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From the archives of the

Bonner County History Museum

611 S. Ella Ave., Sandpoint, ID 83864

208-263-2344

50 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

May 1, 1968 – LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE

Gov. Don Samuelson led the list of dignitaries present at the grand opening ceremony Saturday afternoon at the new library.

Librarians Mary Sindelar, Bernice Vernon and Redena Mosher were kept busy during the afternoon as patrons made use of the library.

In the background were members of the library board. Chairman of the board Mrs. W.D. Lewis helped greet visitors including James Brockway, county commissioner, district Judge Dar Cogswell, Doris L. Kenney, county auditor, and city council members Bert Lines, Les Brown and Bob Kalb.

Mrs. John Page, a devoted member of the library board for more than 30 years, presented a brief history on the library. The Sandpoint library was originally a reading room in 1905. It was opened with great ceremony, but soon failed. In 1910, the Commercial Club and the Women’s Club organized the first real city library, renting space in what is now the Westwood building.

From a beginning with 400 books, the library has grown until it has more than 16,000 volumes.

The new home for the library is attributed to the efforts of Mayor Floyd L. Gray, Senators Len Jordan and Frank Church, and former Rep. Compton I. White.

100 Years Ago

Pend d’Oreille Review

May 1, 1918 – CITY BREVITIES

The Central hospital is the new name under which Mrs. A.B. Cline will conduct the Jackson hospital. See her ad elsewhere in this issue.

D.M. Ferry & Co’s new flower, garden and field seeds at the Gold Medal Grocery.

Dr. C.P. Stackhouse has received word that a nephew, John S. Piper, is in hospital in France suffering from the effects of being gassed.

•••

PEND D’OREILLE BUTTER IN FRANCE

The following letter to G.S. Helphrey from R.C. Smith “somewhere in France” will be of interest:

Dear Mr. Helphrey, Yesterday I received your second consignment of papers and magazines and also the butter. I just haven’t the command of English to express my appreciation. My tent is getting to be a regular reading room for boys from the west. We have a number of boys from Spokane, Sandpoint and that vicinity.

You would have been surprised to see the condition the butter arrived in. The outside or part by the parchment was a little rancid; otherwise it was as good as fresh churned. The box and carton were in perfect condition.

When I took the box to our tent and the boys saw what I had, business picked up immediately. One of the boys went for a loaf of bread, another for some blackberry jam. The rest of us got wood and built a fire. We had toast, butter and jam to a fare-you-well. We ate two pounds at the first sitting! Gave one to a French family near camp and am keeping the other two for hard times.

For more information, visit the museum online at bonnercountyhistory.org.