Potlatch, Idaho

Company town In 1903, Frederick Weyerhaeuser incorporated the Potlatch Lumber Company (eventually becoming the Potlatch Corporation), naming his son Charles as the President. The directors of the company selected Canadian lumberman William Deary to build a mill somewhere within the company's timber holdings. The townsite was chosen because of proximity to the company's large holdings of Western White Pine on the Palouse River. Potlatch was chosen as the mill site, and in 1904, crews working under W.A. Wilkinson of Minnesota began constructing what would be the largest white pine sawmill in the world. Because of the remote placement of the mill, Potlatch was built as a company town to provide housing and commerce for the mill. A total of 143 houses were built in 1906, with 58 more built the following year; other building constructed during that period include boarding houses, an ice house, a Catholic church, hotel, school, and general store. Following the mill's closure In 1981, the mill was shut down, shortly after the town was sold to the residents. Business and political leaders of Potlatch are making a concerted effort to attract companies involved in the firearms industry; they have set aside for such businesses, located on the former site of the mill. Approximately a mile (1.6 km) west of the mill, State Highway 6 connects with U.S. Route 95, Idaho's primary north-south highway. ==Geography==

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Potlatch is north of the confluence of Rock Creek and the Palouse River, on the edge of the Palouse ecoregion. ==Climate==

Potlatch has a dry-summer humid continental climate (Dsb) according to the Köppen climate classification system. {{Weather box | width = auto | collapsed = yes | single line = yes | location = Potlatch, Idaho (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1915–present) | Jan record high F = 62 | Feb record high F = 65 | Mar record high F = 75 | Apr record high F = 90 | May record high F = 95 | Jun record high F = 107 | Jul record high F = 104 | Aug record high F = 110 | Sep record high F = 104 | Oct record high F = 90 | Nov record high F = 71 | Dec record high F = 65 | year record high F = | Jan high F = 37.3 | Feb high F = 41.0 | Mar high F = 48.0 | Apr high F = 55.9 | May high F = 65.2 | Jun high F = 70.6 | Jul high F = 82.0 | Aug high F = 83.7 | Sep high F = 74.1 | Oct high F = 59.0 | Nov high F = 44.3 | Dec high F = 36.2 | year high F = 58.1 | Jan mean F = 31.4 | Feb mean F = 33.6 | Mar mean F = 38.9 | Apr mean F = 44.9 | May mean F = 52.5 | Jun mean F = 57.8 | Jul mean F = 65.4 | Aug mean F = 65.8 | Sep mean F = 57.9 | Oct mean F = 46.8 | Nov mean F = 37.1 | Dec mean F = 30.6 | year mean F = 46.9 | Jan low F = 25.5 | Feb low F = 26.1 | Mar low F = 29.8 | Apr low F = 33.8 | May low F = 39.9 | Jun low F = 45.0 | Jul low F = 48.9 | Aug low F = 47.8 | Sep low F = 41.6 | Oct low F = 34.6 | Nov low F = 29.9 | Dec low F = 25.0 | year low F = 35.7 | Jan record low F = -30 | Feb record low F = -27 | Mar record low F = -13 | Apr record low F = 15 | May record low F = 18 | Jun record low F = 25 | Jul record low F = 27 | Aug record low F = 25 | Sep record low F = 14 | Oct record low F = 9 | Nov record low F = -16 | Dec record low F = -29 | year record low F = | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation inch = 2.76 | Feb precipitation inch = 2.08 | Mar precipitation inch = 2.80 | Apr precipitation inch = 2.33 | May precipitation inch = 2.48 | Jun precipitation inch = 1.60 | Jul precipitation inch = 0.84 | Aug precipitation inch = 0.75 | Sep precipitation inch = 0.95 | Oct precipitation inch = 2.16 | Nov precipitation inch = 2.85 | Dec precipitation inch = 2.90 | year precipitation inch = 24.50 | unit precipitation days = 0.01 in | Jan precipitation days = 10.4 | Feb precipitation days = 9.1 | Mar precipitation days = 10.4 | Apr precipitation days = 9.4 | May precipitation days = 8.4 | Jun precipitation days = 7.0 | Jul precipitation days = 3.5 | Aug precipitation days = 2.7 | Sep precipitation days = 4.1 | Oct precipitation days = 8.0 | Nov precipitation days = 10.5 | Dec precipitation days = 9.5 | year precipitation days = 93.0 | Jan snow inch = 13.1 | Feb snow inch = 7.6 | Mar snow inch = 3.1 | Apr snow inch = 1.3 | May snow inch = 0.2 | Jun snow inch = 0.0 | Jul snow inch = 0.0 | Aug snow inch = 0.0 | Sep snow inch = 0.0 | Oct snow inch = 0.2 | Nov snow inch = 5.2 | Dec snow inch = 10.6 | year snow inch = 41.3 | unit snow days = 0.1 in | Jan snow days = 4.9 | Feb snow days = 3.2 | Mar snow days = 1.9 | Apr snow days = 0.4 | May snow days = 0.1 | Jun snow days = 0.0 | Jul snow days = 0.0 | Aug snow days = 0.0 | Sep snow days = 0.0 | Oct snow days = 0.1 | Nov snow days = 1.9 | Dec snow days = 4.0 | year snow days = 16.5 | source = NOAA ==Demographics==

In August 1906 the town had a population of about 1,000; and a year later, it reached around 1,500. of 2010, there were 804 people, 339 households, and 218 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 368 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White, 0.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 339 households, of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 32.9 years. 28.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. 2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 791 people, 332 households, and 222 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 357 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.59% White, 0.88% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 1.26% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population. There were 332 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,021, and the median income for a family was $35,385. Males had a median income of $30,833 versus $21,964 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,449. About 11.1% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over. ==Notable people==

• Roderick Asher - geologist • Guyle Fielder - former NHL player • Jane Goude - actress, born in Potlatch • Malcolm Renfrew - chemist • Pat Shea - former NHL player ==See also==