100 Years Ago — 1920

Laclede mill destroyed

Last Thursday night a fire starting in the planing mill of A.C. White Lumber Company at Laclede destroyed the sawmill, planing mill, $400,000-worth of manufactured lumber, a company residence, boarding house and bunkhouse and the residence of W. J. Hodge. The total loss is estimated at $700,000, with insurance to approximately $400,000.

90 Years Ago — 1932

Presta Bldg. will host fair

The Community Fair will be held Sept. 20 in the Mike Presta building, formerly occupied by the Ford Agency. Mr. Presta very generously donated the use of his building.

80 Years Ago — 1942

Cost of milk goes up

Notice: Due to the increased cost of feed and labor, we are obliged to raise the price of milk. Beginning Sept. 1, 1942, milk will be sold at 12 cents per quart at Vic’s Dairy, Jenness’s Dairy, and Peaceful Valley Diary.

70 Years Ago — 1952

Bear leaves berries for dump

There are still many huckleberries on the higher slopes, but the bear, who is now named Smoky II, has decided that the garbage dump is better pickings. It is comic to watch his antics as he searches through the menu of today’s garbage, and tragic to think that someone will ‘get him’ as they did Smoky 1, the day season opens.

60 Years Ago — 1962

Surgery successful

Julie Ann, four-year-old daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Charles Coleman, will be released from the Shriners Hospital in Spokane and returned home today. July has been in the hospital since April 14. She underwent successful spinal surgery July 31 and will be in a body cast for six months. The little girl will be able to walk as soon as she regains her strength.

50 Years Ago — 1972

Swim program completed

Priest River’s annual swimming program was completed Aug. 4 with 98 swimmers passing their tests out of an enrollment of 213.

40 Years Ago — 1982

Tourist booth has busiest day

Priest River’s tourist information booth had its best day ever on Aug. 17, reports coordinator Athol Shields. Forty-seven adults and eight children stopped by, in 25 vehicles. The prior best count was 38 adults and several children.

30 Years Ago — 1992

Snow comes early

Snow in August? You bet. “From what I’ve seen since I’ve been in North Idaho, nothing is unusual,” said Bob Denner, who records the weather at the Priest River Experimental Forest. Denner reported that the snow line dropped to about 4,000 feet during Saturday’s storm. “I was up at Gisborne Lookout, and it was a blizzard up there,” he said.

20 Years Ago — 2022

Park dedicates new digs

A new Priest Lake State Park visitors center and headquarters were dedicated Aug. 12 at Indian Creek.