From the Archives - April 2, 2026

Having resigned from his position at Brody’s Pharmacy, C. D. Simonds, druggist opened his own drug store in 1911. His office was in a wooden frame building on Main Street (site of A Little Comfort Quilting).

The Gilt Top Bar on the corner of Bonner and Main (site of Froyo Mama) closed in 1916, and C. D. Simonds purchased the lot and small wooden frame building. The old bar was torn down to make way for the construction of a new one story brick building, which was completed in 1918. Simonds moved into the building and provided a space for the Reader’s Club for their free library that consisted of 500 books.

By 1923, Simonds had added on to the rear of the building, and a second story was added with eighteen rooms. Those rooms were annexed to the Commercial Hotel.

In 1947, C. D. Simonds sold the drug store to Percy Burnell. It became known as Burnell’s Drug Store.

During Simonds’ time in the drug store, he provided the service of developing film into photographs. This photograph has a sticker on the back from the drug store. Not only does the photo tell the story of a Kootenai lodge on the riverbank, but also that it was developed by C. D. Simonds.

The Boundary County Historical Society and Museum, 7229 Main, Bonners Ferry, Idaho sponsors this column. 

Visit the museum, Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m., or visit the website at boundarycountymuseum.org or the museum’s Facebook page for historical photos and stories, and to see upcoming events. The museum can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 208-267-7720.