Posted on April 22, 2009 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

River Lodge at Blackhawk, built on a foundation of rich Idaho heritage.

Exclusive to Blackhawk Newsletter May 2009
by Stephanie Williams

Up near the United States and Canadian border lies the quiet Idaho town of Bonners Ferry.  The small rural community was formally established in 1893.  It provided a hub and gathering place for the weary lumbermen and miners looking for a respite from the drudgery of their routine.  The men would down whiskey and trade stories of the day’s “near death” experiences.  Undoubtedly, tales would grow taller as the evening wore on.  Surviving explosions, or maybe having a Ponderosa Pine fall on top of you would lead to an arm wrestle to decide the real truth.

Standing high above all the shenanigans, Bonners Ferry has three mountain ranges guarding secrets of her rich western history:  the Selkirk, Purcell and Cabinet.

Who would have known that those mountains, quiet observers of the rough-hewn mining days, would provide people of today with the opportunity to enjoy such a peaceful and modern community center:  the new River Lodge at Blackhawk on the River.

The grand exposed timbers that you will notice in the River Lodge were harvested from those mountains in Bonners Ferry, Idaho (as fire salvaged timber.)  Each truss cut to exacting angles lend support and gracefulness to the premiere gathering center.

Local milling professional, Larry Duff, personally oversaw the harvesting of the lumber. Handsaws were used in order to lessen the impact on the forest environment.  Horses were used to transport the timber from those old Idaho Mountains.

Also rich in Idaho heritage are the reclaimed timbers used as siding for the River Lodge.

Back in the mid 1800’s homesteaders continued to push westward to claim their piece of the American Dream.  The land along the fertile hills of the Hoodoo known as Latah County became one of the most populous counties in the state.  The arrival of the railroad in 1885 continued to fuel the wheels of commerce in the mining and lumber towns of Moscow, Troy, and Bovill.

It was in this faded old town of Bovill, Idaho that the developers at Blackhawk were recently able to reclaim the wood from a century old train trellis.  It was an abandoned old support, doomed to fade into the earth from which it grew.  It was a grand structure longing for a purpose.

The wood from that trellis was taken down and milled in nearby Riggins, Idaho.  You can see it, in its entire refined splendor, at the River Lodge at Blackhawk.

Blackhawk developer Sima Muroff says reclaiming these types of native and aged timbers provides for practically maintenance-free materials.  These wood products will continue to age gracefully as time goes on.  All it needs is a little oil every once in a while to maintain it’s distinctly rugged good looks and to stay well preserved.

He goes on to mention that this siding is one of the many forward thinking aspects of the building designed to keep HOA costs down.  Less maintenance on pre-aged reclaimed wood means less cost to homeowners.

As I walked through the River Lodge recently, I could hear distant echoes of old Idaho miners telling tall tales.  One miner says, “Hanging out at the River Lodge is much better than having a tree fall on you.  And if you don’t believe that I’ll arm wrestle you.”  Hmm.  No arm wrestling today thank you.

S.W.