Latah County

	More About Latah County
County Statistics
Interesting Facts
What To See And Do
Famous Latah County Natives and Residents

Latah County, Idaho's 15th county, was established on May 14, 1888, with its county seat at Moscow. This area was first formed as Lah-Toh County in 1864 with Coeur d'Alene as the county seat. In 1867, the name Lah-Toh was dropped when the area was placed in Nez Perce County. In 1888, the U.S. Congress created the county was it is now constituted, the 16th Idaho county and the only Idaho county to be created by Congress. It is named for Latah Creek, which drains the northwest corner. The name is NezPerce and means "the place of pine trees and pestle," because the Indians found stones here suitable for pulverizing camas roots and shade under the pine trees in which to work.

Return to County Profiles Main Page, or page to next county, Lemhi.

County Statistics:

County Seat: Moscow
Population: 35,169
Latah County website

Borders:  Benewah, Clearwater and Nez Perce counties; Washington state

Interesting Facts:

Latah County is borders Washington State. It is the 10th largest county in population and 30th largest in area. Less than 17 percent of the county is federall owned. Agriculture and the University of Idaho are the foundations of the local economy.

Moscow (pronounces mahs-koe) is the home of the University of Idaho. It was named for Moscow, Pennsylvania, and Moscow, Iowa, the first hometowns of S.M. Neff, who completed the post office application for the town. Moscow is from a Finnish word, meaning "place for washing."

Moscow's international sister city is Villa Carlos Fonseca, Nicaragua.

The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is held at the University of Idaho every February. It is the largest jazz event in the Northwest.

In 2005, the town of Potlatch celebrated its centenntial. I was pleased to recognize this landmark anniversary in the Congressional Record.

What To See And Do:

Appaloosa Museum and Heritage Center:  Idaho's state horse is the focus of this newly-expanded museum in Moscow.  Exhibits include early evidence of appaloosa in art and literature, the relationship between the Appaloosa and the Nez Perce Tribe, and highlights of the modern Appaloosa Horse Club.

McConnell Mansion Museum:  This home, built by William J. McConnell who was known as the "Merchant Prince of Idaho," was completed in 1886. McConnell was elected to two terms as Idaho's Governor in 1892 and 1894.  The two-story house is a blend of several architectural styles, including Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne and Eastlake.  Young visitors may enjoy a treasure hunt through the rooms as well as the hands-on artifacts. The rooms throughout the house have been restored to historic periods that reflect the house's history, from turn-of-the century parlors to the 1930s kitchen.

 

Famous Latah County Natives and Residents:

Terrel Howard "T.H." Bell (1921-1996) served as the Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985). He was born and educated in Lava Hot Springs, and earned a M.A. from the University of Idaho. He spent most of his professional career in Utah before being appointed by Reagan. He rose from high school teacher to college professor to administrative position and was noted for driving a U-Haul truck from Utah to Washington when he moved to take over the U.S. Department of Education in 1981.

Carol Ryrie Brink (1895-1981) was born in Moscow. Her parents died when she was very young and she was raised by her grandmother, Caddie Woodhouse. Brink later became a children's author and told of her grandmother's life in the book, Caddie Woodlawn. The novel won the 1936 Newbery Medal.

Willam Mark Felt, Sr. (1913- ) is a former FBI agent who was revealed in 2005 to be "Deep Throat," the secret source of information on Watergate for Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Felt was the second-ranking man at the FBI when he provided Woodward and Bernstein with critical leads on the story that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon. For more than thirty years, Felt denied involvement with Woodward and Bernstein. Felt was born in Twin Falls and graduated from Twin Falls High School. He also graduated from the University of Idaho.

Dan O'Brien (1966- ) took the gold medal in the decathlon in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He graduated from the University of Idaho in Moscow, which honored him by naming its Track and Field Complex after him. O'Brien was a three-time World Champion (1991, 1993 and 1995) and five-time National Champion Decathlete.

(Sources include The Idaho Blue Book, 2005-2006; Idaho Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary; County Profiles of Idaho.)