Old Mission, Cataldo, ID

Friday, July 15, 2016

About 30 miles east of Coeur d’Alene is Old Mission State Park where we find Cataldo Mission which stands on a hill nestled at the west entrance to the Historic Silver Valley of Idaho.  This Mission is Idaho’s oldest standing building and a National Historic Landmark.  It was constructed in 1850-53 by members of the Coeur d’Alene Indian tribe and Jesuit Catholic Missionaries and Father Antonio Ravalli. Unlike the Indians in other parts of our country who were resistant to the Catholic Missionaries, the Coeur d’Alene’s welcomed the Jesuits and hoped to share in the white man’s powerful religion.  The church fell into disrepair but in 1976 was restored as a bicentennial project.

 The Mission walls are 18 inches thick and were built of woven straw and adobe mud without nails.   It was built from sophisticated plans with simple tools and unskilled labor.  Inside wooden altars were painted and treated to look like marble.  Chandeliers were made from used tin cans to resemble those found in churches in Europe. 

Ceiling in the Mission

Next door to the church is the Parish House used by the Jesuits.  The rooms were nicely recreated in artifacts and plaques on the wall explained each room and its use.  One of the rooms on the first floor is set up as a chapel which the Jesuits used for their daily prayers, etc. when the weather was increment and it was difficult to go to the church.

Parlor

Chapel in the Parish House

Stairway to 2nd Floor

There were also many plaques on the grounds explaining where additional building had been and what they were used for and some lovely views of the mountains beyond.  At one point a steamboat stopped below the hill.  Today the waterway is practically nonexistent.  A Visitor Center and Gift shop as well as a Museum complete the State Park offerings. 

Leaving the Park, we drive to the town of Cataldo but only find this one old building as evidence of a time gone by.  There are families living in the area, however.

Driving along a rural highway we travel along the Coeur d’Alene River where we find many RVs and families camping.  Here the river is wide and then narrow and in some areas not very deep, but deep enough for kayaks and rafts which we saw many people floating along on the gently flowing water.  No rapids in this area.    Interesting town names including Enaville and Bumbebee.

We came to the town of Enaville and discovered this interesting restaurant and bar.  It is called The Snake Pit.  “The Snake Pit, known over the years as the Enaville Resort, Josie’s, Clark Hotel and many other names, has been a landmark for over 135 years.  Located at the fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, the Snake Pit has served as a boomtown bar, railroad layover, hotel, house of ill repute and starting point for loggers and miners of yesteryear.  Today….the Snake Pit blends the new with the old in providing you with the finest….meeting old friends and new in the rustic atmosphere while enjoying your favorite food and drink.”    Interesting place and history.