Welcome to the City of Fernan Lake Village, Idaho.
The purpose of this website is to inform our visitors and residents of local news and to provide a conduit between the city council and the residents of Fernan Lake Village and its surrounding communities.
We encourage your participation in providing useful information that can be shared with residents and visitors alike. If you need to get in contact with any of the city employees please use the address, email, or telephone numbers on the contact page.
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A short history of Fernan Lake Village
“The Fernan Lake Village area was homesteaded by John Fernan, one of the first soldiers to be stationed at Fort Sherman.” Sometime in the late 1930’s, Sam Theis bought the property, “Mr. and Mrs. Theis occupied the former Fernan Lake Village home for some time and after selling it, converted the former stable into a comfortable residence” where Mr. Theis had his saddle shop. He also rented boats on the lake, raised a few horses, and during World War II, he had a huge “Victory garden” in rich soil. “When Theis filled his first Plat (Block 1) he included only 15 lots along the lakeshore.” In December of 1954 he filed a new plat to include 40 adjoining lots.
The plat is titled “Theis Subdivision- Block – 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6,” and bears a dedication, signed by Mr. and Mrs. Theis on December 1, 1954; a Certificate and Acknowledgement, signed and dated December 4, 1954; a Certificate of Approval, signed by Mr. Lunden, Board of County Commissioners for Kootenai County, dated December 4, 1954; and a Certificate of Approval –City Council, City of Coeur d’Alene, signed December 6, 1954 by Elmer Soniville, City Engineer and J.R. Wilcox, City Clerk. When Mr. Theis took his approved plat to the Coeur d’Alene City Council in 1955, asking that the area be annexed by the city, annexation did not occur. Several times between 1955 and 1957, Mr. Theis tried to have the area annexed.
By 1957 there were several homes built in the Fernan Lake Village area, and on May 20, 1957, 32 residents petitioned the Board of County Commissioners for incorporation of the “Village of Fernan Lake.” The City of Coeur d’Alene questioned validity of the Commissioners’ actions; an appeal to the district court was dismissed; and the dismissal later was upheld by the Idaho Supreme Court. The order creating Fernan Lake Village by the commissioners was signed on July 15, 1957.