Russ Brown centennial lecture series to mark courthouse's 100th

Kootenai County officials announced the first event in a new Russ Brown Lecture Series to mark the 100th anniversary of the historic Kootenai County Courthouse, completed in 1926. The series is named for Russ Brown, a longtime member of the county's Historic Preservation Commission who recently passed away, and is intended to highlight the courthouse's civic and cultural role in county life.

The inaugural lecture will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 in Courtroom 1 on the courthouse's third floor. Coeur d'Alene historian Stephen Shepperd will discuss the origins of Kootenai County and the transfer of the county seat from Rathdrum to Coeur d'Alene, a pivotal episode that reshaped local governance and downtown development patterns.

The centennial framing is more than ceremonial. Courthouses are anchor institutions: they concentrate legal, administrative and public interactions that support nearby small businesses, professional services and civic activity. For Coeur d'Alene's downtown, programming around the courthouse can translate into measurable economic ripple effects through increased foot traffic at restaurants, retail and service firms. Preservation commissions often point to such events as cost-effective investments that support broader downtown vitality and property-value stability over time.

On the policy side, the lecture series spotlights the county's stewardship responsibilities for a public building entering its second century. Maintaining a 1926-era courthouse requires ongoing decisions about upkeep, accessibility upgrades and preservation standards that carry budgetary implications for the county. The Historic Preservation Commission's involvement signals an emphasis on conserving architectural and historical features while balancing functional needs for modern county operations.

For residents, the series offers a chance to connect history with current civic priorities. Understanding why and how the county seat shifted from Rathdrum to Coeur d'Alene sheds light on present-day patterns of investment, infrastructure location and political influence within Kootenai County. Local historians and civic leaders say those origin stories often inform debates over downtown planning and public spending on historic assets.

Practical details matter: the lecture takes place in Courtroom 1 on the third floor of the Kootenai County Courthouse at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 22. Attendees should plan for downtown parking and courthouse entry; the setting is an active public building where normal business continues.

The takeaway? Civic history isn't just nostalgia — it shapes where people gather, where businesses thrive and how public dollars are spent. Our two cents? Come hear the story, weigh in on preservation priorities and treat it as a working-minute investment in keeping downtown Coeur d'Alene both rooted and resilient.