Harvard, Idaho

Harvard is an unincorporated community in the northwest United States, on the Palouse of north central Idaho in Latah County.

Harvard, Idaho
Unincorporated community
Harvard in 1997
Harvard in 1997
Harvard is located in Idaho
Harvard
Harvard
Harvard is located in USA West
Harvard
Harvard
Coordinates: 46.917°N 116.73°W / 46.917; -116.73
CountryUnited States
StateIdaho
CountyLatah
Elevation
2,575 ft (785 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
83834
Area code(s)208, 986
GNIS feature ID396618[1]

Located on the Palouse River, eight miles (13 km) east of Potlatch on State Highway 6, Harvard has a post office with ZIP code 83834.[2] The elevation is 2,575 feet (785 m) above sea level.

Nearby is Camp Grizzly, a Boy Scout summer camp; it is approximately three miles (5 km) upstream to the northeast, at the base of the Hoodoo Mountains.

History

Harvard was founded in 1906 when the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway was extended to that point.[3] The community was named after Harvard University,[3] and its post office has been in operation since 1906.[4]

The railroad slated it to be called "Canfield" after landowner Homer Canfield, who did not want the honor. He suggested "Harvard" as a complement to the existing Princeton, five miles (8 km) west, which was named after Princeton, Minnesota.[3]

Other locations in the vicinity with collegiate names include Cornell, Purdue, Stanford, Vassar, Wellesley, and Yale.[3] Some were intended, others were coincidental.[3]

Harvard's population was estimated at 200 in 1909,[5] and was 50 in 1960.[6]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Harvard, Idaho
  2. ZIP Code Lookup
  3. Long, Ben (May 13, 1988). "Gold, trees lured settlers to Harvard, Princeton". Idahonian. (Moscow). (Latah County Centennial). pp. 34–35.
  4. "Latah County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  5. Davis, Ellis A. (1909). Davis' New Commercial Encyclopedia: Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, the Pacific Northwest. Ellis A. Davis. p. 189.
  6. World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. I. Field Enterprises Corporation. 1960. p. 27.
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