Home's destruction is a legacy lost

This is a story of a house that today is just a memory. It was 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. From its porch, it had seen numerous Indians on the point, playing the stick game, swimming, and holding their pow-wows.

The house was unique because it was part of the roots of what is now Sandpoint. Its importance is beyond estimate because it was one of the last buildings that date back to the birth of a town.

The house belonged to Will and Jennie Whitaker who moved to the small village of Sandpoint from Helena, Montana in 1898. They brought with them their dreams of the future and their only child, Helena Claire, who was seven years old. These people exemplify the spirit of the pioneers that made this area what it is today.

Will Whitaker was born near Liverpool, England in 1852 and immigrated to the United States in 1869. On November 6, 1878 he married Jennie Cannon of Newburg, New York. In 1898 Will moved his family to Sandpoint and he became cashier at the Sandpoint Mercantile Company. He became the first elected chairman of the board of trustees when the village of Sandpoint was incorporated. In 1903 he established the first bank in Sandpoint, the Traders Bank, and became cashier and manager. The bank was located where the Larson's store is today.

Jennie Whitaker loved her house on the lake and when many of her friends moved to the other side of the creek she refused to leave her home. When running water became available Jennie had the first bath tub and sink in the area installed.

Helena Claire Whitaker grew up in the old home near the railroad and it was the scene of her marriage to Clem Gorsline in April 1913. In March 1973, Claire Gorsline shared some of her memories of the old home place. She recalled, "I remember when the Indians camped on the lake shore below our house. I played with a small Indian boy, and since we couldn't understand one another, we used sign language." She remembered, "A Chinaman rowed from Hope to bring fresh vegetables in two baskets, at each end of a pole, across his shoulders. In spite of inconveniences we had a happy time and how could it be otherwise with a beautiful lake and country to enjoy."

The old building had escaped the fires that had burned much of the village of Sandpoint on numerous occasions. It had escaped many floods and snowstorms but its end came in November, 1999. Piece by piece, the home of these pioneers was torn down. This legacy, that once stood tall on the lake, has disappeared to make room for condominiums.