Mullan, Idaho
Encyclopedia
Mullan is a city located in a sheltered canyon of the Coeur d'Alene Mountains
in Shoshone County
in the northern part of the U.S. state
of Idaho
. The population was 840 at the 2000 census and decreased to 692 at the 2010 census. The city is in the east end of the Silver Valley mining district; the elevation is 3250 feet (990 m) above sea level. The Lucky Friday mine is several hundred yards east of the city center http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=11&X=739&Y=6572&W=3&qs=%7cMullan%7cID%7c The active mine (silver
, lead
, & zinc
) descends more than 6000 feet (1.8 km) below the surface.
Interstate 90
runs by the south side of the city, and the Montana
border at Lookout Pass
is 4 miles (6.4 km) east at 4700 feet (1432 m).
came to it in 1889 and the city was incorporated in 1904.
During the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899
200 miners from Mullan joined the Dynamite Express. In the aftermath of the labor war, many of Mullan's leaders and Populist elected officials including the sheriff were arrested and sent to the Wallace bull pens
The city was named for West Point
graduate John Mullan
, who was in charge of selecting a wagon route (commonly called the Mullan Road
) between Fort Benton
(Montana
) and Fort Walla Walla
(Washington). Lieutenant Mullan, a topographical engineer, began gathering information in 1854. Delayed by the Indian War of 1858, construction began in 1859 from Fort Walla Walla. The highest elevation of the road was Mullan Pass
at 5168 feet (1575 m), which is about 7 miles (11.3 km) east of the city on the Idaho-Montana border. After the strenuous project was completed in 1860, floods wiped out substantial stretches of the road, and the road was re-routed in 1861. Floods again damaged the road, and ultimately, no provision for maintenance was provided.
Mullan's population has shrunk consistently in recent decades from a total of 2,291 in 1940.
The Morning Club was built by the Morning Mine as a gift to the town. The Club is now owned by the city and is home to a bowling alley and the library. There is also a multipurpose room complete with stage.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 840 people, 367 households, and 227 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,011.6 people per square mile (390.8/km²). There were 456 housing units at an average density of 549.1 per square mile (212.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.31% White, 1.43% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 1.19% from other races
, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.
There were 367 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,417, and the median income for a family was $36,917. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,943. About 7.8% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Coeur d'Alene Mountains
The Coeur d'Alene Mountains are the northwestern-most portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the northern Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States....
in Shoshone County
Shoshone County, Idaho
Shoshone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1864, named for the Native American Shoshone tribe. The population was 12,765 at the 2010 census. Shoshone County is commonly referred to as the Silver Valley, due to its century-old mining history...
in the northern part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The population was 840 at the 2000 census and decreased to 692 at the 2010 census. The city is in the east end of the Silver Valley mining district; the elevation is 3250 feet (990 m) above sea level. The Lucky Friday mine is several hundred yards east of the city center http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=11&X=739&Y=6572&W=3&qs=%7cMullan%7cID%7c The active mine (silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, & zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
) descends more than 6000 feet (1.8 km) below the surface.
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Idaho
In the U.S. state of Idaho, Interstate 90 has a small routing in the panhandle, just under 74 miles . Traveling east from Spokane, Washington, I-90 passes through Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, over Fourth of July Summit, and through the Silver Valley before entering Montana at Lookout Pass.I-90 is...
runs by the south side of the city, and the Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
border at Lookout Pass
Lookout Pass
Lookout Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of the northwestern United States. The pass, in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains of the Bitterroot Range, is on the border between Idaho and Montana, traversed by Interstate 90 at an elevation of 4710 feet above sea level.Lookout Pass is the...
is 4 miles (6.4 km) east at 4700 feet (1432 m).
History
Mullan came into existence in 1884 when with the discovery of gold at the Gold Hunter Mine which turned out to be a lead and silver producer. That same year George Good made a lead-silver strike with the morning mine and Mullan came into existence between the two mines. The site was filed in August 1888, after the village had twenty log and fifteen frame houses, a sawmill, and a population of 150. The Northern Pacific RailwayNorthern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
came to it in 1889 and the city was incorporated in 1904.
During the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899
There were two related incidents between miners and mine owners in Coeur d'Alene: the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892, and the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899....
200 miners from Mullan joined the Dynamite Express. In the aftermath of the labor war, many of Mullan's leaders and Populist elected officials including the sheriff were arrested and sent to the Wallace bull pens
The city was named for West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
graduate John Mullan
John Mullan (road builder)
-Biography:Mullan was born in Norfolk, Virginia and graduated from West Point in 1852. He became a member of Isaac Stevens's party to explore the newly-created Washington Territory. Mullan was placed in charge of selecting a wagon route between Fort Benton and Fort Walla Walla...
, who was in charge of selecting a wagon route (commonly called the Mullan Road
Mullan Road
Mullan Road was the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Inland of the Pacific Northwest. It was built by US Army Lieut. John Mullan between the spring of 1859 and summer 1860. It led from Fort Benton, Montana, the navigational head of the Missouri River to Fort Walla Walla,...
) between Fort Benton
Fort Benton, Montana
Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. A portion of the city was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1961. Established a full generation beforethe U.S...
(Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
) and Fort Walla Walla
Fort Walla Walla
Fort Walla Walla is a fort located in Walla Walla, Washington. It was established in 1858. Today, the complex contains a park, a museum, and a hospital.Fort Walla Walla should be distinguished from Fort Nez Percés or Old Fort Walla Walla ....
(Washington). Lieutenant Mullan, a topographical engineer, began gathering information in 1854. Delayed by the Indian War of 1858, construction began in 1859 from Fort Walla Walla. The highest elevation of the road was Mullan Pass
Mullan Pass
The Mullan Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the continental divide on the border between Powell County, Montana and Lewis and Clark County, Montana, west of Helena, Montana in Helena National Forest at a height of .The Northern Pacific...
at 5168 feet (1575 m), which is about 7 miles (11.3 km) east of the city on the Idaho-Montana border. After the strenuous project was completed in 1860, floods wiped out substantial stretches of the road, and the road was re-routed in 1861. Floods again damaged the road, and ultimately, no provision for maintenance was provided.
Mullan's population has shrunk consistently in recent decades from a total of 2,291 in 1940.
Mullan Today
Although Mullan is significantly smaller than it was in the hayday of the Morning and Lucky Friday mines, there remains a strong community. The Mullan School District operates the John Mullan Elementary School (K-6) and the Mullan Junior/Senior High School (7-12). Mullan also has its own fire department. Mullan also owns and maintains an Olympic sized swimming pool for community use.The Morning Club was built by the Morning Mine as a gift to the town. The Club is now owned by the city and is home to a bowling alley and the library. There is also a multipurpose room complete with stage.
Geography
Mullan is located at 47°28′10"N 115°47′53"W (47.469348, -115.798060).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 840 people, 367 households, and 227 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,011.6 people per square mile (390.8/km²). There were 456 housing units at an average density of 549.1 per square mile (212.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.31% White, 1.43% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 1.19% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.
There were 367 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,417, and the median income for a family was $36,917. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,943. About 7.8% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Further reading
- Conley, Cort. Idaho for the Curious. CambridgeCambridge, IdahoCambridge is a city in Washington County, Idaho, United States. The population was 360 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cambridge is located at ....
: Backeddy, 1982, ISBN 0-9603566-3-0, 451-53, 493-95.
External links
- Mullan School District
- Spokane Journal of Commerce - Lucky Friday mine to expand - 13-Sep-2007
- Hecla Mining.com - Lucky Friday mine - Mullan
- Topographic map of Mullan from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps