This Week in Bonners Ferry History

100 Years Ago

Bonners Ferry celebrates the ending of the Great War. Last evening the people of our city celebrated in every conceivable manner the end of the war. A huge bonfire was built at the south end of Main Street and soon after 7 o’clock, the crowds began to gather. It really began Monday morning when it was quickly noised about that the Germans had signed the armistice and the war was practically over. When the crowds finally dispersed they were a weary and raw throated bunch. It is not possible that there will be occasion for a like celebration as long as the world lasts.

Mary Josephine VanEtten, age 22- who was living with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lipp at Copeland died from the flu on Saturday morning. Bernice McGarvey, age 4 ½, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Harvey of Naples died at home last Thurs. of influenza.

Dan Chisholm, Don Guiles, and G.W. Stoddard were injured on Saturday evening when the steering knuckle of the Ford car in which they were riding broke, and the car dashed into the gully in front of the O.H. Campbell residence on the Northside. The car tipped over and the occupants were thrown a considerable distance but were not seriously injured.

W.F. Kinnear recently purchased a steam cleaning and pressing machine. He expects to make a specialty of cleaning and pressing work.

50 Years Ago

Bonners Ferry’s Badgers finished the football season with a bang last Friday night at the Fairgrounds when they trounced Priest River in an Intermountain Conference game, 48-0. The victory gave Bonners a fine 3-1-1 conference record; good enough for a second place trophy behind Lakeland.

Election results gave Boundary County two new county commissioners being John M. Leonard and Joe G. Marsh. A.B. “Tony” Talarico is the new sheriff. Wilson is state senator and Marion Davidson and Don Maynard are state representatives.

15 Years Ago

Capping a storybook season under first year coach, Caleb Arceneaux, the B.F. Badgers did what they dreamed about doing since August — they beat Lakeland in the last game of the regular season for their first undefeated Intermountain League Football Championship in 28 years.

The woman who fell in love with ballet in Philadelphia at the age of four has simply never let go of her ballet slippers, pirouettes or beauty of the moment. After almost three decades of teaching thousands of children the passion of her life, chances are Barbara Russell probably never will. Now in her 27th year of running The Dance Studio, Russell is still excited about teaching a class of 4 year olds a heel and toe step.

For the first time in history, Idaho has been selected to provide the Nation’s Capital with their holiday (Christmas) tree. It will be in Bonners Ferry Nov. 22.

— Submitted by the Boundary County Museum