Brought to you by the

Bonner County Historical

Society and Museum

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

208-263-2344

50 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Nov. 23, 1973 – BGH IN NEW BUILDING

“It’s wonderful!” was the reaction of Kootenai resident Mrs. Frances Roberson, the first patient moved into Bonner General Hospital’s new building on Sunday. Mrs. Roberson had not seen the interior of the new building until she was transported by wheelchair to Room 221 by her physician, Dr. Helen E. Peterson. A continuous stream of patients followed throughout the morning. All patients in the old building - more than 30 of them - were transferred during the day. Patients, equipment, personal belongings, and supplies were transferred rapidly via a corridor linking it with the new building in the area formerly occupied by X-ray and laboratory facilities, so it was not necessary to take any patient outdoors during the transfer. 

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BOATED 29½ LB. KAMLOOPS

A 29 lb. 8 oz. Kamloops caught by C.C. Wendle in the Hope district is the largest fish registered this season, said Bernie McGovern of the Bonner County Sportsmen’s Assn. Dr. Wendle, with his son, Mark, had just started fishing about 9 a.m. Saturday two miles north of Indian Point when the strike came. The large male fish was weighed in at Riffe’s Ellisport Bay Resort at Hope shortly before noon. 

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HOPE NEWS

Pvt. Jamie VanStone, who visited 10 days with his family, the C.E. VanStones, returned to Ft. Carson.  

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Nov. 23, 1948 – HOUSE FOR RENT

Furnished 4-room house, lights and water, near store on school and mail rte., $15 a month for quick rental. Mrs. Leo Hartley, ¼ mi. south of Sagle store. 

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GAS FUMES ENDANGER BUILDINGS

Glen Stewart, while working in the basement of the Sigman food store Wednesday morning, lit a cigarette, tossed the burning match in the general direction of the floor catch basin, and BOOM!! An explosion and flames flashed to the floor joists. Stewart, thinking the nether regions were bursting loose, raced upstairs. A report was sent to the fire department that the sewer was afire. Upon investigation, Fire Chief Claude Simons found the trouble resulted from a local garage emptying the residue of their gas tanks into the city sewer. The vapor, being confined, escaped as best it could. Other downtown businesses were soon calling in about the smell of gas. “No smoking” signs were posted and furnaces extinguished in Sigman’s, the F.O.E club, Elks, Havie’s Grocery and Rowlands hotel. Two fire hoses were turned into the sewers to fill them with water and eliminate gas pockets. By evening the fumes had dissipated.

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CITY IN BRIEF

The Women of the Moose are busy cleaning and brightening their recently acquired hall on First avenue. A call was issued for all members to come to the hall today and Friday for a “clean-up detail.”

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