This Day in Bonners Ferry History
100 Year
One of the most threatening forest fires of this season started Sunday morning on Placer creek near Meadow Creek when an old cabin on the John Davidson ranch burned. The fire spread to the underbrush, and smaller trees and soon threatened the valuable forest reserve timber Deer Creek. Last evening 62 fire-fighters were brought in from Spokane on Great Northern train No. 44 and were hurried to Meadow Creek on a Spokane International railway special. Boyd Spring, post-master and general merchant at Meadow Creek, advised the Herald this morning that last night’s rain had put nearly all the fires out. A permanent crew of about 20 men will be kept at Meadow Creek to watch such fires as are still burning.
A $50,000 real estate deal was consummated last week when H.H. Roberts, of Great Falls, Mont., purchased the Parker ranch in the Copeland district consisting of 1,071 acres of which some 800 acres is river bottom land and very fertile and productive. In the deal was included an 11 room house, a large dairy barn equipped to handle over 70 head of stock, various outbuildings and a large orchard in bearing.
Eastport News — A small sized battle between members of a Greek extra gang on one side and a party of sheep herders on the other, took place here about 10 p.m. Friday. Pool balls, billiard cues and beer bottles were all more or less the principal weapons of warfare. The combatants were all more or less cut and bruised and it was necessary for three of the Greeks to be taken to the hospital at Bonners Ferry for treatment. One of their members being so badly injured with a fracture at the base of the skull that his recovery was considered doubtful.
50 Year
Great Northern passenger train No. 28’s mail car caught fire about five miles south of here Tuesday morning and about 250 sacks of mail were destroyed or damaged. The train was speeded into Bonners Ferry and the local volunteer fire department extinguished the blaze. The mail car was the last car of the train and word was radioed ahead reporting the fire. Bonners Ferry Postmaster William J. Miller reported that all the mail aboard the train was destined for St. Paul and points beyond, with none addressed to this area.
A westbound Great Northern freight train derailed east of Eureka, Mont. Last Friday, with 38 loaded cars leaving the track. There were no injuries to the train’s crew. Officials said the cause of the wreck was believed to be a burned off journal, or wheel bearing. The train was en route to Spokane.
The annual tour of experimental plot work will take a different slant this year with the inclusion of a crop which is showing considerable promise in Boundary county, according to County Agent Ben Studer. The new crop is two varieties of German hops which were planted last spring on the Usher Foust property on the North Bench, and on the Wayne Tucker property adjacent to the Drainage District 11 experimental plot.
15 Year
Another leg to the controversial Byrne Grant — which has been a thorn between the boundary county Commissioners and the Sheriff’s Office — was added when the Bonners Ferry City Council passed a motion to sign an agreement that would transfer the administration of the grant to the city.
City councilman Jim Burkholder, Jr. says as far as he’s concerned the farmers market —which has been operating in the city parking lot along side the Visitor’s Center on Saturday for years — will continue conducting business at its current location in 2003.
Because of road damage that occurred during severe flooding five years ago, ITD is realigning U.S. Highway 95 to the west near mileposts 518 and 519 (Rock Creek). A welded wire-mesh wall to help stabilize the road is also being built. The roadwork, which began in June, is expected to be completed sometime in the fall.
A Bonners Ferry man was arrested last Tuesday and charged with intimidating a witness in a malicious injury to property investigation. Daniel Shawn South, 26, was ordered held on $100,000 bail on Wednesday by 1st District Magistrate Justin Julian. During an earlier hearing to determine if South should be arrested to face the charge in court, Sandpoint Police Detective Corey Coon said South was one of four people suspected of overturning a car belonging to 29-year-old Heather Phillips on July 16.