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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

Feb. 28, 1969 — OPENING NEW STORE

Bob Lyons plans to open a new Gambles store at First and Church in Sandpoint on March 6. He and his crew are rushing completion of the building, displays and stocks.

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SCHWEITZER AREA 4-H CLUB FORMED

Marianne Brown, Virginia Tibbs and Betty Berger are leaders of a new 4-H club formed Feb. 8 at the home of Barbara Tibbs, in the Schweitzer area. The 13 members will carry beef and horse projects. Officers elected were Connie Roberson, president; Lucy Coon, vice president; Laurel Berger, secretary; Peggy Watts, treasurer; Kim Lewis, reporter; Mike Misner, sergeant-at-arms; and Barbara Tibbs, historian.

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PROPOSES STATE PAY 1/3 OF BRIDGE

Mayor Floyd L. Gray said the Feb. 18 meeting with Idaho Highway Commissioners in Boise seemed promising for getting state financial help on the new bridge spanning Sand creek. The city’s goal was a 1/3 participation by the Idaho Highway Dept. and 2/3 city funds. “It looks good,” Gray said, “some legal points are being studied and some details need to be worked out.”

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KOOTENAI NEWS

After two months with no services due to bad weather, the Kootenai Community Church had its doors open to all on Sunday.

100 Years Ago

Pend d’Oreille Review

Feb. 28, 1919 — WAR ON SQUIRRELS

The local farmers’ union recently bought 200 ounces of strychnine, nearly all of it spoken for by county farmers for use this coming spring in the destruction of ground squirrels. A year ago only 30 ounces of strychnine was used in the county.

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HOSPITALITY WIDELY KNOWN

Every soldier or sailor who has crossed the Cascades and the Rockies over the northern route has heard of Sandpoint’s little red cross canteen. Some have made the trip more than once and each time tell their buddies not to forget to get off the train at Sandpoint. At Christmas time the ladies of the Sandpoint canteen filled 500 Christmas boxes with homemade fruit cake, nuts, oranges, gifts and candy and gave them to the soldiers and sailors passing through.

Sandpoint’s Red Cross chapter has only 45 active workers, but they do the work of 4,500. Since last September they have served 9,500 soldiers, 1,274 sailors, 37 Marines and 121 drafted men. They have three stations to make (G.N., N.P. and S.I. train depots), but they never fail to appear when the trains near the city.

Officers of the “famous little mother canteen of Sandpoint” are Mrs. Della Hunner Helphrey, captain; Mrs. M.L. Bruce, supply clerk; Mrs. Robert Coons, lieutenant; Mrs. Sarah Woods, lieutenant; and Mrs. E.M. Brower, lieutenant.

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