Treaty Rock Park

On June 1, 1871, Frederick Post made a deal with Chief Seltice, a prominent Coeur d Alene Indian leader, to obtain more than 200 acres of Spokane River land to start a mill here. As a part of the agreement Post would provide lumber to the tribe. They recorded this land cession on a prominent rock adjacent to Post Falls. This inscription can still be seen. Posts sawmill located at an important hydroelectric site now used for a power plant led to development of a townsite at Post Falls. Although there is no evidence that a treaty was actually signed here, the rock has come to symbolize a verbal agreement between two men. It is unclear whether they signed the rock as the initial contract or for later as a memorial. It is possible that the Post Falls treaty rock may be the only place in the United States where a contact with a native tribe was signed on rock. Twenty years later, the final treaty of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe still recognized Posts use of the land to develop water power on both sides of the river. There is no record that money exchanged hands between Post and Seltice. The relationship between the Tribe and Post was held in high regard and when Frederick Post died in 1908, members of the tribe attended his service and lined the Old Church interior to honor Posts passing.

The Little Falls of the Spokane River was eventually changed to Post Falls in honor of Frederick Post. Few men in this part of the Inland Empire had a leading role like Frederick Post. His pioneer businesses were an early part of Rathdrum, Post Falls and Spokane. The Post name remains in all three communities.

This is a National Historic Register site. The rock art shows pictographs represented by a horse, three human figures following a coyote figure, a horse, and tally marks. The petroglyph includes the name Frederick Post and the date June 1, 1871. The pictographs represent an individuals artistic expression of a dream, event or important interpretation, possibly from a nearby Coeur d’Alene or Schitsu’umsh village.