Rathdrum, Idaho
city in Koostenai County, Idaho, United States
Rathdrum is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. The population was 9,211 at the 2020 census, up from 6,826 in 2010. It is part of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entire county. It is named after Rathdrum, a village in County Wicklow, Ireland.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.54 square miles (16.94 km2), all land.
Rathdrum is situated at the base of Rathdrum Mountain, which is part of the Selkirk Mountain Range.
History
In the 1800s the town was initially called Westwood in honor of one of the founders of the town, a Pony Express rider and rancher, Charles Wesley Wood, also known as "Wes." But in 1881 the postmaster in the town was informed by the federal government that the town would need to change its name since it was already taken by another town in the territory. A local businessman, Michael M. Cowley, recommended the name "Rathdrum" from County Wicklow in Ireland, his place of birth.
Near the end of the 19th century, the Northern Pacific Railway built its line westwards to Spokane and Rathdrum started to grow slowly. Until today, Rathdrum remains on the only regular railway line in Idaho, now owned by BNSF Railway; the Empire Builder of Amtrak travels through Rathdrum without stopping there.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Rathdrum, Idaho” as city in Koostenai County, Idaho, United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as city in Koostenai County, Idaho, United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1516471. VIAF identifies the subject as 145532887. The Library of Congress control number is n88295074. Authority coordinates are 47.808, -116.893. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 2010 and 1881.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Rathdrum, Idaho”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Rathdrum, Idaho primary sources, Rathdrum, Idaho archive and Rathdrum research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Rathdrum, Idaho”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Rathdrum, Idaho” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.