Town file
Kellogg, Idaho
Kellogg, Idaho (Shoshone County, Idaho) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 597, "Talkative Serial Killer" (15 May 2025).
- Town
- Kellogg
- County
- Shoshone County
- State
- Idaho
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 597
- Approximate location
- 47.535, -116.133
Episode 597 / 15 May 2025 / 179 min / full
Talkative Serial Killer
"This week, in Kellogg, Idaho; up in the northern part of Idaho, in Shoshone County." about 0:04:21
The case: Groene family murders and the kidnappings of Shasta and Dylan Groene (May 2005); Murder of Anthony Martinez (April 1997); Murders of Carmen Cubias and Sammy Joe White (1996). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2025
- Population
- 2,255
- Median age
- about 34
- Median household income
- $35,658
- Median home value
- $256,900
- Two-bedroom rent
- about $860 a month
- Cost of living
- 77
- Religious
- 25%
- Property crime
- ▲ slightly above the national average
- Violent crime
- ▼ just below average
History, in brief
- The town motto is "founded by a jackass and inhabited by his descendants". about 0:05:27
- Kellogg is named after Noah Kellogg, whose donkey alerted a prospector to a mountain outcropping of galena, a lead ore often containing silver. about 0:05:37
- Kellogg was incorporated in 1907. about 0:06:16
- The population in 1960 was 6,000; it was a booming mining town. about 0:06:19
- It became a centre of silver mining, with a lot of silver coming out of the ground. about 0:06:24
- In May 1972 the Sunshine Mine in Kellogg was the site of one of the worst mining accidents in US history, a fire that killed 91 miners. about 0:06:30
- Eight days after the fire started, when everyone was assumed dead, two men emerged from the 4,800-foot level near a fresh-air source. about 0:06:54
- The Bunker Hill mine and smelter closed in 1981 as the yield waned, and thousands lost their jobs. about 0:07:24
- Mining operations caused regional lead contamination of the water and soil. about 0:07:36
- Kellogg has since been developing as a resort town, trying to take advantage of skiing. about 0:07:46
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A great little town with lots of character and many surrounding towns; peaceful, not too many people and not a lot of hype, surrounded by mountains with easy access to hunting, fishing, rivers, lakes and hiking trails."about 0:08:11
3 stars
"A very small town, home to Dave Smith, whose vehicles are everywhere; the reviewer took two stars away for that, but calls the scenery beautiful with plenty of trails and rivers for outdoors people."about 0:08:39
1 star
"Completely toxic in a literal sense: the environment was deemed poisonous, an entire school district of elementary-age children had the highest blood lead levels in the world, people are in denial and domestic violence, sexual assault, suicides and homicides are through the roof."about 0:09:18
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho33 miles
- Post Falls, Idaho40 miles
- Sandpoint, Idaho55 miles
- Deer Park, Washington68 miles
- Kendrick, Idaho68 miles
- Hot Springs, Montana68 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.