Bonner County History - July 1, 2025
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
50 Years Ago
Sandpoint News-Bulletin
July 1, 1975 – SEWING CENTER OPENS
The new Sandpoint Sewing Center, opened at 204 Main St. by Mrs. Ellen Frantz, sells Bernina sewing machines, repairs all makes and models, carries patterns and fabric, and offers classes on stretch sewing for knits. “I taught S-T-R-E-T-C-H classes while my husband attended Chiropractic College,” Mrs. Frantz said. Her husband, Dr. A. Daniel Frantz, recently opened the Sandpoint Chiropractic Clinic.
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KUCHERRY FOURTH IN NATION
Robbie Kucherry was ranked fourth in the nation in the 95-pound division at the National Junior Olympic Boxing tournament in Rapid City, So. Dak. where 12 contenders vied for the title. Kucherry, along with other members of the Sandpoint Elks Boxing Club, will be on the fight bill Saturday at War Memorial Field, as part of the 4th of July celebration.
•••
EVERGREEN FORD AWARDED CITATION
Evergreen Ford of Sandpoint has been awarded Ford Motor Company’s highest dealership honor for outstanding customer service, putting it in the upper 15 per cent of all Ford/ Lincoln-Mercury dealerships nationally. General manager Dave Wall also announced that Service Manager Ed Robinson and Parts Manager Duane Fitzpatrick each received Bronze Medallion Awards for outstanding service and performance in their respective departments.
75 Years Ago
Sandpoint News-Bulletin
July 1, 1950 – PARAGRAPHS OF YORE
1887 – When Ole Peterson, 18, stepped off the train here, there was no town, only a small cabin housing a general store/saloon run by B.F. Butler.
1894 – The bathing beach was a mountain of white sand with a few pine trees, made an island during high water. The N.P. hauled out trainloads of the sand for use on its track in winter.
1894 – The N.P. trestle across the Pend d’Oreille [built in 1882] was covered by water during the flood of 1894. Flatcars loaded with rock were used to weigh it down. The new [1905] bridge was built two feet higher to be on the safe side in future floods.
1900 – The big cottonwoods on the west bank of Sand creek were planted by Earl Farmin when he filled water barrels at the creek and stuck branches along the bank. They stand now as live memorials.
1902 – Four years after the townsite was platted by L.D. and Ella Mae Farmin, the village boasted a restaurant and hotel, a laundry, several saloons and general merchandise stores and a church. Water was hauled from Sand creek for 25c a barrel.
1904 – The village council approved bringing in to the village limits most of the Farmin addition, and the Weil and Law additions, extending to the Boyer addition, adding 200-300 to the village population.
1905 – Sandpoint had a large and well equipped pleasure steamer on the lake called the Eagle.
1908 – Sandpoint’s first street car began, running to the G.N. station, Ponderay, and Kootenai.
1908 – O.M. Jennestad, pioneer clothier, opened a small clothing shop, the Viking, on north Third.
For more information, visit the museum online at bonnercountyhistory.org.