Tony and Suzanne Bamonte will be speaking on the 1883 gold rush, which drew thousands of fortune seekers to the confluence of Prichard and Eagle creeks in the remote Coeur d’Alene National Forest of northern Idaho. The gold seekers were met with excitement, disappointment, success, and failure, but the impact of the gold rush extended far beyond the initial hysteria. It marked the origin of the internationally renowned Coeur d’Alene Mining District (known locally as the Silver Valley), the mineral wealth from which became the economic backbone of the Inland Northwest. The initial impact transformed Spokane from a barely surviving to a thriving community, whose population simply exploded. It also gave rise to other Inland Northwest towns and supporting industries. We will touch on some of the people who brought their newfound wealth from the Silver Valley to Spokane and built numerous mansions and stately commercial buildings that still exist today. The program will include historical images to help tell the story.