This Week in Bonners Ferry History

100 Years Ago

The local draft board received orders to send a contingent of 11 Boundary Co. men to Camp Fremont, Calif. This call exhausts all the men in class A1 who registered in 1917 and three men will be sent from the 1918 class. There are only 18 men left in the 1918 class of A1 men and another call will about exhaust the class. There are very few men in this county in class 2 and 3 and many figure that before the year is out, men will be taken from class 4.

During the past week, numerous reports of thousands of dead or dying fish in the Moyie River were received. Deputy Game Warden J.A. Worley investigated the reports and then called State Deputy Stark to investigate. The fish were examined carefully and there were no signs that they had been dynamited as was first suspected. Mr. Stark has come to the conclusion that the fish are being affected by a poison which may be coming from mines in Canada. Mr. Stark has asked the Canadian authorities to investigate the matter. It is possible the fish may have become infected with some disease and the game department proposed to satisfy itself as to what is wrong.

Several residents of the Lenia District have asked A.J. Kent to write a letter to Senator Borah regarding the securing of government aid for the construction of a bridge across the Kootenai River at Lenia. Mr. Kent points out that if a bridge is put across there a rich agricultural district would be opened up and also that a new route to Glacier National Park would be opened, which would cut off about eight miles of the present route.

50 Years Ago

An added highlight to the annual Kootenai River Days celebration will be the public opening of the new First Security Bank in Bonners Ferry on Saturday, July 27.

Farmers will ask Forest Service for damages from rye. The Forest Service last fall reseeded a portion of last year’s forest burn area with a plane flying out of the county airport. Studer said the only effective way of eliminating the rye from the fields is pulling it by hand.

The Kootenai Kloggers will hold their annual Huckleberry Festival this weekend, with dancers from all over the Inland Empire to attend and over 200 dancers expected. Huckleberry cheesecake will be served.

15 Years Ago

Tim Bertling and John Lindberg were officially sworn in Monday evening as trustees for the Boundary County School District. Current chair Tina Wilson was elected to the position for another year and Lindberg was voted as the new vice-chairman. The former vice-chair was Tim Foust.

Boundary County Special Olympics snowshoe team received their team jackets recently at a barbecue at Stampede Lake. Team members include LaDonna Gastons, Denise Tucker, Dana Klein, Michael Bjoraker, and Charlie Meeker. Coaches were Bill Blackwell, Rick Alonzo, and David Kramer.

Boundary Community Hospital’s Medical Technologists were recently recognized for having five reviews with no deficiencies. Reviews happen every two years and BCH has had 10 years with no deficiencies.