Kellogg – Our Base in the Silver Valley
Although it’s not as well-known as nearby Wallace, Kellogg is the Silver Valley’s largest town, and was our base during our four-day stay in the region. It’s a nice village stretched out along the Coeur d’Alene Mountains, with a population around 2000; less historic and picturesque than Wallace, perhaps, but with a burgeoning tourism industry of its own, thanks largely to the Silver Mountain Ski Resort.
We stayed at the The Summit, a small house rented out by Kellogg Vacation Homes. Comfortable, with plenty of room to stretch out, a fully-equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, and an enormous hot tub. Our days in the Silver Valley were packed with activity, and an extended soak in the hot tub was the perfect way to end every night.
In 1885, prospector Noah Kellogg was searching for his lost donkey, and found it grazing near a large deposit of valuable galena lead. The town was established shortly thereafter, and people from the Silver Valley are fond of pointing out that Kellogg was “founded by a jackass, and still inhabited by its descendants”. Like every town in the region, mining was the only industry that mattered for a very long time. It was in Kellogg that the Sunshine Mine Disaster of 1972 happened. Almost a hundred men were trapped in the mine when a fire broke out, and 91 of them died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
We took a self-guided walking tour of Kellogg’s historic downtown; it’s just a single street and took all of five minutes. Not overly impressive, but we did stumble upon one unique shop. From the window, Sideways looked like a model train shop, but inside we found an RC funpark where model car aficionados can come to play and race. The bulk of the shop is an enormous track, complete with mountains, ponds, shops and even a zeppelin landing-pad. Spectators can sit in dining booths, and a motorized train putters around the shop delivering hot dogs and snacks.
We really enjoyed our short stay in Kellogg; an unpretentious and surprising little town. For those looking to spend some time in the Silver Valley, it’s a good alternative to Wallace.
Thanks for your blog! I’m leaving these shores of Southern Alabama since my 2nd book is finsihed and so am I around here…I have a possibility of buying an old miner’s house with claims still valid.Just waiting for my camper to be gone ..taking a hit on it but I drove my old Mercedes into Cowpen Creek in Silverhill Alabama the night of our last hundred year flod (lol missed the one before that) In the past month I’ve survived a car in a river…Pecan Tree limb crashing down on my awning missing me by 3 ft…and a GIANT Cotton Mouth Moccason , I still can’t believe he did’t strike me…I was wearing my Kilt and think it confused him (That happens alot down here when I wear my kilt…go figure) The Lord is good and I give Him the credit for saving me from these near -hits! Maybe I’ll hit something good on my claims!!!!! VINCERO, VINCEROOO…VINCEROOOOOO!Lost everything…my SCOOBEDOO van a few weeks before that…anyway, moving to Kellog ID looks likeDo you have any contacts so I don’t feel like a “Stranger in Paradise?I teach flyfishing and am applying for my fishing guide outfitters license as welll…FIRST PRIORITY!!!! Karaoke Bars….it’s my therapy!!!!!Sir Harry de la Kellog (hopefully soon…I’m getting :Camper Fever!!!!)Knights TemplarBishop Templar Church International251-402-8941