This Week in Bonners Ferry History
100 Years Ago
Schools start again on Monday after being closed for 6 weeks on account of Spanish influenza. The school board advised that the teachers would keep a careful watch of all their pupils and none would be allowed to attend who showed any symptoms of Spanish flu or whooping cough. The school time lost will be made up on Saturday and the term has been extended one month to June 6th.
There must be a great many Boundary Co. citizens who have failed to purchase War Savings Stamps for the county has purchased only about half our quota of $20 per capita. The 1st week in Dec. will be “Honor Week” for U.S. where all those who have not already done so will be asked to fulfill the pledges made.
A new sawmill began operations Wed. in the Highland Flats area at Naples with a crew of 7 men. E.C. Lind, Manager of the mill, says the daily output will be about 15,000 feet which will be sold to the match block factory at Sandpoint.
Total American casualties to Nov. 11 when hostilities ceased were 236,117. The sick and wounded will be coming home first, followed by 8 divisions of the National Guard, 8 regiments of coast artillery, and 2 brigades of field artillery.
The poem “On Flanders Field“ has been declared to be the greatest poem of the war. The author, Lieut. Col. John McCrea of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces was killed at Bolougne, France on Jan. 28, 1918.
50 Years Ago
Bonners Ferry third annual Junior Miss Pageant will be held this Saturday evening, Nov. 23rd, in the high school auditorium, with the program scheduled to begin at 8:00. Don Kerby, local realtor will be master of ceremonies. The following candidates are: Willa Pace- VFW Auxiliary, Dorothy Spurling- Legion Auxiliary, Debbie Smith- Beta Sigma Phi, Susan Dinning- Lions Club, Linda Plantz- Kiwanis Club, Ann Godwin- Chamber of Commerce.
M.W. “Monk” Shelman, owner of Shelman Realty, has been elected as 1969 president of the Bonners Ferry Kiwanis Club.
Mike Ashby, son of Edna Ashby of Bonners Ferry and the late Lester Ashby, is now a member of the police force in Visalia, Calif.
Winner of a $200 Union Pacific scholarship is Terry L. McCalmant, son of Mr. & Mrs. Glen E. McCalmant of Bonners Ferry.
15 Years Ago
13 shovels dug down to break ground for the new Bonners Ferry High School.
Walking along Main Street will be safer and more pleasant thanks to the efforts of Bonners Ferry street and electrical employees. City utility employees have been installing 23 pedestrian lights along the new sidewalks that were installed as part of the Hwy. 95 renovation project.
Bonners Ferry named the “Friendliest City in Idaho.”
Long time city attorney, Pete Wilson lost his life on Saturday due to carbon monoxide poisoning, which apparently came from a pool heater in the basement of his home. Also killed was his son, Kevin, who was visiting from Bettendorf, Iowa, His wife, Rhoda, and son, Neil, were flown to Sacred Heart in Spokane, where they were listed in serious, but stable condition.
— Submitted by the Boundary County Museum