10 Years Ago — 2009

Railroad service

celebrated

Train whistles were blaring recently as the Port of Pend Oreille celebrated 30 years of service as well as the 100th anniversary of Rail service between Newport and Metaline Falls.

20 Years Ago — 1999

Park improvement started

Timber Day was hardly over when construction began on the new improvements slated for City Park. Robert Perkins and Shawn Nelson were busy last week starting the retaining wall on the north side of the parking lot. Thanks to grants from the Forest Service and Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the park will also be getting accessible bathrooms, paved pathways, and paved parking lot.

30 Years Ago — 1989

No fireman to take call

Gloria Coy of Priest River said she dialed the fire number about 2:45 p.m. Sunday to report a tractor fire at the residence of her neighbor, Karla Knowles. After several rings, Coy said police dispatcher Linda Irons answered and told Coy no firemen were answering her call, but a policeman would be by. ”It was a good thing I had an extinguisher here,” Coy said. “I managed to put the fire out myself.” Changes are now being contemplated.

40 Years Ago — 1979

Fire destroys cedar mill

A fire on Aug. 1, at the Froe and Mallett Cedar shake Mill, two miles south of Priest River, was described as a near total loss by one of its owners, David Broughten. The fire started inside the mill and spread to about 3 acres of property owned by the other partner in the mill, David Brownscombe. No one was working in the mill and nothing was operating at the time, after 8 p.m.

50 Years Ago — 1969

Properties exchanged

In a recent exchange, Cal Huff sold his ranch to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Savage and took possession of their smaller place on the Peninsula, where he and Vera Dale are now in residence, and the Savage family is settled in the former Huff home.

Laswell Milling opens feed store

The Laswell Milling Co. of Sandpoint has purchased the Priest River Feed Store and is open for business with a complete line of feed, seeds and fertilizer in the former co-op building at the end of Main Street.

60 Years Ago — 1959

Two win log rolling title

The World champion Log Rolling title was won In Priest River Sunday by Jubiel Wickheim of Sooke, B. C. Charlotte Hansen of Toutle, Wash., won in the women’s division.

70 Years Ago — 1949

Jones Garage is stage line

The Clark Fork Stage Line announced their depot at present is the Jones Garage. Orders for express to be picked up at Sandpoint or to be delivered can be left at the garage.

80 Years Ago — 1939

Store advertising sale items

The Safeway store in Priest River was advertising a six-day sale; vinegar, 15 cents a gallon; 20-ounce cans of grapefruit juice, 6 cents; peanut butter 2 pounds, 23 cents; Hills Bros. coffee, 27 cents a pound; 50-pound bag of potatoes, 65 cents; 3 pound can of Crisco, 53 cents.

90 Years Ago — 1929

Thief can’t drive

An unknown burglar entered Mears Store about 3 a.m. Wednesday and helped himself to $30 in cash and about $1,000-worth of shirts, linens, shoes and a small amount of groceries.

The thief, however, ran into hard luck. After piling his loot into a stolen Graham-Page car, he drove off, but not far. He returned to the Charbonneau Hotel and asked where he could get a wrecker to pull his car out of the ditch. Bob Dow pulled him out, but noticed he was nervous and took his license plate number.

Having returned to Spokane, the burglar struck a car, seriously injured the driver, and summoned an ambulance. When police arrived, they found the stolen goods and car, but the thief was gone.

100 Years Ago — 1919

Proposed road located

The county surveyor completed the location of the proposed road from Laclede to the Priest Lake road, joining the lake road near Blue Lake.

The road will cut the distance from Laclede to Priest Lake by eight miles.