This Week In History - Aug. 17, 2023

100 Years Ago

A crowd that filled the new high school auditorium to overflowing greeted Senator William E. Borah here last night and gave close attention for two hours to his utterances on questions of national import. The senator was introduced by Major W.S. Walker and immediately launched into an eloquent treatise of the many national and international problems confronting present-day statesmen.

Dr. William Foss, of Chicago, Ill., arrived here Tuesday to visit for a time with his father, Hjalmar Askevold, cashier of the Idaho Continental Mining Co, of Klockmann, Idaho. They had not seen each other in 20 years.

Incorporation papers were filed at the county courthouse last Friday for the Bonners Ferry Canning Company. The incorporators were W.F. Winchester and H.M. La Favor. The company was founded to conduct a general canning business and the dehydration of fruits and vegetables.

50 Years Ago

“A refreshing bit of Northwest Folklore telling the story of two old Idaho gold miners,” is the information released by Alpine Records regarding a new 45rpm record being released in the area. It was written by Verna Hodgson, Bonners Ferry.

A crew of 25 loggers was instrumental in containing a fire Friday night on Tungsten Mountain to five acres. Retardant was also dropped on this fire, which was the largest of 10 lightning-caused fires, which occurred in the Bonners Ferry Ranger District during the past week.

Many county livestock producers are working very hard to arrange for a winter feed for their livestock. Drought conditions have compounded the problem by causing cattle to come off pastures ahead of normal, extending the winter feeding period.

15 Years Ago

Fixing the Bonners Ferry City swimming pool is an issue near and dear to Councilman John Langs' heart. Langs is pushing to find and repair the leaks in the 70-year-old pool at Washington and Fresno streets. The pool lost over 20,000 gallons of water last year.

After 32 years as the Bonners Ferry power plant foreman, Pete Wilson has retired. City Council last week promoted power plant operator Pat Stevens to foreman. Wilson worked at the power plant for five years before becoming foreman in 1976. After nearly nine years, he was named the city’s electrician. Four years ago, Wilson went back to the power plant full-time.

~Submitted by the Boundary County Museum