Editing Kootenai County, Idaho (section)

===Kootenai County organized===
After almost 17 years of existence, Kootenai County finally organized on July 9, 1881.<ref>{{cite web|title=Idaho State Historical Society Reference Series: Counties Which no Longer Exist|url=https://history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/reference-series/0011.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502182159/http://www.history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/reference-series/0011.pdf |archive-date=May 2, 2012 |url-status=live|publisher=Idaho State Historical Society|access-date=February 22, 2017}}</ref>  The county's importance grew as a result of completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1882 to Rathdrum as well as discovery of gold on the Coeur d'Alene River in neighboring Shoshone County in 1883. Existing settlements grew and new ones were established as a result. Settlement commenced on the railroad at Athol in 1882 and Harrison in 1890.