The Mission

Population  256

The Old Mission of The Sacred Heart was originally built on the banks of the St. Joe River in 1842. The mission served as a center of activity for the Coeur d'Alene Indians and also for settlers on their way westward. The mission  was moved to its present location on the Coeur d'Alene River sometime around 1845 due to flooding.  The mission is visible from I-90 sitting on a hill overlooking the valley.  The structure was built by Jesuit priests and the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribe.

Through Father Revelli's ingenuity, the entire building was constructed with a broad axe, auger, ropes, pulleys and a pen knife.  Competed in 1853, it is the oldest standing building in Idaho.  It is a national land mark and was designated an Idaho State park in 1975.  It is open to the public daily and features trails to historic building sites and nearby wetland areas that include audio stations which provide stories by tribal elders and Jesuit priests.  The 2000 season marks the site's 150th anniversary celebrated with a special observance coinciding with the annual Feast of Assumption on August 15th.  For more information call (208) 682-3814.

What's in a Name

"Silver Valley" refers to the mining communities, 14 in all, tucked neatly in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains between Fourth of July Pass, just east of Coeur d'Alene and Lookout Pass on the Idaho/Montana border.  Kellogg is intersected by I-90 and lies just 11 miles west of Wallace.  These two towns are the foundation of a collection of tough and ready communities that trace their genesis to the boom days of mining in Idaho.

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