DescriptionBelknap began in 1881 as Enterprise. It grew into a railroad town when the Northern Pacific Railroad established a section house, depot, and water tank there in 1882. The railroad renamed the town Belknap to honor Robert L. Belknap, treasurer of the Northern Pacific, in 1879. The town was laid out in 1884 and expanded with the boom that accompanied the nearby Coeur d’Alene gold rush. The Belknap Trail, one of 2 main trails into the Coeur d’Alene Mining District from Montana Territory, began at Belknap and ran north along Big Beaver Creek, then west over the Continental Divide into Idaho.Personal NamesBelknap, Robert L.Other Name(s)EnterpriseContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation2395 ft.CountySanders County
