Bonner County History - March 11, 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

March 11, 1975 – PROUDLY WE SALUTE…

Coast Guard Machinery Tech. 3rd Class Russell L. Haworth, whose wife Jan is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Brower of Priest River, reported for duty aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Evergreen, homeported in New London, Conn. 

Army Capt. Daniel J. Vogel, son of James Vogel, Clark Fork, assumed command of HQ Co., 2nd Bttn., 48th Inf., 3rd AD at Gelnhausen, Germany. 

Navy Fire Control Tech. 2nd Class Patrick C. Merrifield, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus E. Merrifield, Priest River, is a crew member aboard the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, USS Long Beach, which is providing disaster relief to the people of Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean hit by a cyclone. The Long Beach escorts the attack aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, which was also diverted to the island while on a routine cruise in the area. 

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PURCHASE BEST OF SHOW PAINTING

Mr. and Mrs. William T. Nordeen purchased the best of show western painting at last weekend’s western art show and sale in Spokane. They bought the 30x40” oil painting, “Heading Them Home,” for an undisclosed price for their Gallery Pend Oreille, Sandpoint’s first western art gallery. The show was also attended by Sandpoint area residents Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Tollbom and their son Ward; Mr. and Mrs. Earl Chapin; and JoAnne Rogers. The art show catalog describes Ward Tollbom as “a young man who does water colors in the Audubon style,” and a painting on display, “The Man From Sandpoint,” by a Kalispell artist, features the likeness of Bill Bonser. 

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

March 11, 1950 – LODGE PURCHASED

The sale of Pend Oreille lodge on Contest point to the Catholic Society of Jesuits in Spokane was reported last week. Built immediately after the war as a luxury resort, the resort opened late in the season of 1947 and operated in 1948 and 1949.

•••

SENIOR SCOUTS TO TAKE OVER CITY

In order to find out for themselves how the city is run, Senior Scouts from Post 111 will take over the city of Sandpoint on Saturday. Bob Parsons will be mayor; Gordon Roberts, city clerk and Police judge; Fritz Holz, Charles Cassidy and Bruce Wendle, councilmen; George Eidan, chief of police; George Kalb, fire department chief; Alva Reeves, Larry Haight and Walt Hardin, radio staff; Conrad Gissel and Marvin Dazey, fire department; Jim VanSant, Roy Tribe, Don Armour, Jack Dutson, Gary Pietsch, Kenneth Mott, Myron Watts, Don Williams and Richard Quass, police staff. The police will have full authority to give traffic tickets and arrest anyone violating the law, including overparking and meter violations, double parking, jay walking, incomplete stop at stop signs, not giving proper signals, leaving cars with motors running, going over the city’s 20-mile speed limit, carrying more than one person on a bike – bikes must be registered – no smoking in theaters and many other minor violations. 

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