Historical Legacy

In 2010, Idaho State Governor Butch Otter came to Settler Creek for the 2nd time and ‘counter-signed’ our National Historic Register Listing Certificate

The Settlers Creek property, along with the separate and adjoining 150 acres parcel was homesteaded by Fred Mooney in 1907. The homestead process was not easy nor a forgone conclusion as is actually started in with an application for homesteaded land 1902 and took 5 years of land clearing, fruit tree planting, building and other improvements to ‘proof’ the application in order to finally acquire the deed).

In 1923, Fred Mooney sold the farm to his son Ned Mooney who in 1929 traded the property to Roy Stockton for a farm in nearby Cougar Gulch. After going through several other buyers, in 1957, Clarence and Alice Dahlberg & family, who was simultaneously operating a 600+ acre farm in the Rockford Bay area of lake Coeur d’ alene purchased the property and immediately started a dairy operation.

Jim & Isa Varela, parents of Chris Varela (Owner of Settlers Creek) purchased the Dahlberg farm in 1978. The Dahlberg’s acquired the farm in1957 and operated a dairy farm to 1978 when it was sold to the Varela Family.

When the Dahlberg’s kids were old enough to help-out and until they got old enough to move-on, the dairy operation typically ran approximately 60 head of cows but at the time of sale to the Varela’s in 1978, Clarence and Alice, in their 60’s was still milking approximately 30 head with just the two of them.

The path to the Varela’s acquiring the farmstead from the Dahlberg’s and finally to starting Settlers Creek is a story told in on the ‘Backstory’ page….(hit this link)

Dahlberg Dairy Farm, 1962