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Ray Norton is the winner!

The all electrict Potlatch sawmill at Elk River is the answer for Week 276 of Orofino History Trivia a special feature to celebrate the history and heritage of Clearwater Country.

Join in the discovery!

Monday: 100 years

Tuesday: Timber

Wednesday: Electricity

Thursday: A first

Friday: Gone in the 1930s

Potlatch Lumber Company started the first all electric mill in the country in 1910 in Elk River. The railroad extended its line from Bovill at the time. The town boomed and in 1911 the population was about 1,200.

The mill remained in operation for nearly 20 years, then a newer and bigger mill was built in Lewiston in 1927. In 1929, blister rust attacked the white pine and the Great Depression hit the area in 1930. Elk River was one of the hardest hit towns in the area.. The mill was phased out over a two to three year period.

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Window on the Clearwater
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Orofino, ID 83544
Orofino 476 0733
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