Traveling Back in Time: This day in Bonners Ferry History

100 Year

Already the effects of a possible war with Germany are being felt in Bonners Ferry. The building of additional sidetracks in the Great Northern yards at this place has been indefinitely postponed, and danger of war with Germany is given as the reason.

George Marvin plans to leave next month for Tacoma where he will superintend the loading and shipping of a 28-foot gasoline launch he recently purchased and which he will run the coming season on the Kootenai river between Bonners Ferry and Porthill, making round trips daily.

The launch will carry fifteen passengers and freight. It has 60-horse power engines and will make 26 miles an hour. Mr. Marvin plans on making the runs to Porthill as soon as the ice breaks in the river, and he will make stops at all points along the river.

Mr. and Mrs. E.D. Travers of the Round Prairie country were in the city Thursday, Mrs. Travers coming here to have Dr. Fry dress a fracture of her right arm. The fracture occurred the night of February 7 when the Travers and some neighbors were returning home from a dance given at the home of Mr. and Mrs. M.T. Huffman.

The horses became excited in passing another team and in rounding a curve in the road the sleigh tipped and the occupants were spilled out, Mrs. Travers in falling striking her arm against a stump.

50 Year

Residents of Bonners Ferry Tuesday overwhelmingly approved issuance of $220,000.00 in bonds for installation of a new sewage lagoon system. Obviously recognizing the need for such a system, as well as considering the Federal and State health requirements making a new sewage disposal system mandatory, residents voted their approval by a decisive 128 votes for the proposal and only seven against.

Arlo T. Grunerud, the state highway department’s maintenance foreman here, this week cited the dangers of weakening and possible collapse of the Highway 2-95 bridge across the Kootenai river in Bonners Ferry, following an accident last week in which a logging truck struck and bent an overhead strut of the span. He continued that the main struts have been hit many times since the span was constructed in 1933 – usually from too-high logging loads.

It was announced by the Bonners Ferry city council this week that Mrs. Violet Lande, longtime local resident and a city employee the past 10 years, has been appointed to the position of city clerk to fill the vacancy created by the recent resignation of H.M. Buroker, who has served the city for more than 40 years in several capacities.

Warren Bauman has announced the recent sale of his Holstein dairy herd to Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Mitchell and son Ray Stueve. The Bauman dairy farm of Bonners Ferry, well known for many years for its registered Holstein cattle, was started a generation ago and has been in the Bauman family’s hands for more than 50 years – from 1913 to the present.

The Bonners Ferry junior varsity basketball team completed their season’s play last weekend with wins over Lakeland and Eureka for an outstanding record of 16 wins and against only four losses. JV players promoted to the varsity for this week’s District A-2 tourney include Nick Brillon, Darrel Kerby, Tom Foust, Larry Owsley and Lynn Beatty.

15 Year

Boundary County Commissioners last week unanimously voted to put a DUI emphasis grant on hold because they had more questions than answers. The grant, which would have purchased in-car video cameras and radar equipment, was denied. Regardless of what the prosecutor and sheriff considered as benefits to the community, the decision was based on the commissioner’s belief that a deputy’s duties would be altered by the requirements of the grant.

A key witness in a sex abuse case was too distraught Tuesday to testify against the suspect. Leland Ridgley, 48, was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor after the alleged victim, his 12-year-old adoptive daughter, came forward a day after her mother, Sundi Ridgley, died under questionable circumstances.

Sundi Ridgley, 33, died 11 days ago. The cause of her death is still being investigated.

With his announcement Feb. 15 to run for District Court Judge of the First Judicial District in Sandpoint, attorney Jack R. Douglas, 50, pledged to serve the district with honesty, hard work and integrity.

Eleven Bonners Ferry High school wrestlers advanced from Region 1 3A District tournament for a shot at gold medal at State this weekend in Nampa as the Badgers won their first ever back-to-back district title.