(I became acquainted with Robert Kellogg when I was asked to critique a book he was writing called, "50 True Tales of Northern Idaho." Robert has had a colorful career in Sandpoint: Ad sales and announcing for Norm Bauer at KSPT radio, writing for the Sandpoint News Bulletin, manager of the Panida Theater for Floyd Grey, just to name a few. He began researching old newspapers when he was with Lauren Pietsch at the News Bulletin, and today's story comes from that research. Here is Robert's story — in his own words.)

The costliest mill fire in North Idaho history to that time occurred Thursday, August 17, 1922, when the A. C. White Lumber Co. complex at Laclede was completely consumed by flames, resulting in the destruction of $700,000 in property and the loss of nearly 300 steady jobs for Laclede area workers.

The fire was discovered the moment it broke out from an overheated bearing in a gearbox beneath the floor of the planing shed. Even though discovered immediately, the flames spread so quickly through the shavings and wood dust that the fire was out of control before workers could apply the first stream of water.

Realizing the huge planer shed was doomed, firefighters concentrated on saving the frame factory, saw mill, and other buildings.

Half a dozen boxcars standing on the tracks next to the planer shed caught fire. Factory employee J. S. Owen, fearing the cars might start down the slight grade climbed the end car in spite of the flames and firmly set the brakes on each car.

The fire jumped the gap to the factory but the workers now had two hoses laid and were battling to contain the spread of the blaze.

Then, unaccountably, the very same boxcars on which Owen had set the brakes rolled down the tracks toward the sawmill. The cars ran over both fire hoses, severing them, and rolled on into the sawmill building, spreading the flames they were carrying to that area of the complex.

Dynamite was brought into the fight as the fire jumped to the lumber stacks. The company boarding house and bunkhouses were blasted apart, along with other buildings and lumber piles, but the conflagration devoured everything except the company store. For a time, the residential area was in danger, but only two homes were lost.

The A. C. White Lumber Company had insurance to cover $400,000 of the $700,000 loss. Two weeks after the fire, it purchased the sawmill of the Dover Lumber Company.

In the weeks that followed, 41 company-owned homes were floated up the Pend Oreille River from Laclede on Northern Navigation Company's 150-ton barge to be relocated in Dover.

The fire dealt a stunning blow to a thriving small city that had become one of the population centers of Bonner County.