This week in history - August 5, 2021

100 Years Ago

The First State Bank of Bonners Ferry was robbed last week during the noon hour by two men who took all the currency in the safe and then locked Assistant Cashier Hansen and Mrs. Mae Stewart, bookkeeper, in the vault and made their getaway without being noticed. The robbery is the first time in the history of Bonners Ferry that a bank has been held-up.

The Herald is in receipt of a letter from Capt. G. W. Spoerry, a former resident here and for several years the superintendent of the city schools, in which he writes that he and his family left on August 5 on the Transport Thomas for Manila, where he has been stationed with the 31st Infantry.

At the Tuesday night meeting of the city council, the purchase of a sixty foot windmill tower was authorized. It will have the fire siren placed on top. The siren is now on a wooden tower which is not high enough to allow the sound waves to reach all parts of the city.

William Matthews and his brother, S. R. Matthews of Spokane, have leased the building next to the Amazon Theatre, formerly occupied by the Amazon Electric shop, which they will occupy the first of next week and conduct a shoe repair business.

50 Years Ago

Lucky winners of moose permits in hunt 301 (Boundary County) were all local men. Listed as winners were D. C. Baker, R. M. Docherty and D. G. Foust.

The Johnson, Flory and Hawks families held a reunion picnic at the Sandpoint beach last Sunday.

Degerstrom Construction Co. should start dirt hauling next week for the city bypass project, Paul Baker, project superintendent, said Tuesday.

15 Years Ago

Using a very large crane, workers began placing rocks onto the floor of the Kootenai River near Shorty’s Island Monday, downstream several miles from Bonners Ferry. The work is part of a small scale project to test whether the rocks will provide the favorable environment Kootenai River white sturgeon need to spawn and eggs to develop away from predators.

The Bonners Ferry City Council Tuesday accepted a bid from Bonners Ferry Builders for construction of the new visitor’s center and parking area along Highway 95.

Before you know it, the “Mother of All Yard Sales” may become tradition in Bonners Ferry. Returning for its second year, you can expect to see the Mother of All Yard Sales all over the county tomorrow and Saturday.

Submitted by the Boundary County Museum