Faith Sheila McClenny

Pend Oreille County Faith Sheila McClenny

Pend Oreille County is located in the beautiful, mountainous northeast corner of Washington State. It is approximately 67 miles long and 22 miles wide, with the Pend Oreille River flowing north through a trench valley and bounded on each side by the Selkirk Mountains. In 1911, it was the last county to be established in the state. Its exuberant history gives glimpses of the early days of the Kalispel Indian tribe, the arrival of the Hudson Bay Company fur traders, gold-hungry prospectors, and the establishment of the St. Ignatius Mission by Father DeSmet and Father Hoecken in 1844. The arrival of the Great Northern and the Idaho & Washington Northern Railroads brought floods of energetic pioneers who built new communities and sustained major lumber and mining industries. Today, its scenery lures tourists, businesses, and those who appreciate the rural life.