"Athol has been platted on school section No. 16, township 53, range 3, W. B. M. The town was laid out by the state and as yet the citizens have no titles to their property. This is a matter that will soon be adjusted, however, and has in no way interfered with the progress of the town. In 1900 it was credited with a population of forty-eight, which has increased to something over one hundred. Athol is a station on the main line of the Northern Pacific railroad, ten miles northeast of Rathdrum. It is eight miles from Steamboat Landing, on Pend Oreille, on the east, and about the same distance from Spirit Lake, on the west. The surrounding country is heavily timbered and will make excellent agricultural land when eventually cleared. Grains, vegetables and fruits grow abundantly where clearings have been made. Stock raising is also a profitable industry. Lumber manufacturing is now the chief industry. A sawmill was built here in December, 1902, by Hackett & Wilson. In January, 1903, Huber Rasher and Charles Kingman bought an interest in the plant. It is now owned and officered by Huber Rasher, president, R. L. Hackett, vice-president, and Charles Kingman, secretary. The mill has a capacity of twenty-five thousand feet per day.
 
    A store of general merchandise is owned by S. H. Watkins ; Butler Bros. conduct a drug store ; the Pacific hotel is owned by George Balters ; Horsler & Wike have a general store : Snyder & Williams run a blacksmith and wood shop ; James J. Dumar is postmaster ; R. N. Studley has a restaurant ; J. A. Williams is manager of the Athol Mercantile Company ; a feed barn is owned by Hilbert & Studley ; a hall has been erected by the Athol Improvement Company, in which the I. O. O. F. have a controlling interest. The Methodists have a good church building, which was put up in 1900 ; Rev. C. T. Coon is pastor of the congregation ; the Baptists are about to erect a building ; their services are now conducted by Rev. C. M. Hurt and Rev. C. C. Hand. The public schools were taught the past year by Professor Daniel Van Duzer, formerly county superintendent of schools.

    The first settlers at Athol were the railroad section foreman, S. and P. L. Bennett, who were sent here shortly after the track was laid. Aside form these the first permanent settler was A. H. Noble, who took up a homestead, which adjoins the townsite, in 1892. The postoffice was established in 1895, with I. F. Irons, postmaster. The pioneer business man is S. H. Watkins, who opened his store in 1895. A school house was built in in 1902; before its construction school was taught in the M. E. church building, the first teacher being Miss Moss. The first minister located at Athol was Rev. Hobson, now of Coeur d'Alene. Early in their history of the village lodges of the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. were organized, and they now have a membership of eight and forty, respectively.

    Athol is far enough removed from the neighboring business centers -- Rathdrum and Sandpoint -- to make a good town. There are extensive heavily timbered areas all around the town and development of the timber industry is certain to bring men and mills to the locality. Its shipping facilities are good and in time it will receive splendid support from the farming areas which are yearly becoming more extensive and more productive. Athol is certain to grow into a thriving business center."