Memorial proposed to honor area loggers
(Photo courtesy PRIEST RIVER MUSEUM) Thanks to Sharon Salesky Johnson, the identies of those pictured in this historic photo are a mystery no longer. The baseball player, pictured from left, are Anna Christianson Hodge, Flossie Hydorn Carr, Nora Clemence Graves, and Johnson’s grandmother, Alma Decker Salesky.
100 Years Ago — 1918
Dinners appreciated
The Times family is greatly indebted to William Whetsler for a nice trout dinner. Bill is by all odds the town’s champion nimrod and many a family here has reason to feel grateful to him.
90 Years Ago — 1928
County unity system debated
Spirited impromptu speeches by various members on whether there should be a county unit educational system constituted the most interesting part of the Commercial Club meeting at the Charbonneau Hotel. County Commissioner Fred Hanson provoked the discussion when he announced that the education issue would be considered at the general tax meeting at Boise in December.
80 Years Ago — 1938
How to buy chairs considered
The presidents of all organizations met at the schoolhouse to consider ways and means of buying chairs for the Village Hall. Mrs. L. J. Stauffer and Mrs. Louis Whetsler were appointed to look up prices of good, substantial chairs with rubber tips. Mrs. Lee Minnick, N. Beverly and Dr. L. J. Stauffer were named to gather up the reports.
70 Years Ago — 1948
Jr. Toastmistress Club meets
The Jr. Toastmistress Club met at the home of Dorothy Daggett Nov. 30. “Your Favorite Winter Sport” was the topic presented by table topic mistress, Jody Naccarato.
60 Years Ago — 1958
Lake fishing good
Few anglers trolled for big Mackinaw at Priest Lake during the closing days of the 1958 trout fishing season, but many of those were lucky. Priest Lake resort operators and others said the majority of fishermen who trolled for Macs Sunday boated lunkers. The fishing was so good that two anglers in a boat near Baritoe Island were seen playing big Macs at the same time. Jim Paddock of Spokane caught the biggest Mac of the season, a 47-pounder after a 45-minute battle.
50 Years Ago — 1968
Meet a business person
Don McInnnis entered the insurance business in Priest River in 1948. In 1951 he purchased the Wonch Agency, and the firm became known as the Don McInnis Insurance Agency. He moved to the present location on Main Street in 1956.
40 Years Ago — 1978
Logging memorial proposed
A local draftsman and builder, Jack Rigdon, has rendered a drawing of what the south end of Main Street could look like if a small gazebo were placed there alongside a memorial to the loggers to whom Priest River owes its existence.
A couple of bridges need to be crossed first. The land in question belongs to the Burlington Northern Railway, and two easements would have to be obtained from the logging firms who have loading rights there.
30 Years Ago — 1988
New face at AJ’s
Earlene Starr, the new manager and part-owner of A. J.’s Country Kitchen, is settling into her new business venture at the downtown restaurant.
20 Years Ago — 1998
Split election set
School patrons will go to the polls Dec. 8 to decide if the Bonner County School District splits in two. Idaho Code specifies the effort to divide will take a simple majority of yes votes in both the current district and the new one to be formed.
10 Years Ago — 2008
Area jobless rate skyrockets
Bonner County’s unemployment rate skyrocketed past seven percent last month, marking the first time in nearly three years the country recorded a higher jobless rate than the rest of the nation. Bonner County’s 7.2 percent October unemployment is more than double the 3.3 percent seen in October 2007 and is the highest since 2003, said a regional economist with the Idaho Dept. of Labor.