Name

No history of the area is complete without describing the many historic town, places, and landmarks that are a part of this County's story. Athol First known as Colton, the town was renamed Athol by a settler who came from Athol, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Athol was named after a town in Scotland named for the Duke of Atholl. 

Development of Athol

A Northern Pacific Railroad station was built in Athol in 1882, and settlers hoped for a vast agricultural paradise. The jack pine forest first attracted early settlers to Athol, and logging, milling, and agriculture created prosperity. By 1903 there were many businesses opened, including:

• A Drugstore
• A Jewelry Store
• A Mercantile Company
• Pacific Hotel
• Restaurants
• A Saloon
• A Smithy

The depression reduced Athol's importance, and the community declined until the 1940s when Farragut Naval Training Station opened.