From the archives of the

Bonner County History Museum

611 S. Ella Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864

208-263-2344

50 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Jan. 13, 1972 – CLEAN UP AFTER STORM

Clean-up activity continued throughout the county this week as residents removed debris and repaired damage caused by savage winds, with estimated peak gusts of 70 miles per hour, that lashed the area last weekend. No serious injuries were reported but damage extended throughout North Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana. The Hope peninsula lost some of its stately pines and firs and PP&L line crews toiled there and in the Clark Fork area most of Saturday night, Sunday morning and again Sunday night, repairing power lines downed by falling trees. Lines were also damaged in the Talache and Bottle Bay areas and along Fish Hatchery Rd. near Sandpoint. PP&L had every available man on the job most of the weekend. Garfield Bay, which suffered extensive damage on the weekend, was hit again Tuesday as another storm front entered North Idaho.

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UNUSUAL WEATHER, WIND FORM SNOWBALLS

Until warmer weather put a stop to it, the wind was rolling its own snowballs last week. Both Ray Yaw and Bob Lyons told of the weather-caused phenomenon. Each said the wind was picking up snow and causing it to roll into snowballs several inches wide. The balls stopped rolling when they got too heavy to move further. They began melting down when the temperature went above freezing Wednesday night.

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STEVENS GRADUATES

Marine Pvt. Gary F. Stevens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Stevens of Kootenai, has graduated from recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.

100 Years Ago

Pend d’Oreille Review

Jan. 13, 1922 – BIG ICE HARVEST ON

The Cocolalla Ice company started the cutting of ice yesterday at Cocolalla lake, with 150 men employed. The Northern Pacific secures most of its ice from this lake for its mountain and Pacific divisions.

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BANK “HOLDUP” ALARM WORKS

Last week the First National bank installed a burglar alarm system whereby in case of a daylight holdup an electric button is touched and a neighboring place of business is given the alarm, whereupon shooting-irons are produced at a point of vantage and the holdups met with a fusillade of softnosed bullets as they emerge with their plunder. There were visions of the expected holdup Saturday when a Ford car drove up in front of the bank and almost at once the electric contrivance registered across the way. There was a scurrying for guns and the sheriff was called. Then it transpired that Assistant Cashier L.W. Peterson had unintentionally leaned against the bank’s “buzzer.”

•••

“THANK YOU,” SAID JAPANESE MOTHER

A Japanese baby was born in this city Sunday when Mrs. W. Yamagiroto, wife of a N.P. section hand at Kootenai, became the mother of a boy at City hospital. The little mother greets Dr. Wendle, the attending physician, with a happy little smile and the words, “b-a-by, thank you,” her only English words except “hello.”

For more information, visit the museum online at bonnercountyhistory.org.