Tiny towns
Your guide to 25 small communities
[June 29, 2010]
The Inland Northwest is blessed with an abundance of towns where Aunt Bea would feel right at home. Tiny towns with a few houses, a park, and maybe a couple of businesses. Towns that neither grew into cities, nor faded into history. Towns where the cafés serve good conversation along with homemade pies.
We hope our introduction to 25 towns with fewer than 500 residents gives you a reason to visit a few. Our information comes from town clerks and other locals.
Washington
- Almira (Pop. 285) Don’t worry about the hotel’s legendary ghost, since the building is all boarded up, says clerk Jeanette Coppersmith. Almira Antiques is open most Saturdays, and visiting trap shooters are welcome at Almira Gun Club. There are skate ramps in the Lions Club Park.
- Creston (Pop. 232) People from all over eat at the Corner Café, says clerk Karen Paulsen. A marker shows where Old West outlaw Harry Tracy died in 1902. Rodeo legend Deb Copenhaver built the roadside chapel.
- Cusick (Pop. 210) The town’s in-ground skateboard park is a Tony Hawk design, and the famous skater donated $20,000 toward its construction, said Mayor Bob Spencer. Riverside trails offer wildlife viewing.
- Harrington (Pop. 430) Town Clerk Bunny Haugan says history buffs should see the 1904 Harrington Opera House, which is on the National Historic Register, and the 1903 Hotel Lincoln. Wander into City Hall to see a collection of African hunting trophies.
- Hartline (Pop. 135) The vacant 1922 schoolhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, and townspeople are converting it into a business center, says Mayor Jim Baergen. Locals eat at the Hartline Recreation Café.
- Hatton (Pop. 110) Clerk Dana Rios says folks traveling the backroads of Adams County often stop to read the town’s history, printed on the side of the firehouse. Watch for owls in trees throughout town.
- Ione (Pop. 412) Assistant Clerk Lujan Maupin suggests stopping at the nearby Tiger Historical Center and Museum. The Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club operates scenic train rides that start in Ione every weekend in October, and a few days in late summer.
- Krupp/Marlin (Pop. 60) Washington’s smallest town has been called Marlin since World War I, when the name Krupp became associated with a German munitions factory. Legally, however, the original name still stands, says Postmaster Leah Correia.
- Lamont (Pop. 95) Mayor Steve Lacy acknowledges “there’s not much to see.” But readers of Lacy’s satirical blog will seek out the freshly painted firehouse, the attacking birds and the rancher named Bif.
- Latah (Pop. 203) Clerk Heidi Turnbough says Latah Creek Merchant is a popular antique and gift shop that also serves coffee and tea. While parents shop, kids can play at the park, five blocks off Main Street.
- Marcus (Pop. 189) Visitors with laptops can get wi-fi at the park, says clerk Beverly Lange. Some years in spring, Lake Roosevelt is drawn down enough to reveal the streets and sidewalks of old Marcus, which was flooded by Grand Coulee Dam.
- Metaline Falls (Pop. 285) The Cutter Theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts plays, concerts, lectures and other events. Visit the art gallery and try the soup at Cathy’s Café, suggests Mayor Tara Leininger.
- Northport (Pop. 310) The park, boat launch and dock have all had recent upgrades, says clerk Karen Baribault. Visit the town museum, as well as the public computer lab, where wi-fi is available.
- Oakesdale (Pop. 420) Clerk Mary DeGon suggests stopping at the Country Attic for antiques and espresso en route to Steptoe Butte State Park (7 miles south of town). Photographers love the Palouse landscape and history buffs visit Oakesdale’s McCoy Valley Museum.
- Rockford (Pop. 493) The vibrant business district includes the Harvest Moon Restaurant and Fredneck’s Saloon and Beanery (where Taco Tuesday is popular). Hurd Mercantile is popular for its new and vintage merchandise, says clerk Darlene LaShaw.
- Spangle (Pop. 275) Clerk Peggy Mangis recommends the Harvester Restaurant and the Spangle Saloon and Grill (which features homemade cookies and pies). The town park has a welcoming playground.
- Sprague (Pop. 490) Sprague Lake is home to white pelicans, and the channeled scablands south of town are a geological wonder. Clerk-treasurer Ginny Rajala recommends burgers and fries at the Viking Restaurant.
- Springdale (Pop. 298) Try the chicken-fried steak at Geronimo’s Restaurant. “They’re famous for it,” says clerk Lisa Sheppard. Visitors are welcome at Saturday movie night at the community center. Free wi-fi at the computer center.
- Uniontown (Pop. 345) Clerk Cheryl Waller says visitors can’t miss the stately Dahmen Barn, where local artisans work. Enjoy exhibitions, classes and frequent performance events. Tour the 1904 St. Boniface Catholic Church. The Sage Bakery has homemade breads and sandwiches.
- Washtucna (Pop. 260) Syd Sullivan, who’s been mayor for 35 years, says bird-watchers come to Bassett Park to see migrating flocks. The town has planted berry bushes to entice more warblers, waxwings and other species. It’s 17 miles to spectacular Palouse Falls.
- Wilson Creek (Pop. 250) Test the half pipe at the town skate park or hike the mile-long trail where signs tell town history. Mayor Katherine Bohnet says that if you call the number on the museum door, someone will let you in.
Idaho
- East Hope/Hope (Combined pop: 318) Clerk Christy Franck recommends visiting the Hope Peninsula, where there are trails, wildlife and historic markers. Make reservations for the upscale Floating Restaurant, accessible by car or boat.
- Harrison (Pop. 267) Clerk/treasurer Jan Patterson says that whether they arrive by water, road or the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, visitors line up at The Creamery ice cream shop. You can see the town’s original jail at the Crane House Museum.
- Oldtown (Pop. 220) Clerk Sheila Gormley suggests visiting any of the town’s 40 businesses, including three hardware stores and the O.K. Lanes bowling alley.
- Wardner (Pop. 152) Mayor Jo Ann Groves says the Wardner Gift Shop and Museum tells about the founding of the Bunker Hill Mine and the resulting boomtown. See the spot where Noah Kellogg discovered a rich vein of ore while chasing his runaway donkey in 1885.
Other towns under 500
Eastern Washington: Colton, Farmington, LaCrosse, Malden, Metaline, Waverly.
Northern Idaho: Bovill, Dover, Fernan, Hayden, Huetter, Kendrick, State Line, Tensed, Worley.
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