Kellogg tells terrific tale about the Rev. Mr. Ford

(I became acquainted with Robert Kellogg when I was asked to critique a book he was writing called, "50 True Tales of Northern Idaho." He had a colorful career in Sandpoint: Working with Norm Bauer at KSPT radio, writing for the Sandpoint News Bulletin, manager of the Panida Theater for Floyd Gray, just to name a few. He began researching old newspapers when he was with Lauren Pietsch at the News Bulletin, and today's story comes from that research. In his story, "Westward Ho on the Pend Oreille River," Bob, in his story, gives us a glimpse of how our waterways were used almost 100 years ago.)

In the year 1909, the Rev. C. L. Ford created a large raft and built temporary living quarters on it. He had been holding a series of religious meetings in Sandpoint during the spring of that year and constructed his raft and bungalow during his spare time. Then in early July, with his crusade and his construction both ended, he loaded his family aboard, plus a cow and a calf, and pushed out onto the Pend Oreille River somewhere near Sandpoint.

In addition to his preaching, Rev. Ford was well known as a rancher who owned a fine spread on the north shore of the Pend Oreille River near Albeni Falls. That's where, in the first week of July 1909, the Ford family and animals were bound on the broad Pend Oreille.

Rev. Ford had contrived a bit of rigging and a sail on top of his floating bungalow. With the help of this canvas and a large sweep oar he could maneuver the bulky craft to take advantage of the current.

The journey went well until the party reached the Wrencoe area of the river where a heavy wire crossed just above the water from shore to shore. Before the days of bridges and regulations, various ropes, wires, and cables served as the poor man's ferries. A boatman could tie his boat to the line using a rope with a pulley-wheel at the end and slide across the river with a minimum of effort, knowing the current would not take the

boat an unwanted half mile or more downstream. Usually a long forked stick allowed the downriver traveler a comparatively easy "lift over" past the rope or cable obstruction, but the reverend was either not thusly prepared or not paying attention.

The wire at Wrenco caught the bungalow halfway up the side of a wall. The raft slowed somewhat but did not stop. The wire stretched taut and the bungalow began to separate from the raft. Then the wire snapped with a twaaang and the raft, with all of its original cargoes more or less intact, continued downstream unharmed.

We don't know how long the journey took, but we do know that when the raft reached its destination the anchor was secured in a clump of trees at the water's edge. When the floating vehicle swung into the shore, all on board disembarked safe and happy.

The waterways of Northern Idaho were vital to the area for many years. The combination of the Pend Oreille River, the Clark Fork River, and the Pend Oreille Lake was a busy network for boats, steamers, rafts, barges, construction materials, floating log islands, cement, ores, passengers — even smuggling during prohibition days.