The arrival of the railroad helped cement Rathdrum’s place in North Idaho’s early development. The town transformed from a prairie settlement to a thriving rail hub in the 1880s, when the Northern Pacific Railway—a predecessor to BNSF Railway—brought new life and opportunities to the region. For a time, Rathdrum even outpaced nearby Spokane and Coeur d’Alene as settlers, miners, and merchants followed the tracks west. Visitors can still enter the 1892 brick jail, restored by the local Historical Society, which offers a glimpse into the era when the railroad put Rathdrum on the map.
