebuilt in 1904, the business district thrived.  Kendrick would peak in the 1920’s with a population of 856 people.  The fertile farmlands located on the seven ridges that surround the valley provided a stable economy.  Timber in the area was abundant as well.  Kendrick was known for its Fourth of July celebrations.  Thousands of people came to town for the event.  With the advent of the automobile, the economy of Kendrick began to suffer since businesses no longer had to rely on the railroad to transport their goods.

Kendrick, ID no date, image courtesy of the Latah County Historical Society, 10-04-001.

References:

Historical Tour of Kendrick, Juliaetta-Kendrick Heritage Foundation

Juliaetta-Kendrick Heritage Foundation