Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeur_d%27Alene%2C_Idaho

Coeur d'Alene (pronounced /ˌkɝdəˈliːn/) is the county seat and largest city of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States.GR6 It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 Census the population of Coeur d'Alene was 34,514 (2006 estimate: 41,328)[1]. The city is located about 30 miles east of Spokane, Washington, which combined with Coeur d'Alene and northern Idaho has population of about 600,000. Coeur d'Alene is also the largest city in the northern Idaho Panhandle.

The city of Coeur d'Alene has grown significantly in recent years due in part to a substantial increase in tourism, encouraged by several resorts in the area. Barbara Walters called the city "a little slice of Heaven" and included it in her list of most fascinating places to visit. Also, Good Morning America recently broadcast the cities Christmas Lighting Ceremony because it's display is among the largest and best in the country. Coeur d'Alene is also located near two major ski resorts in Silver Mountain Resort to the east in Kellogg and Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort to the north in Sandpoint. Coeur d'Alene is located at the northern end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, a 30 mile long lake. Locally, Coeur d'Alene is known as the "Lake City," or simply called by its initials: "CDA".

History

Lake Coeur d'Alene, in July.French traders allegedly named the local Indian tribe the Coeur d'Alene out of respect for their tough trading practices. Translated from French Coeur d'Alene literally means "heart of the awl" which might mean "sharp-hearted" or "shrewd." Others interpret "Heart of the Awl" to translate to "Eye of the Needle", perhaps referring to the narrow passage through which the lake empties into the Spokane River on its way to the Columbia. When General William Tecumseh Sherman ordered a fort constructed on the lake in the 1870's he gave it the name Fort Coeur d'Alene; hence the name of the city that grew around it. The name of the fort was later changed to Fort Sherman to honor the general.

The Coeur d'Alene district has had a history of miners' disputes. Harry Orchard, who owned a share of the Hercules Mine in the nearby mountains before it began producing, and who later confessed to dynamiting a $250,000 mill near Wardner during a contentious 1899 miners' dispute, would also confess to a secret, brutal and little understood role in the Colorado Labor Wars before returning to Idaho to assassinate former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg.

Trivia
Coeur d'Alene is the home of Ironman Coeur d'Alene, which started in 2003. This Ironman Triathlon is held each year on the fourth Sunday in June and starts at the Coeur d'Alene resort as triathletes start their day with a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Coeur d'Alene, followed by a 112 mile bike, finishing with a 26.2 mile run.
Coeur d'Alene has become a destination for golf enthusiasts. The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course is considered one of the best in the United States. Its 14th hole features the world's only movable floating green.
Iris DeMent's song, "Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day", from her 1994 album, My Life, features a protagonist who laments that she will "never make it to Coeur d'Alene".
Listed as one of the places to visit in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
In the book Walk Two Moons, Coeur d'Alene is a stop on the main character Salamanca Tree Hiddle's trip.
Coeur d'Alene is the birthplace of Seattle SuperSonics Point Guard Luke Ridnour.
Coeur d'Alene is one of the spots that Antagonist Morrison, used as a hide out and place to get some ammunition. This was in Tom Clancy's 4th book in the Net Force Series, Breaking Point (ISBN 0-425-17693-2). They hide out in an Aryan Nations compound (now destroyed) in Hayden (mentioned as Coeur D'Alene)
Coeur d'Alene was mentioned in Sam Bourne's novel: The Righteous Men as a spot that the main character quickly drove past. It is stated that Coeur d' Alene is the home of the Aryan Nations. However, the Aryan Nations' home was in nearby Hayden Lake, not Coeur d'Alene specifically. The compound is no longer in Hayden Lake due to a heated lawsuit and the bankruptcy of the Aryan Nations.
World War II flying ace Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was born in Coeur d'Alene on December 4, 1912 and was a member of the AVG (Flying Tigers) and later the commander of the famous Black Sheep Squadron.
Coeur d'Alene is the fictional home of Lisa Kimmel Fisher (character played by actress Lily Taylor) from the HBO series Six Feet Under.

Old Couer D Alene Library

This is the Library that I grew up with, I have so many great memories of Mom taking me to check out books and of going to story time and summer reading programs. I used to also climb up on that fence and walk along it. They later built a newer library about a mile away. Recently they built and moved into a really big and nice library close by this one. Pictures of the new one are on Ben & Nathan's blog. This building is currently being used by an Insurence company. I remember a few years ago I went in and they were nice enough to let me look around.

Ramsey Elementary & Travino Home

Ramsey was my Elementary School, it's been repainted and doubled in size since I went there. Couer D Alene has grown a whole lot also, it's hardly recognizable anymore. But theres still bits and pieces of my childhood still around thank goodness.

This is where I lived during my early pre-teen years. I used to love playing and running around the forest behind my home. The car behind me was Dad's drivers Ed car with the ugly yellow sign on top.


The current owner has a lot of junk in the front yard. The field that was next to ours where Dad would park our big Winnabego RV has been filled with houses. In fact the whole forest has been cut down and houses have been built in ther place.

Buckingham & Laural Backyard

This is about where Dad's Garden and my fort used to be.

There used to be a big tree with Dad's beehive's. The funny thing is that Dad was allergic to Bee's.

Me with my fort and doghouse.

Spokane Trip: House that I grew up in

During to trip home we drove over to Couer D Alene, Idaho on the other side of the border to visit some of the places that I grew up. Our first stop was the home that I grew up in on Buckingham & Laurel. I have so many great memories of the house that I grew up in. Even during the tough times I was happy.




We took pictures of the home as it is now, a lot has been changed since then.