Kullyspell House Hope, Idaho

Kullyspell House near Hope, Idaho

We decided to drive down the road and see where David Thompson established his fur trading business in 1809. This date impresses me because Lewis and Clark were making their historic journey between 1804 and 1806. There was a lot of "unofficial" activity in the west that wasn't necessarily recorded as evidenced by this David Thompson fellow who constructed a building, the (Kullyspell House) in Idaho just three years after Lewis and Clark passed this way.

The Kullyspell House was the first white-owned building/establishment, and first trading post, in what much later became the state of Idaho. David Thompson was an explorer/fur trader employed by the North West Company.

The Kullyspell House was only one large log structure with two stone chimneys, one located at each end of the log building.

If you are wondering Kullyspell was how David Thompson decided to spell the name of the local Indians he was trading with. The Kullyspell House was constructed on a trail that the Kalispel, Flatheads and other tribes used when going in search of buffalo. The city of Kalispell, in nearby Montana, is a respelling of the name. Kullyspel was David Thompson's spelling of the name the local Indians called themselves.

I can only imagine trying to spell something like that.

Hope, Idaho

David Thompson's fur trading business was located on a peninsular about 2-miles east of the small community of Hope, Idaho.

The community had signs all over the place pleading for people to NOT feed the deer.

Hope, Idaho

The Hope, Idaho signs obviously were not working. Deer were in yards like they were pets. Someone was feeding them.

Near Hope, Idaho

The greenery in and around Hope, Idaho is so beautiful.

July 1, 2007.

We are staying in Hi De Ho RV Park, in Sandpoint/Ponderay, Idaho $32.40 gravel interior roads, FHU including cable and wifi. This is an OK RV Park.-----but much a much better choice than the campground at the Best Western in Sandpoint (the Best Western campground had LOCATION but is was within feet of a HEAVILY used RR track and was nothing but a badly maintained dirt parking lot.

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Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix