Panida's Little Theater finds home in history-rich building
Recently, I saw a photo of a parade on First Avenue in Sandpoint and in the background I could see the Panida Theater and the Kamloops Bar & Grill. They stood side by side proudly displaying their numbers, 300 and 302 North First Avenue. Though close, the two buildings have experienced some distinct differences over the years. It could be that 302, being 19 years older than 300, explains the difference in lifestyles. At the time the photo was shot, no one would have thought that someday the two would become one.
Number 300, The Panida, opened in 1927 as a “movie theater,” pure and simple. There were occasional stage shows but movies were its thing. Over the years, these functions were reversed with fewer movies and more stage productions and concerts. Now folks, that’s about it for number 300 so let’s take a look at its neighbor, 302.
In 1908, L.D. Farmin and Son built the first brick and concrete building at 302 N. First Avenue. On May 3, 1909, Farmin leased the one story building to Mort Foster and Clarence Hunter for a plumbing and heating shop. In 1911, Foster and Hunter dissolved their partnership and Foster moved out. On July 17, 1911, Richard and Susanne Palmer, the new owners, leased the vacant space to Moses Greenberg, proprietor of the Chicago Clothing Store.
On March 22, 1918, Susanne Palmer, now a widow, leased the building for five years to Col. Horace L. Bennett and his wife, Blanche. The Bennetts moved their restaurant, The Grill, from 204-206 N. First Avenue to the new location. The grill was advertised as “the best place in Sandpoint to eat.”
On April 19, 1920, Sylvester Thew, a real estate agent, purchased the property from the estate of Richard Palmer for $4,000. Thew died on Oct. 22, 1925, and Sarah Thew, his widow, became the owner of the property. On Feb. 16, 1926, Sarah Thew sold the property to Charles Passey for $13,420.
As you can see, ownership of 302 North First Avenue changed hands many times. In 1926, Charles and Lydia Passey deeded the property to the Bonner County National Bank. The bank, in 1927, sold the property to Philip Willi for $7,500. Willi was killed in an automobile accident on the Long Bridge, and his widow, Ida, leased the property to Ng Hop Yee for three years. Yee operated a Chinese restaurant on the site.
On Feb. 24, 1937, at the height of the Great Depression, Ida Willi deeded the property to the Bonner County National Bank. The bank sold the property to B.W. “Bill” Kennedy and his wife Lydia, and they operated the “Club Cafe” on the site. Business was poor, because of the depression, and on May 22, 1939, Bill and Lydia Kennedy turned the property back to the bank.
In 1941, William Von Canon, owner of the Bonner County National Bank, convinced local painting contractor, Russell Kotschevar, to take over the mortgage on the Club Cafe for $1,000. Kotschevar had enlisted in the U.S. Navy and he leased the facility to the American Legion Club. They had slot machines and other gambling games, and entertained thousands of sailors from the Farragut Naval Training Station. The American Legion Club was still at 302 N. First Ave in January 1948.
Russell Kotschevar was discharged from the Navy and opened the “Kamloops Klub Bar” on his property. It was there that he sculpted a statue of a little old man carrying a huge Kamloops rainbow trout. He named his statue “Pend Oreille Pete” and it stood on the sidewalk in front of the Kamloops Klub for about 20 years.
On Nov. 1, 2003, the Panida purchased the “Kamloops Bar & Grill” and today it houses the Panida Little Theater and the First Light Gallerie. The theater is air conditioned and seats 92 people. Events such as Mind the Gap’s “Soiree of Song” featuring Amy Craven, Rob Kincaid, Tami and Dave Gunter found the theater a venue that provided an intimacy between performers and audience. The Little Theater was chosen by cinematographer Erik Daarstad for a series of his films called, “A Visit with Erik.” The first film in this ongoing series screened on May 22. 2010.