Selkirk Mining Company announces tramway’s construction

100 Years Ago — 1920

Street project discussed

The task of straightening Wisconsin Street and avoiding the dangerous curve where that street now crosses Albeni Road at the bottom of the sharp grade was again brought up at the city council meeting, held Monday evening.

90 Years ago — 1930

Population increase noted

Priest River’s population has a net gain since the last census in 1920. The population figure in 1930 is 995. In 1920 it was 950. The net increase is 4.73 percent. From 1910 to 1920, there was a sharp decrease in population due to the stagnation of the lumber industry. The increase in the past 10 years may be taken as an indication that more men are being employed in the industry than 10 years ago.

80 Years Ago — 1940

Rumors abound from Priest Lake

Rumors are to the effect that there will be a second Sun Valley on the shores of Priest Lake. The site is to be Kavanaugh Bay, although the lease has not been obtained from the state. Reports are that a big hotel is in the offing and construction would cover 1 ½ years. The company contemplating the “millionaire resort” is said to be from California.

70 Years Ago — 1950

Lorna Binkley was second

Carol Dale Greenman, Cocolalla, was crowned Miss Bonner County Thursday evening at Sandpoint, in the preliminaries of the Miss America contest for 1950. Runners-up were Lorna Ann Binkley of Priest River, and Patsy Lee Bates of Sandpoint. Miss Greenman will compete for the title of Miss Idaho in Boise, Aug.7-10. The Boise winner will go on to Atlantic City to compete for the Miss America title Sept. 4-11.

60 Years Ago — 1960

Tramway to be built

Selkirk Mining Company has started building a 750-foot tramway preparatory to strip-mining at its Plowboy Mine north of Upper Priest Lake, Kenneth Bagton, one of the owners said Monday. The tram will transport lead-silver ore from a surface outcrop to a stockpile area near the dump of an old tunnel at a lower elevation, he said.

50 Years Ago — 1970

Construction challenging landscape

The rock pre-splitting at Thama Rocks on U.S. 2 state highway200 is truly changing the landscape along the Pend Oreille River with the sheer granite vertical faces up to 140-feet high. The local detour route on the cliffs some 600 feet above the new highway presents a spectacular view. The project is 65-percent completed, with the excavation work to be completed in August.

40 Years Ago — 1980

Industrial park coming

Plans to develop an industrial park on Bodie Canyon Road were given a boost this week when a $20,000 grant for water and sewage systems were approved by the state.

The money will come from the Division of Commerce and Economic Affairs, according to grant coordinator Joe Pike of the Panhandle Area Council. The entire credit for securing the grant goes to the Chamber of Commerce and the Bonner County Commissioners, Pike said.

30 Years Ago — 1990

Idaho Hill groundbreaking launched

Bonner County School District’s Idaho Elementary School project got underway July 17 with a ground-breaking ceremony.

The $950,000-project will include the remodeling of the 67-year-old school and the addition of six new classrooms, a serving kitchen, and a stage and music room.

20 Years Ago — 2000

“It’s been a good life.”

This year’s Priest River Timber Day Bull of the Woods, Jimmy Linton, says he always felt fortunate that nobody ever got killed or hurt bad on one of his logging jobs. Then came the accident on Sept. 8, 1998, that took the life of his close friend, Phil White, as their life in the woods was beginning to wind to a close.