Horse-drawn wagon brings Santa to town
Local youngsters get their photo taken with Santa in this photo from 2012.
(Courtesy photo)
20 Years Ago — 2001
Christmas on Main Street
Each year the Priest River Chamber of Commerce sponsors “Christmas on Main Street” as a thank you to the community for their support of the local merchants. This year, record crowds attended the event with 180 children registering for the drawing and visiting Santa.
30 Years Ago — 1991
Awarded for service
Les Kokanos received the Citizen of the Year award and Merritt Brothers Lumber Company the President’s Award at the Priest River Chamber of Commerce Christmas dinner meeting held last Tuesday evening at the River Pigs Inn.
40 Years Ago — 1981
Santa gives rides
Santa made nearly 400 area children happy when he arrived in Priest River Saturday in a wagon pulled behind draft horses and passed out bags of candy. Stanley and Anson Saccomanno, assisted by Marvin Wear, gave rides to area children in wagons puled by four of their draft horses.
50 Years Ago — 1971
Retires from Joslyn Pole
Con Wear, with Joslyn’s Cedar Pole Division for 41 years, was among three company employees honored at a retirement party in Sandpoint. Wear came to Priest River in 1929 and joined the Schaefer-Hitchcock Company, a predecessor of Joslyn, the following year. He was a pole and timber buyer.
60 Years Ago — 1961
Stove blows up
Severe smoke damage resulted to the Paul Griesemer home when their kitchen stove blew up Sunday. Frozen pipes to the hot water tank caused the mishap. Mrs. Griesemer quickly removed the burning wood and coals from the stove, preventing further damage.
70 Years Ago — 1951
Plenty of snow
Official records at the Priest River Experimental Station show 36 inches of snow fell this week since Monday and up to the end of the present fall Tuesday night. This makes a total of 67 inches for the season. Unofficial records for the city of Priest River show 22 inches for the same period.
80 Years Ago — 1941
War apprehension
With the first report of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Hawaii, apprehension was at once felt by parents who have sons in the service there.
90 Years Ago — 1931
School news
Many rumors concerning Santa Claus have been heard in our room. Gerrie Petersen heard he was ill at the North Pole. John LaMotte and Doris Truscott both have seen him in Spokane, in the best of health. Deane Melville has it from good authority that his pack is bigger than usual. We hope Deane is right.
100 Years Ago — 1921
From the editor’s child
Dear Santa. You will not find me in Cheyenne this year, so be sure and bring my presents to Priest River, Idaho. Please bring me a train that runs on a track. One that has a depot a tunnel a round house and a signal. I want a new tie, too, and some games and candy and nuts, and please bring my papa a No. 1 linotype. I want to thank you for my presents last year. Your loving friend, Junior Parsons.