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History
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Old
Sandpoint
To experience the
charm of a town one must live there. Bob Selle is an old-timer in
the Sandpoint area. Here, in his own words, he gives us a peek at a
young person's Sandpoint of yesteryear... |
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Clark Fork Ferry
In 1916 when the drive for a bridge over the Clark Fork river was
nearing an end a reporter wrote "The Clarkfork river basin affording
an easy grade will in the end be the through road for the northern
part of the state. It is the only feasible pass for the north..." |
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City Hall
The old building stood
across the creek near the railroad station. There were signs
advertising chewing tobacco and Bull Durham nailed to its walls... |
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Early Sandpoint "Hang
Town"
Today Sandpoint, Idaho is known for its beautiful lake and majestic
mountains. It is known as a good place to find serenity and a sense
of peace.
But the Sandpoint of old had a different reputation. As early as
1884 Sandpoint had garnered quite a reputation... |
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Ferry Boat Accidents
In our day and time
the crossing of a river is an easy thing to do. There are bridges at
every desirable location and they are crossed without a thought. It
has not been too long ago that most of the rivers in Bonner County
were crossed by the use of ferries... |
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Chinese in Hope
The Chinese that were
located in Hope, Idaho came there on contract to help build the
Northern Pacific Railroad... |
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McFarland House
The old building is
called the McFarland House by practically everyone that lives in the
Sandpoint, Idaho area. It is located on the corner of Highway 95 and
1st Avenue and has become a landmark. The history of the home
indicates that it was not originally the McFarland home... |
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The Long Bridge
On 26 May 1908 the first pilings for the first bridge connecting
Sagle, Idaho with Sandpoint, Idaho were driven. When completed the
bridge was supported by 1,540 pilings and covered a distance of
almost two miles... |
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Remember the Indians
Bob Green was born and lived in Bonner County most of his life and
now lives in Washington State. He remembers well, as a young person,
seeing the Indians gather on the flats of Lake Pend Oreille. Here,
in his own words is his story... |
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The Fish House
The whistle of the strange looking craft broke the silence as it
pulled away from the City Docks of Sandpoint... |
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Teddy
Roosevelt
I asked Dale Selle of Sandpoint to tell me a story and here, in his
own words, is the story he told me. I am sure you will find it
interesting and humorous... |
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Ice Man
Anyone fortunate enough to be born before the days of modern
refrigeration remembers the sound of the horse and wagon or truck
nearing the house with its load of huge blocks of ice... |
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Street Cars
In the early days of Sandpoint, Idaho there was quite a
transportation problem. For most people there were two ways of
getting around-walk or ride a horse. The kids in Kootenai had to
walk three miles to school in Sandpoint... |
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Schweitzer Mountain
The dream that started long ago is being realized. The growth of the
Schweitzer basin, twelve miles from Sandpoint, Idaho, is a
present-day reality... |
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The
Powerhouse
The Power House of the Northern Idaho & Montana Power Company was
completed in 1910. It cost nearly $200,000 and, as the Pend Oreille
Review stated, "The new plant in every detail is modern and
up-to-date and one of the most substantial in the northwest..." |
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USO Club
The community Hall in Sandpoint, Idaho took on a national function
in 1942. The YMCA leased the hall from the city for $1 a year to be
used as a USO club for the sailors stationed at the Naval Training
Station in Farragut, Idaho... |
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Court House
The bill forming Bonner County was passed in 1907 and there was dis-order
in the court. The city of Sandpoint had a jail and courthouse but
the new county government had offices that were scattered all over
town. The treasurer and commissioners were renting some space from
Ignatz Weil for $15 a month... |
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1st Sandpoint
Hospital
Prior to the year 1902, in Sandpoint, Idaho, you did not have to ask
a physician if he or she made house calls. If you did see a doctor
it usually was in your home or the home of the physician. In that
time you would never hear "I want you to go to the hospital..." |
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2nd Sandpoint Hospital
It was on May 23, 1903 that the Northern Idaho News heralded the
opening of Sandpoint's second hospital by stating, " Dr. Ones F.
Page established a hospital in the residence of Alex and Rosa Piatt
at 719 North 3rd Avenue..." |
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Bonner General Hospital History
Not only were the
people of Sandpoint, Idaho, to have their own modern hospital, but
for the first time they were offered affordable health care. A local
paper, The Republican, announced that "tickets will be sold at $12
each... |
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Hope Hotel
Hotel Hope was in its
prime when Hope, Idaho, grew into prominence after becoming a center
of commerce and a division point on the Northern Pacific Railroad... |
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First School
In the early years of the pioneer town called Sandpoint, it was a
struggle for parents to educate their children. Funds had to be
subscribed to hire the teachers and school terms were irregular and
usually short... |
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Glacial Lake
The pale sun rolled back the mist like a scroll and the surface of
the monstrous lake slowly became visible in the morning light. The
swirling water and ice covered much of the land except for some of
the higher mountains... |
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Above the Call of Duty
Wilma Allen remembers
Sandpoint when it was much different than it is today. She
recollects how an old-time doctor responded to some of the needs he
saw while he was making his rounds... |
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Along the Wild Horse Trail
Long before the white
man came there was a trail.
The Indians for time immemorial had used it. The old trail started
on the Spokane River and ran through the Rathdrum prairie to the
shores of the Pend Oreille River. There a crossing was found called
Sineacateen that was located across the river from present day
Laclede... |
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Youth in the 30's
Elizabeth Montaque
Whatley came to the Sandpoint area in 1933. She, in her own words,
shares what it was like to be a young person at that time. The
picture she paints shows another place – another time... |
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A Place of Remembering
When the little
village, that was to be Sandpoint, was very young the people who had
gathered along the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks had to have a
place in which to bury their dead... |
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Bonner County Poor Farm
Pat Gooby has lived in
Sandpoint all his life and as a child did chores at the old County
Poor Farm. I asked Pat to tell me a story about the farm and here is
his story. Due to lack of space some editing was necessary... |
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Clark Fork Campus
The beautiful
University of Idaho Clark Fork Field Campus offers a magnificent
setting for academic courses and workshops, conferences and
retreats, school field trips and overnights... |
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Colburn, Idaho
"Busy Village of
Colburn" was how the North Idaho News saw the Colburn area in
1905... |
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Coming Home
We sat on the lawn in
front of the house that had meant so much to her.
She, and her three children, had come from Seattle for a time of
remembering. Word that the old home place was soon to torn down had
reached her and one more visit was in order... |
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Depression Days
Barbara Blood came to
the Sandpoint, Idaho area in 1939. The worst of the Great Depression
was over but its consequences could still be felt across the United
States... |
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Dover Church
Nestled among the
houses, while waiting for a ride on the barge to Dover from Laclede,
was an eight-room rustic building. It had been built on the banks of
the river and was to become the summer cottage of the A. C. White
family... |
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Hope, Idaho
The first white man to
come to the area was the famed David Thompson, map maker and fur
dealer. He had traveled from Canada and built Kulyspell House on the
peninsula of Lake Pend Oreille... |
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Early Sandpoint Remembered
Elizabeth Montague
Whatley shares, in her own words, some of the things she remembers
about her family in early Sandpoint... |
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Bonner County Ferries
Apparently the only
evidence in existence that indicates there was a ferry crossing
operated by a man named Smith is the survey of 1892-96. This survey
places the ferry in Township 57 North, Range 3 West, Section 34. The
ferry very likely just provided access to the north shore at a point
where the river was very narrow... |
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The Campfield Ferry
The Idaho Territorial
Legislature granted a license to operate a ferry to Charles H.
Campfield and Associates. That was on December 22, 1864. The
authorized location was to be "12 miles above the point where the
military or Boundary Commission roads crosses said river...” |
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Thama Ferry part1
The demise of Carey's
ferry created some real problems for the farmers and ranchers south
of the river, especially since there was almost no road to Priest
River. They really needed to get the ferry running again... |
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Thama Ferry part2
After the war the
County changed their system for hiring ferrymen by doing away with
the bidding process. They also increased the pay. Charley Shoopman
started at $145.00 per month. In 1948 the salary was increased to
$160.00... |
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Sandpoint had no Ferry
On April 18, 1891,
C.R.Martin and A.T.Dickinson received a license for $36.00 after
posting a $1,000.00 bond, authorizing them to operate a ferry at
Sandpoint. The approved schedule of fares was: "1 man and 1 horse,
$1.00; 1 horse and ... |
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Fire Line
Bob Selle is a long
time resident of Bonner County, Idaho. He shares his experience, in
his own words, of fighting fire when he was very young... |
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Here and There in Sandpoint 1
Indian tribes from
Montana and Washington used to come to Sandpoint by the thousands to
pick Huckleberries. The women and children picked the berries while
the men raced horses and played games... |
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Here and There in Sandpoint 2
At one time Priest
Lake was the scene of a movie camp owned by Nell Shipman. She was an
old time movie star and produced movies at Lionhead Lodge located on
Mosquito Bay. Nell produced, directed, was the screenwriter, and
starred ... |
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Indians
This group of Native
Americans lived in the northern most part of the Great Basin. From
Idaho they spread into Canada, Montana, and Washington. The Kutenai
were migratory and in the summer would move to the plains of Montana
to hunt bison... |
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Kullyspell House
(David Thompson, one
of North America's most famous explorers, came to the shores of Lake
Pend Oreille and built what he called "Kullyspel House..." |
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Library in the Early Years
The roots of the
present library system in Bonner County, Idaho, started in 1905 when
a few individuals opened a "free reading room". Hope was expressed
that "this most commendable enterprise" would eventually lead to the
county having a public library... |
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Library Maturing
In September 1966, the
people of Sandpoint, Idaho, gathered in the city hall council
chambers to witness the signing ceremony that would transfer the
post office building to the city for use as a public library... |
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There
she Comes
The old lady has been
sitting by the tracks doing the same job for 83 years. One can see
some changes have transpired but she still presents a picture of
dignity and beauty... |
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Logging in Bonner County
Bob Selle has lived in
this area since 1923. He was seven years of age when his family came
to the Sandpoint area. His first experience in logging came when he
was 13 and I asked him to share some of his memories and
experiences... |
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The
Museum
The Bonner County,
Idaho, Museum is a special place that is dedicated to finding and
preserving, for future generations, the history and heritage of the
people of Bonner County... |
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Newspapers
The beginning of the
newspaper business in this area had its roots in Rathdrum, Idaho.
There the Kootenai County Republican first appeared on Friday, May
19, 1899... |
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The Sundance Fire
The Selkirk Mountains
still show scars from the devastating effects of the Sundance fire.
The fire started on August 23, 1967 with a lightning strike on
Sundance Mountain near the Sundance lookout tower in Bonner
County... |
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Northern Mercantile Company
On April 18, 1891,
C.R.Martin and A.T.Dickinson received a license for $36.00 after
posting a $1,000.00 bond, authorizing them to operate a ferry at
Sandpoint. The approved schedule of fares was: "1 man and 1 horse,
$1.00; 1 horse and wagon ... |
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Old P-51 Attacks Sandpoint
Don Johnson, a
Sandpoint native, was a member of the class that took an aviation
course back in 1946. He remembers well the plane and the men that
were involved and I asked him to tell me, in his own words, about
the plane that buzzed Sandpoint... |
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Pend Oreille Lodge
The two old chimneys
still stand like two fingers pointing to the heavens. They are all
that remain of what once was a show place along the banks of Pend
Oreille Lake. They keep their vigil, year after year, to mark the
place where once stood the beautiful Pend Oreille Lodge... |
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The Pioneer Citizens
On April 29, from 1-4
pm, there was a reception for all who have lived in Bonner County
for 50 years or more... |
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Radio Stations
Throughout Sandpoint
and Bonner County, Idaho, the event had been awaited with much
anticipation. People gathered around their receiving sets, tuned
between 0 and 10 on the dial, and soon a voice was heard saying... |
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Sandpoint 1901-1902
When you walk the main
streets of today's Sandpoint you will find most of the businesses
are geared to meet the need of the tourist that frequent the area.
This was not the case when, what was then called Sand Point, was
young... |
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Sandpoint Tidbits
Sandpoint was just a
few years old when someone thought a name change was in order. The
streets we are familiar with today were not always called by the
names we know. In 1909 several of Sandpoint streets were given
another name... |
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Schools of Glengary Peninsula
But there is one that
still stands proudly as if waiting for the children of the area to
come by foot, wagon, or on horse back to get "book learning" from a
tall teacher. He was not the first teacher at the school but all the
children... |
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Smelting Companies
It was in March, 1903,
that the Kootenai County Republican announced that "ground will be
broken in ten days" for the new smelting company located at Ponderay,
Idaho. The plant was to be fully operational by September, 1903... |
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To Stop a Thief
The method used in the Sandpoint Post Office for protecting their
valuables stayed hidden for many years but recently it was
discovered, and what a surprise it was... |
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Street Names
At the time the
streets were named many of them were just in the minds of the
Farmins and their guests because much of the land was dense
forest.It was in the late 1890s that L.D. and Ella Farmin
homesteaded 160 acres of land that eventually... |
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Technology
Men invent things for
two reasons: There seems to be in every person a desire to find a
better way of doing things and the second reason for invention is to
make money. The latter reason has become more pronounced since
corporate mentality... |
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That's the Law
Take a look at any old
town's codes and ordinances and you will find many laws that seem to
make no sense at all. Sandpoint, Idaho had their own set of laws
that look absolutely crazy today. Here are a few for you to
peruse... |
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The Wagon Bridge
Word had come to the
doctor in Sandpoint that his help was needed on the South side of
the river. It was 1907 and the doctor must make a decision on how he
was to reach his patient. He had two options open to him... |
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Train Technology
Sandpoint, Idaho, came
into being because of the railroad and timber. The advances in
technology in these two areas are mind boggling. Follow the railroad
growth by reading the full story... |
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Old High School
Thousands have walked
through the doors and glanced up at the crest above their head. It
read "Sandpoint High School" and marked the entrance to the building
on Euclid and Pine that was to be their academic home during their
high school days... |
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The War Years
Many people were
uprooted and had to move around the country as a result of World War
II. The people who came to Sandpoint and Bonner County have become
part of the history of the area. Beth May, who now lives in Spokane
with her husband... |
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The War Years 2
Many people came to
Sandpoint during the war years. Two of them were Beth Knight and
Price May. Her story, in her own words, continues and she tells
about their marriage and how a town made them feel welcome... |
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The War Years 3
Many people came to
Sandpoint during the war years. Two of them were Beth Knight and
Price May. Her story, in her own words, continues and she shares
some of her memories of Farragut Naval Station, the Sandpoint USO
and the welcome... |
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Timber Industry
Sandpoint, Idaho, has
always been a timber town. The advancement in the timber industry is
no less dramatic than the advances in railroading. The old steam
mill has practically gone out of existence. Read the full story to
follow this colorful history... |
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Trestle from Sunnyside to trestle Creek
The picture is of the
old trestle that used to go from Sunnyside to Trestle Creek just a
few miles from Sandpoint, Idaho. In the picture there is seen a
horse that seemed to be heading toward disaster... |
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What's in a Name
There are some places
located in Bonner County, Idaho that have had name changes. Often
the changes reflect a bit of history of the area. Here are a few of
those places... |
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The Whitaker House
This is a story of a
house located at 410 Railroad Avenue in Sandpoint, Idaho. It proudly
stood overlooking Lake Pend d'Oreille when Sandpoint was just a
village on the railroad side of Sand Creek... |
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