Extra, extra, read all about it at The Library
The accessibility of the internet has made it easier than ever to peer through the mists of time and see the world as it was from a point in history you’ve never experienced … if you know where to look.
Becoming an office-chair archaeologist may seem like a daunting feat, with information broken up behind scholarly articles and website paywalls that keep you barred from precious family history. Finding accurate and detailed information about the history of our beautiful area can be even more difficult.
Before you fork over your hard-earned money to get past a paywall, you should check out the digital newspaper archives in the digital library. The digital library on ebonnerlibrary.org grants you access to newspapers printed as far back as 1892 and as recently as 2019. Some of the oldest papers offer a glimpse to a time before Bonner County was founded and lack photographs entirely.
Tracking your genealogy and looking for a specific family name? Spare your eyes hours of combing through grainy images by simply searching for a keyword, and the database will do the rest. Maybe you’re new to the area and trying to learn a bit more about this place’s history. Keyword searches can take you straight to the info you need, so long as you know what you’re looking for.
Just curious about the evolution of printed media? The digital newspaper archives offer a front-row seat to a time before photography in Idaho, just two years after it became a state. It’s interesting to look back and see some of the tactics used by people marketing their wares in those days compared to how it’s done now.
Still looking for a little more history about our area? You should stop by the Bonner County Historical Museum at 611 S. Ella Avenue. Did you know that the library and the museum used to be roomies? At one point, the museum had set up shop in the basement of the old library building on Second Avenue, where you will currently find MickDuff’s.
That’s some small town history for you.
Brenden Bobby can be reached at the East Bonner County Library, 1407 Cedar Street, Sandpoint, by phone at 208-263-6930, or email at brenden@ebonnerlibrary.org.