Bonner County History - Aug. 22, 2024

Brought to you by the

Bonner County Historical

Society and Museum

611 S. Ella Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864

208-263-2344

50 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Aug. 22, 1974 – RECOVER STOLEN TRUCK

A pickup positively identified as the one stolen July 31 by members of the “Ares Tribe” has been recovered, found in a field in a rural area 18 miles south of Great Falls. The truck’s recovery confirmed suspicions in the Bonner County sheriff’s office that the men involved in the robbery and jailbreak left the area. “Bonner County can breathe easier,” said Sheriff Wilcox. “It seems they are definitely gone.”

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KRISTEN GRORUD WED THOMAS WALKER

Sandpoint First Lutheran Church was the site of the June 23 wedding of Kristin Grorud and Thomas Walker, with the bride’s father, Rev. Orville Grorud, officiating. The groom’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Harold Walker, Clark Fork. Both bride and groom will be juniors at Dana Lutheran College, Blair, Neb. 

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PACK RIVER STORE OPEN

Pack River General Store opened its doors Aug. 15, said Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Banks, the proprietors. They plan to stock food, household goods, over-the-counter drugs, and beer, and will sell gas at their business, located one and one-half miles east of Northside School on Rapid Lightning Road. They bought the former Earl Davis property just across the Pack River bridge. Mr. and Mrs. Banks moved to Bonner County in June from Los Angeles. His sister, Isabelle Oberg, will help them manage the store. 

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Aug. 22, 1949 – MISS BLOOM NOW DEPUTY

Miss Betty Bloom [after June 1, 1950, Mrs. Wayne Hawkins], who has been in the county assessor’s office since her graduation [as valedictorian] from high school this spring, was recently sworn in as a deputy assessor by the county commissioners. 

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FIRE PATROLMEN REQUIRED

With fire danger “critical,” Kaniksu national forest announced stringent regulations to prevent forest fires. Effective immediately, all timber operators and forest product concerns on national forest lands must provide fire patrolmen on their operations or at their plants for two hours after operations cease for the day. What the forest service fears most is a severe electrical storm which could scatter fires over a large area and because everything is so dry, could spread rapidly. The sheriff’s office has also been asked to cooperate with state and national forest rangers by arresting cigarette flippers who toss their stubs from cars as they speed along the highways. 

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FARMIN SCHOOL BELL TO BE AUCTIONED

Something will be missing from the usual school events this fall, a voice forever silenced, one that has called a deep-throated warning since ‘way back around 1907. Early last week the bell was removed from the belfry of the Farmin grade school, a victim of a remodeling program and also because it was deemed unsafe. The bell, weighing 1500 lbs. and standing four feet tall, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder on Sept. 12 at the high school.

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