Mineral County has a rich cultural heritage. Various Indian tribes—including the Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille, and Nez Perce—traveled along the river corridor as they moved east to hunt buffalo. Settlers moved into the area in search of their fortunes. Mining and lumber became the primary industries. The U.S. Forest Service oversees much of the land. Mineral County, with its scattered small communities, retains much of the determined and hardy character needed to survive in the shadow of the mountains and the wide expanses of forest.