Bonner County History - Aug. 24, 2023

50 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Aug. 24, 1973 – STREET WORK NEARS END

Sandpoint’s torn-up streets will be things of beauty soon. Public works Supt. Jack Leckner said work is on schedule to be completed in the downtown area early next month. “Where dirt piles are now, soon will be smooth paving and new curbs. Then we can all get back to normal – including parking,” he said. To ease the parking shortage caused by closure of Main St., Second Ave., and Alder St. downtown, the city, in cooperation with Idaho First National Bank, opened the old Farmin school site to public parking.

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ANTIQUE STORE OPENING

Antiques will be on display from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday at the John Sater home on Highway 200, 4½ miles east of Sandpoint. Refreshments will be served for the open house. For sale will be some secondhand items and tools, as well as his iron triangles (used for door bells or dinner bells) and several rock hobby objects, such as a wishing well, and salt and pepper shakers. Sater’s Antique Shop will be open seven days a week, dawn ‘til dusk.

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STILL THERE BUT ON NOTICE

Workmen removing the old porch at the rear [east side] of the sheriff’s office to make way for additions to the Bonner county courthouse discovered a barn swallow’s nest with a late brood of young under a point where the porch roof joined the building. The construction crew left a piece of the former roof to protect the young swallows but also posted an eviction notice to let Mrs. Swallow know she will have to move after the kids leave home.

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Aug. 24, 1948 – DAILEY CIRCUS SATURDAY

Twenty-five circus railroad cars will roll in over the G.N. Saturday to unload and set up for two shows, one at 3 p.m. and the other in the evening. Dailey Brothers circus, with over 100 fine horses and 25 elephants, together with trained lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, cowboys and Cheyenne Indians, will give people of this area an outstanding performance. Dailey Brothers is rated second only to Ringling Brothers show, which played in Spokane last week. Ben Davenport, who owns the show, is the only circus man who has sent two expeditions to Asia for wild animals within the last 20 months.

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REPAVING PROJECT NEARS COMPLETION

With completion of repaving on Cedar street and First ave., the route of U.S. highway 95 is now open through the city. Repaving of Pine will be finished shortly, and rebuilding of sidewalks should be done within three weeks. The work has transformed the city’s streets from the worst in the northwest to the best, said Mayor Don Diehl. As soon as equipment is available, work will begin on the removal of gravel from Pacific and Second avenues, which served as the temporary route of Hwy 95. The streets were built to considerable height during the spring flood to keep 95 open to Bonners Ferry. Both Idaho and the F.W.A. are sharing the cost of the dike’s removal.

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