Kettle Falls Historical Center
Kettle Falls is the most important historical site in Northeast Washington. Set in the most complicated geology of the North American Continent, it flowed over extremely hard quartzite rock that the Columbia River could not cut through. The river tumbled large rocks at the base of the falls to churn cauldrons (the kettles) as deep as 10 feet. The roar of the falls could be heard for 10 miles downstream. Native peoples fished here each summer for salmon and traveled from up to 700 miles away at the source of the river.
This annual gathering and the natural river routes to this spot made it an important location for trade. Early trappers from the Northwest and Hudson Bay Companies took advantage of the cultural and commercial potential of the site as well as the bountiful opportunity provided in the fertile land to the north by establishing Hudson Bay Fort Colvile just north of the falls in 1826. The rich history of the location can be explored many ways.