From the Archives, Jan. 5, 2023

This piece of paper is a handwritten note; or invitation, which by the look of it was thumb- tacked onto something - sometime- somewhere. It reads:

“I have a hunting camp at the end of Skin Creek road. If you want to come fellow the Perkins Lake road intil you come to lake then turn to left at sign that reads (2 miles to GOAT MT trail) fellow road until you cross creek then take first road to right 8 miles from here to camp.

Will be back and forth with horse between here and the camp. If you want to stay here and hunt take any empty cabin that is not locked. Chas Smith.”

Born in 1857, Charley Smith came to the Kootenai Valley in 1885 to operate the stagecoach for his brother, Sam. He sent out promotional letters to friends inviting them to the area. He had Several; “hunting camps”; in the 1920s and 1930s. Charley, father of “Tot”; Smith, passed away on February 7, 1943.What an adventure this would have been to join Charley at his Skin Creek hunting camp.

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