SANDPOINT — Mesmerized, area fourth graders watched as Shaun Deller began to rapidly spin one stick into another, a tiny bit of tinder in the bottom of one.

Soon, a waft of smoke began to emerge as the artist, tanner and craftsman began to blow on the resulting spark.

Carefully, he placed the smoldering file onto a bit of kindling — and the fledgling fire went out.

But that, Deller told the students attending the inaugural Living History event organized by Sandpoint High School teacher Erica Haynes to give them a peek at what life was like in the early 1800s when explorer and fur trader David Thompson first came to the area.

The Living History event gave the fourth graders a chance to pretend that they're living in 1810 and need to learn everything they need in order to survive as a fur trader, Haynes said of the event.

"When you're studying it in a book, it doesn't really stick with you, but an event like this lives in your memory, so that's important," Haynes said. "Getting to see how people actually live — the hands-on aspect — brings learning to life for the kids."

Connecting students to their history, to the community's history, is important. By showing students how those living in the early 1800s lived, they will be able to picture what they are reading about in their history books.

"It's all about making those connections and bringing history to life," Haynes said.

The idea for the Living History event was prompted by a visit by Deller, who also works as an assistant educator at the Kaniksu Land Trust. He paid a visit to Haynes' U.S. history class to talk about fur traders like Jeremiah Johnson and other mountain men.

Haynes, whose family were among the first homesteaders to settle in Bonner County, said the visit by Deller sparked the idea for the living event. The two got to talking and Deller mentioned how fun it would be to expand on his presentation like he and his fellow Northwest Fur Trade Historians members do at the Spokane House, working to bring history alive.

"I'm a history teacher but also my family has been here since before this was even a town," Haynes said. "We have seven generations in Bonner County ... so this is like our family's history also."

Deller was thrilled when Haynes jumped on board the idea and the pair immediately began planning how to turn the idea into reality in a short amount of time.

"This is something that we do at Spokane House for some of the folks and students visiting," Deller said, noting the events have been held at the site for the past 20 or more years. "There hasn't been one that happens in Sandpoint, and we thought, 'Wouldn't it be cool to offer something here at the museum where it could be a collaborative thing and get the kids from the local schools coming through.'"

Tucked into a treed area near the Bonner County History Museum at Lakeview Park, the canvas tents, campfires and lean-to shelters crafted from a length of canvas were set up to help transport the students back to when David Thompson first came to Idaho in 1809-1810.

A collaboration between the Lake Pend Oreille School District, Kaniksu Land Trust, city of Sandpoint and the museum, the event also featured reenactors from the Northwest Fur Trade Historians such as Deller who helped transport students back in time more than 200 years.

The event featured roughly a half-dozen living history stations where the students got an up-close look at everything from fire making, trading and tanning hides to animal identification and trading. The students were also given a tour of the Bonner County History Museum to explore items in the museum's collection that showcase what life was like in the early 1800s.

"How do I build a fire? What animals am I trying to catch? What's worth the most? What do I need to know for survival?" Haynes said.

Deller, who started working at the land trust in November, has been involved in historical reenactments for more than 10 years. As a member of Northwest Fur Trade Historians, Deller and others involved in the living history group have presented what life was like at the Spokane area fur trading post. They've shared everything from how the fur traders lived to their interactions with local tribes and how their explorations impacted tribal people. Deller and other organizers said they want students to learn what life was like for women in the period, for traders and trappers, for native tribes and others.

Reaction to the event has been positive with immediate buy-in from the city, land trust and school district. In fact, the reaction has been so positive that Haynes, Deller and other organizers are already planning to make next year's event — which will likely be moved to the fall — even bigger. Next year's Living History event will likely take place over three days with elementary students attending the first day, middle and high school students the second and the community invited to the third day.

Kalispel Tribe and Kootenai Tribe members are planning to take part in next year's Living History event to showcase how the region's tribes lived during Thompson's time and how they interacted with fur traders and explorers.

Bonner County History Museum administrator Hannah Combs can't wait.

Older volunteers have shared about past rendezvous where Kalispel Tribe members held salmon feasts and taught about their history and culture. Others have talked about big community picnics held by the museum at the park.

"The idea of having [the reenactment] here and sharing the history, to start bringing some of that back to the park is really cool," Combs said.

    Shaun Deller carefully blows on a small bit of tinder to try and create flame. Deller was among a half-dozen Northwest Fur Trade Historians members who reenacted by life was like in the early 1800s as part of a living history event Thursday, April 24.
  

    A member of the Northwest Fur Trade Historians group talks to area fourth graders about what like was like during the early 1800s at a living history event Thursday, April 24.