Bonner County History - Aug. 14, 2025

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

and Sandpoint Bee

Aug. 14, 1975 – OLIVER!

Tonight is family night for OLIVER! Don’t miss this chance to see the classic musical for only $5 for the entire family. OLIVER plays at the old fairgrounds in Sandpoint every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until Aug. 23. Curtain time is 8:30 p.m.

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SPROUSE REITZ BACK-TO-SCHOOL SALE

School lunch kit, choice of metal or vinyl box with TV and storybook decorations, child-proof vacuum bottle, $2.99; “Pee Chee” Portfolios – the favorite portfolio at a sale price, 2 for 27c; Elmers Glue All or School Glue, 4 oz., 43c. Sprouse Reitz, 100 Cedar. 

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EVERYTHING FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL

We have a store full of Eye-catching, Budget-minded School Needs for All Back-to-Schoolers! Pkg of 16 No. 2 lead pencils, 73c pkg.; Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Planters Jumbo Block Peanut Candy bars, 3 for 27c. 300 sheets filler paper, 96c; Folding Kindermat, 46x19”, $1.97 each; Barrel O’ Paste, 8½ oz. size, 47c.; Typewriter paper, 200 sheets, 88c; Timex Fashion Watches, $10.95 and up; Girls’ and Boys’ knit tops and shirts pants and slacks, $2.57 each; Canvas sneakers, Toddler’s, Children’s, Misses and Women’s, $1.99 a pair; 225-yd. spool polyester thread, 5 for 77c.  Ben Franklin, 323 First St. [in 2025, location of Hen’s Tooth Studio].

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Aug. 14, 1950 – HOUSES NEEDED

For weeks, clerk of the school district, Charles E. Selle, has tried to find housing for teachers soon to arrive in Sandpoint for the school year opening Sept. 5. According to the 1950 census, Sandpoint lost population. But residential building permits had a decided increase. These are the figures. Now Selle is conducting what appears to be a futile hunt for furnished homes for teachers with small families. Anyone with a house to rent will do Selle a big favor by calling 597. The harried clerk said, “Something’s amiss between the census and Sandpoint’s housing situation. If we lost population, there should be vacant houses, but where are they?”

•••

HOSPITAL WORK PROGRESSING

Work on remodeling the former Farragut building is on schedule. Interior plastering of the east wing is nearly complete. Workmen are refinishing the end of the central wing, which had been cut off, and which will house a five-bed maternity ward. A wide hall is being constructed from the kitchen, a detached building, to the main hospital structure. It will contain a dining room for employees. Room partitions throughout the hospital are nearly finished. The big thermometer on the J.C. Penney store building this week was moved up to the $75,000 mark. 

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CITY IN BRIEF

Miss Juanita Belote, stenographer in the offices of the department of public assistance, is on vacation.

Lewis Kedish of this city left Monday for Boise to enter the veterans’ hospital for a checkup. 

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