Crane House and Crane Historical Society Museum

Located at the southern end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, on Harrison's main street, the Crane House Museum offers a glimpse of village life in the late 1800s. Originally serving as the Crane family's private residence, the house now represents the economic boom and eventual demise of Harrison. Although Harison was once a vibrant place in an ideal geographical location, it ran into trouble soon after its establishment in 1891. The land Harrison was founded on was formerly part of the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation that tribal representatives ceded to the U.S. government in 1880, or so the townspeople thought. Just one year after its establishment, a government survey revealed Harrison was built on a portion of land that still belonged to the reservation. In 1893, the Coeur d'Alene signed another treaty ceding the land to Harrison.

As the timber industry grew, so did Harrison’s economy. At its peak, the town’s nine sawmills collectively produced 500,000 feet of lumber per day. While these sawmills provided economic stability and growth for the town and its residents, a fire broke out in a lumber-drying kiln in 1917 and burned down the town. Harrison never recovered. The Crane House is one of the only original structures from the homestead that remains. Visitors to the museum can find photos, booklets and artifacts that help to tell Harrison’s history. Visitors can also see the Harrison city jail, which was built in the 1920s and relocated to the same property in recent years.