Kellogg Library Historical Archive

Welcome to the Kellogg Library Historical Archive

Enter the Kellogg Historical Archive

Welcome to the Kellogg Historical Archive, proudly created by volunteers and maintained by the Kellogg Public Library. This is an ongoing effort to preserve the rich history of Kellogg as the center of the Silver Valley mining boom. It houses thousands of historical photos and documents dating back to the early days of silver mining. A lot can be learned from the past, so we encourage you to browse the archive at great length. We thank you for your visit and hope you enjoy the fruits of our labor. Cheers!

Where is Kellogg Located?

Kellogg is a city in the Silver Valley of Shoshone County, Idaho, United States, in the Panhandle region. The city lies near the Coeur d'Alene National Forest and is about thirty six miles east-southeast of Coeur d'Alene along interstate 90.

A Brief History of Kellogg

Kellogg, Idaho's roots are deeply intertwined with the 19th-century mining boom in the American West. In the 1880s, prospectors swarmed northern Idaho, including Noah Kellogg, who stumbled upon a rich vein of lead and silver ore while tracking a lost mule. This discovery led to the establishment of the Bunker Hill Mine and the birth of the town named after Kellogg in 1894. Over time, Kellogg flourished into a hub of industry and commerce in the Silver Valley, attracting miners, loggers, entrepreneurs, and families. Despite economic fluctuations, Kellogg persisted, evolving its economy. Today, it stands as a testament to its founders' perseverance, inviting visitors to delve into its rich history and vibrant present.

The Kellogg Public Library

This archive is housed and managed by the Kellogg Public Library, under the direction of its Board of Trustees. All Trustees are appointed by the City Council. It is located at 10 East Station Ave, Kellogg, Idaho. Please refer to the library's website at kellogg.lili.org for hours of operation and program updates. Audio books, CDs, VHS tapes, and DVDs are also available to borrow from the library. In addition, it provides free Wi-Fi and has four desktop computers available for public use. The library offers a children’s section and a variety of reading programs for young children and teens. Over six hundred patrons visit the library each month.

Friends of the Kellogg Library

In 2020 a dedicated group of library patrons came together to form the Friends of the Kellogg Library. Their mission is to support and advocate for the Kellogg Library and promote reading. It is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization meaning all donations are tax deductible. Receipts are provided to all donors. If you appreciate the library and support its mission, please consider making a donation, it will be greatly appreciated, and your money will be well spent.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all of the entities and individuals who have provided encouragement, comments and technical assistance throughout the development of the Kellogg Historical Archive. Your support has improved the site and is greatly appreciated. Again, we want to thank the Shoshone News- Press and the Spokesman- Review for allowing us to use their news articles and photographs in our archive. The site would not be what it is without their support. They have allowed us to keep our history alive and local.

Assistance Provided By:

John Baillie – Archivist working with the Mullan Archive Project

Steve Shepperd – Volunteer archivist working with the Museum of North Idaho

Tom Harman – Local Historian

Bob Dunsmore – Local Historian

Andy Helkey – Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

Mary Rehnborg – Panhandle Health District

Tracy Martinsen – Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

Susan Berry – Shoshone Medical Center

Sandra Pommerening – For Providing Ed Pommerening Presentation

Jason Kimberling – Idaho Department of Transportation

Idaho State Historical Society

Fred Ostermeyer

Lauren Scrafford - Provided pictures

Rose Lake Historical Society - 14917 South Queen Ave, Cataldo, ID

Shoshone County Mining and Smelting Museum at the Bunker Hill Staff House - Provided pictures

Special thanks to the long list of individuals who have provided assistance with locating photographs and documentation that is included in the site to-date. You know who you are. We could not have done it without you.

Special Thanks

Archive development began in late 2023 as a Grandpa and the Kid project. The kid in this case is my grandson. Over 1500 hours of combined time has been spent in developing and populating the site. He was responsible for all of the technical aspects of the project, site set-up, formatting, establishing the accounts to host it and hours of late nights writing the computer code necessary to bring it all together. This project would not have been possible without him. In addition to his technical abilities I was constantly amazed with his work ethic, dedication to producing a good product and his approach to solving the many problems that arose. To him, problems were merely a challenge to overcome and not an excuse to quit. Being able to work with him on this effort has been an amazing experience that I would not trade for anything. I also want to acknowledge and thank the Spokesman Review and the Shoshone News Press for allowing the library to use decades of their news articles and photographs to enhance our project. Both publications played an important role in chronicling the rich history that Kellogg enjoys. I want to thank the Kellogg City Council and the library Board of Directors for their continued encouragement and support. I want to thank Kirby and Danae for their help in sorting and moving all of the pictures into the archive. I especially want to thank Candy and Shawn for all their work in processing, digitizing and scanning the thousands of items needed to create the archive. Their continued support over the many years it took to accumulate the information presented is greatly appreciated. I also want to thank Sandi Lockhart for her many years as the front line for the Institutional Controls Program. She left us too soon.

Future Plans

Hundreds of hours of work has been required to create this digital archive. We have no plans to stop here. We intend to constantly add more sections, pictures, and documents to this website. There are currently thousands more historical documents and images in storage at the library slated to be digitized and added.

We are currently working on a few more sections including forest lookouts, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camps in Shoshone County, and local logging families and their work in the Panhandle National Forest.

All of the work done to date has been accomplished with very limited resources and no funding. Despite what we have managed to accomplish thus far, further work will require dedicated funding and additional staff hours.

If you have enjoyed your time viewing archive, please consider making a donation to the Friends of the Kellogg Library at 10 East Station Ave, Kellogg, Idaho. Your donations will be used to fund the services we use to ensure continued availability of the archive.

Feedback

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns at feedback@kellogglibraryhistoricalarchive.org. Thank you.

Contributing

If you reside in Kellogg or the surrounding area, or if you are a past resident, check your family photo albums for pictures of the town in days gone by. We are always looking for new pictures of the city and surrounding areas. If you want them included in the archive, send them our way. Digital files can be emailed to materials@kellogglibraryhistoricalarchive.org with the files in the email or a link to a cloud provider for download(Google Drive, OneDrive, DropBox, etc.). Digital files can also be brought into the library on a thumb drive or other portable media. If physical original photos are received, they will be scanned but we do not have the resources to return them. Special arrangements can be made for unique situations.

Please note the following list of specific photographs we are searching for: the Turnbow Motel, Rock Motel, Ben Franklin's, Dick Owen's Sporting Goods, the Miners Club, Sieber Motors, the Bridge Beer Parlor, Riskie's Photo Studio, Steins IGA, Pik Kwik Groceries, Safeway, Swansons Store on Mission Ave, Rena Theater, Bracks Motor Supply, and Rexall Drugstore on Cameron Ave. We are also looking for photos of the follwing service stations along Cameron Avenue: Bloom and Biltie Exon, the Texaco station, Hustons Conoco, the Cheveron station, the station across Cameron from the Sunshine Inn, and the 76 station on South Division. Any old photos you may have are welcomed.

See expanded list below of specific photographs:

  • Rock Motel
  • Turnbow's Motel
  • Stein's IGA
  • Safeways
  • Swanson's Grocery
  • Sunshine Inn
  • A & W Rootbeer
  • S & R Drive-In
  • Pik & Shovel Restaurant
  • Bewick's Chevron on Cameron Ave
  • Huston's Conoco on Cameron Ave
  • Bloom and Bilte Exon on Cameron Ave
  • Montgomery Ward
  • Western Auto
  • Sears
  • The Hutton Building Fire
  • Rena Theater
  • Brack's Motor Supply
  • Riskie's Photo Studio
  • Sieber Motors
  • Bridge Beer Parlor
  • Miner's Club
  • Dick Owen's Sporting Goods
  • Schaeffer's Pontiac
  • Ben Franklin's
  • Rexall Drug on Cameron Ave
  • Albinola Oldsmobile
  • Art Norlan Shoe Repair
  • Vang's Shoe Store
  • 76 Station on South Division
  • Stoplights up and down town
  • East Brown under I-90