Ernie Bartelson, Tell Me a Story about the Bars of Sandpoint

I met the late Ernie Bartelson when I went with Erik Daarstad to film him for the Sandpoint Centennial Movie. Today, when I drive by the Tam O'Shanter, or Tervan, I think of Ernie and the story he shared with us. He, and his wife Opal, ran the little bar for many years and he remembered when you didn't have to take many steps to find a "watering hole" in Sandpoint. Here is his story in his own words.

Well, I moved here in the spring of 1943 from Seattle. I was born and raised over at Bothell, Washington and my wife was born and raised here in Sandpoint. Her folks were early pioneers moving here in the late eighteen hundreds: they homesteaded out at Colburn. I married Opal and we moved here in forty-three and raised our family and stayed right here. At first, I was an independent logging truck driver but eventually I started bar tending.  I bar tended until 1976 when I retired.

It's been a great life and I enjoyed my work. I just can't say enough about the people that were here in Sandpoint, at that time. There are still wonderful people here, don't get me wrong, but the people then were so much different. They were a lot closer - more helpful. We just had a lot of friends and we had a great life. Over the years, lots of things have changed.

(When asked how many bars were in Sandpoint, Ernie said :)

Well, the number, I think, is about twenty-three. We can start down on the end of Pine Street and right across the street on First Street, the VFW had a bar in that building that is now occupied by, I believe, a second hand store. Then you just came up a few doors and there was the Pioneer Bar, and you came up a few doors more and across the street, was Hayworth's Bakery, and then there was the American Legion. Next to that, was the Eagle's Bar. And then just a few steps further was Carlson's Bar: a man by the name of Carlson and his son, Bob, ran it. There was the Cozy Bar and that was a real nice and cuddly little bar. It was rather dark in there and it had a little band. Next to that was the old Eagles which was right on the alley next to the Panida Theater, and it was a kind of a working man's bar. They had poker games in there. Then you went up a little further and there was the Kamloop's Bar.

Then we come clear on around the corner, and we run onto what was originally called Harry's. It was changed to the Cabinet Gorge Tavern when Sid Johnson bought during the Cabinet Gorge days when the dam was being constructed. Then you come up the street a little further and run into the old hotel (Idaho Hotel) and in that hotel was the Tap Room and it was run by two gentlemen by the name of Virgil Goodwin and Dan Deshon: the bartender's name was Hallie Trissel. Then across the street is the Tam O’Shanter. And then on down the street was the Kaniksu Bar that was run by Bill Garvey. It was a nice bar and he had cabins for rent, and it had an eating place.

You go on down to the Cheerio and to me that was The Bar in Sandpoint. Then you go around the corner and on down on First Street and you come to the Diamond, which is now the 219. Next to that was what they called Spots - that was between the 219 and the Pastime. Leonard Haugse had a bar in the back of the Pastime, and he had poker tables. Across the street, there was an old building and it was run by Bill Countryman and I can't remember the name of the bar. It was right next to that Kaniksu Real Estate.

You'd go a few steps further and you'd run into Ken's Bar. Next was the City Club and that was a nice place: they had a dance hall. Across the street from City Club was a fairly large house and that house rented rooms up above but he had a bar down below and it was called Hanson's. Down towards First Avenue again, there was Wick's Club, which was owned and operated by Audrey Wicks. The Elks Club had just moved out there on Second Street and that, I think, takes care of the bars in Sandpoint.

If you go out of Sandpoint for just a mile or so, on the other side of the bridge, you would find Peterson's bar. The lady that ran it was the mother of our Doctor Helen Peterson. Out toward Dover, was a place called Millie's and the Dover Tavern was right in Dover. North of town, you would find the Fairview Club, the Plantation, Joe's Chicken Dinner, Ma Jukich's, and the Roundup.

So that just about takes care of it and I think, if you add them all up, there's about thirty some in the whole bunch. Of course, we had slot machines then and all the bars were busy.