The Witches of Rathdrum

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Background and Statistics

RATHDRUM, IDAHO:

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Rathdrum is a city in  Kootenai County, Idaho , United States. The population was 6,826 at the 2010 Census , up from 4816 in 2000. It is part of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area , which includes the entire county. It is named after Rathdrum in Ireland .

Geography: Rathdrum is located on the Rathdrum Prairie at an elevation of 2,211 feet above sea level.   According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.95 square miles, all land. Rathdrum is situated at the base of Rathdrum Mountain, which is part of the Selkirk Mountain Range.

History: In the 1800s the town was initially called Westwood in honor of one of the founders of the town, a rider and rancher, Charles Wesley Wood, also known as "Wes." But in 1881 the postmaster in the town was informed by the federal government that the town would need to change its name since it was already taken by another town in the territory. A local businessman, Michael M. Cowley, recommended the name "Rathdrum" from County Wicklow in Ireland, his place of birth.

As of the Census of 2010, there were 6,826 people, 2,427 households, and 1,852 families residing in the city. The population density was 1380.38 people per square mile. There were 2,561 housing units at an average density of 517.90 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95.0% White, 0.2%  African American, 1.1%Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population.

There were 2,427 households of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out with 16.7% under the age of 20, 57.4% from 20 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.3 years. Females represented the majority of the population at 51.6%, with males in the minority at 48.4%.

RATHDRUM.ORG:

Settled in 1861, the City of Rathdrum is located in the Panhandle of Northern Idaho, 12 miles northwest of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and 25 miles east of Spokane, Washington. In the late 1860's, a pony express relay station was established in Rathdrum and in 1882, the first Northern Pacific rail line was laid allowing ore from the Silver Valley to be shipped by rail to the mills.

Rathdrum is one of the oldest towns in North Idaho. From the beginning, Rathdrum has been an important crossroads, the Indians referred to the area as the "Great Road of the Flatheads." Hudson Bay and Pacific Fur trading companies traversed the Rathdrum Prairie in the early 1800's, followed by the Jesuit missionaries in the 1840s. Originally named "Westwood" after Charles Wesley Wood, local pony express rider, rancher and land developer, the city became the County seat for Kootenai County in 1881. In 1908, electors voted the County seat to Coeur d'Alene. In the late 1800s, the city's name was changed from Westwood to Rathdrum after Rathdroma, Ireland, the birthplace of a local businessman.

Present day Rathdrum is a thriving community of 6,500. In spite of three major fires, the earliest in 1884 and the last in 1924, many historical buildings still stand including Saint Stanislaus Church, the oldest brick church in the state of Idaho. Today, Rathdrum is the crossroads for State Highways 41 and 53, linking the Rathdrum area with Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington.