Pend Oreille County
Newspaper Articles
While doing research for people seeking their ancestors in Stevens County, I often come across a newspaper item that
might be of interest to others. I have created this page for a place to put those articles that pertain especially to
Pend Oreille County. If you find an interestng news article that has historical significance for P.O. County, and
would like to share it, please contact me Susan Dechant
- Statesman-Index March 2, 1911,: A poem
about formation of Pend Oreille (submitted by Mary Gilmore)
- Colville Examiner 4 July 1925, p. 4, col. 4: The annual picnic of the Pend Oreille County Pioneer
association was held at Usk last Saturday. Addresses were given by J.S. Graves, past president of the Spokane
county association, and W.S. Lewis of the Eastern Washington Historical association. Many pioneers gave talks on
the experiences of early days. Music and drills were given by the Usk Camp Fire girls. Officers elected are W.I.
Fountain, Locke, president; J.W. Everett, Dalkena, vice president; Mrs. Otto McLaughlin, Usk, secretary; George A.
Kreiger, Newport, treasurer; Otto McLaughlin, Usk, historian; trustees, W.C. Cusick, Locke; F.S. Maxwell, Usk; M.M.
Sammons, Newport; Mrs. C. A. Fiedler, Newport, and Mrs. G.H. Bobier, Newport.
- Colville Examiner 31 Oct 1942 (Newport Miner): Early Steamboat Captain on Pend Oreille River - Capt.
Napoleon LeClerc, pioneer of Pend Oreille county, and widely known over the Inland Empire as a pilot in steamboat
service on the Pend Oreille, died at his home in Spokane Sunday. Until quite recently Capt. LeClerc was a familiar
figure on the streets of Spokane, retired and finding greatest pleasure in meeting old friends of the pioneer days
of this region. Capt. LeClerc reached the age of 79 years. He was one of four brothers, French Canadians, who came
to this region from Quebec in 1887 and located on down-river land to make one of the best farms in the county, located
on east of the river from Jared. Arsen and Felix were the farmers of the four brothers, Napoleon always preferring life
on the river, as did his brother Joe. Felix is deceased, Joe and Arsen and a brother in Quebec are the survivors. Piloting
steamboats for the Pend Oreille River Navigation Co. and logging interests was Napoleon's part in the development of this
region, at a time when the river was the only artery of commerce from Newport to Metaline. In 1907 he and his associates
brought to the river the steamer Metaline, the fastest large craft to serve the river, and which was able to make the
round trip, Newport to Ione, in a day, serving settlers on both sides of the river. With the building of the Idaho and
Washington Northern railroad (now the Milwaukee branch), the death knell of steamboating on the Pend Oreille was sounded
and the LeClercs sold their holdings and retired to Spokane.
- Statesmen-Examiner (Colville, WA) 21 July 1950: News item listing origins of some Pend Oreille County
place names
- Newport-Miner (date unknown, possibly 1961) - read about the steamboats that plied the Pend Oreille River from 1887 to 1909 and be sure to take a look at the photo of some of them at Ione - McKay Landing
Return to Pend Oreille Home page
Maintained by Susan Dechant, Pend Oreille County Coordinator
