Club History

Once it had been a favorite gathering place of the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribes. The wooded bluff on the northwestern shore of the lake was surrounded on three sides by forests rich with game. Trout swarmed in the cold waters of the spring-fed lake, set in the foothills of the great mountains to the east. Berries were abundant and on nearby meadows fat bulbs could be dug that were baked and dried for winter meals. Year after year the tribe returned to the favored spot. But according to tribal legend there finally came a time when the game grew scarce, the berries few, and the bulbs wizened; the fish no longer came to the net or line. The medicine man said that the Great Spirit wanted the tribe to leave and seek out a new hunting ground. But no one was willing to move on. Then one evening a great whirlpool engulfed the tribe's chief as he fished from his canoe out on the lake. The tribe finally sensed the Great Spirit's shortening temper, packed up the tents and left, never to return. In July, 1907 the Club was opened on this site by the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad as the "Bozanta Tavern" and became known nationwide as a posh resort and home to socialites from the country. In 1927 the tavern was taken over by a group of Spokane and Coeur d'Alene area businessmen and became what is now known as the Hayden Lake Country Club. The address is 2362 East Bozanta Drive. "Bozanta" is an Indian word that means Meeting Place by the Lake. Today the Club is regarded as one of the premier clubs in the Western United States and retains the early reputation of "The Switzerland of America." If you would like more information about the surrounding area, please click on the following link to go to the Coeur d'Alene Visitor Bureau web site.