Quanah Matheson, of the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe, burns sweetgrass during the 80th anniversary ceremony at North Idaho College Wednesday. The event included the dedication of the powder magazine and renaming of Fort Sherman Park to Cheamkwet (Headwaters) Park. (Photo: Duane Rasmussen)

History is written on the walls – literally and figuratively – of the 128-year-old powder magazine on the campus of North Idaho College. After a laborious three-year restoration, this Army fort relic is ready for visitors to discover its 19th-century rustic appeal – along with a bit of 21st-century technology tucked discreetly into the corners. As part of NIC’s 80th anniversary celebration, college officials gathered Wednesday evening to dedicate the 700-square-foot space as a new meeting room, study area and history exhibit. It’s authentically retro and cozy, and comes with wireless Internet, security cameras, heating and air conditioning. Panels on the newly uncovered brick walls speak to the legacy of the college, Fort Sherman in the late 1800s and the native people who gathered here for generations before white settlers arrived. Artifacts – reproductions, mostly – bring the past to life: a bugle, a cavalry saber, a lantern, a spittoon/Scott Maben, SR. More here.

• Also: Fort Sherman Park now Cheamkwet Park/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press

Question: Why do you usually visit North Idaho College?

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