Industry

Pend Oreille County’s abundant natural resources have long made it an attractive location for industry. The first commercial commodity in the region was furs. Later, streams and gravel bars along the Pend Oreille River attracted placer miners. In time, loggers arrived and sawmills were established. Hardrock mining hastened the development of transportation infrastructure and eventually a cement industry flourished. By the mid-twentieth century, hydropower dams were built and the area’s mountain landscape fueled a burgeoning tourism industry.