Boundary Co. Centennial Saturday

BONNERS FERRY — School children cheered, banners waved and Company E of the National Guard of Idaho conducted a brief drill on the cold afternoon of Jan. 25, 1915.

The impromptu celebration on the corner of Main Street and Kootenai Street in Bonners Ferry honored the establishment of Boundary County.

Late on Saturday, Jan. 23, 1915, House Bill No. 1 was signed and the northern portion of Bonner County became Boundary County with an estimated population of 4,278 people.

One hundred years later and with nearly 10,850 people, Boundary County is poised to celebrate its centennial on Saturday, Jan. 24.

“We are trying to replicate the day the best we can,” said Sue Kemmis, Boundary County Museum curator.

Valley View fourth graders will be singing the same song as the school children of 1915, “A Long Way from Bonners Ferry. ” Sheriff Greg Sprungl will play the role of Marshal Worley and Cal Russell will play the role of Major Wayne Scott Walker.

Clowns will mill around, John Kellogg will carry a banner astride his horse like William M. Meader did in 1915 and Alva Baker will be decked out in Knights of Pythias regalia like Tom Hollinger.

Join the Boundary County Historical Society in the recreation of the centennial celebration at 2 p.m. at the original location — the corner of Kootenai Street and Main Street (intersection of Panhandle Restaurant and Mugsy’s). Following the outside events, festivities will move to the Boundary County Museum and will include cake, music and Howard Kent speaking on the history of the county.

Many events preceded the formation of Boundary County. First Idaho became a territory in March 1863. On Dec. 22, 1864, Kootenai County was established by the Second Territorial Legislature and included present-day Kootenai County north to the Canadian border. In 1890, Idaho became a state.

Then on Feb. 21, 1907, Bonner County split from Kootenai County. Named for Edward L. Bonner, who in 1864 established a ferry on the Kootenai River, Bonner County included present-day Bonner and Boundary counties.

Long before 1915, the citizens of northern Bonner County wanted their own county. Funding for roads and bridges was difficult to garner when the county seat was in Rathdrum (during the Kootenai County era) and still later when Sandpoint was the county seat.

With three railroads to raise money for roads and bridges, residents of northern Bonner County wanted their own county, said Terry Howe. The first car in the area arrived in late 1910 so roads and bridges were mainly for horses and wagons.

Thus, on Jan. 23, 1915, Boundary County was established. Divided from Bonner County by a township line between Samuels and Elmira, Boundary County encompassed 1,268 square miles.

Bonner County wanted to keep Priest Lake and it was no use to those of Boundary County since it was over the mountains and no roads (except through Bonner County) connected it to the Kootenai Valley, according to Howe. Therefore, the dividing line included a jog north for Bonner County to keep Priest Lake.

However, land north of Upper Priest Lake belonged to Boundary County enabling Boundary County’s name to exist. Boundary County was named because it borders Canada to the north, Washington to the west and Montana to the east — one of two counties in the United States to border two states and a foreign country.

In honor of Boundary County’s centennial, the Bonners Ferry Herald will be printing a monthly series on different aspects of the county’s history during 2015.