In small, rural communities like Boundary County, the lives of local residents, their stories, struggles and successes are what form the backbone of both the daily news and the history that follows.  

These stories are written, documented, and preserved in the pages of the local newspaper, creating a lasting record of the community. 

At the Boundary County Museum, past editions of the Bonners Ferry Herald and its predecessor, the Kootenai Herald, continue to serve as a vital resource in preserving the community’s history. Dating back to 1891, local newspapers have become an essential tool for research, genealogy and storytelling, offering a detailed account of life in Boundary County across generations. 

These archives are used for many things, from helping families locate obituaries to uncovering long-forgotten events and community milestones. Archived newspapers are a unique and irreplaceable visit into the past. Unlike many historical records, newspapers capture not only major events, but also everyday lives, concerns, celebrations, births and deaths, of local residents.  

That connection to the past is brought to life each week through the museum’s “This Week in History” column, which features snapshots from 100, 50 and 15 years ago. The column is the result of ongoing work by museum volunteers, who carefully review old editions of the newspaper to identify stories and details that still resonate today. 

In the early 1900s, publisher S.D. Taylor used historical snippets as filler content, laying out the groundwork for what would later become a more formalized effort. By the 1930s, a column titled “Twenty-Five Years Ago” was introduced, eventually evolving into “Do You Recall.” 

In 1953, Paul Flinn expanded on that idea with “The Old Timer’s Column,” which focused on researching and sharing stories from the community’s past. Flinn continued his work for decades, building a loyal readership and helping preserve local history through the pages of the newspaper. After his death in 2010, the Boundary County Museum took on the responsibility of continuing that legacy, ultimately renaming the feature “This Week in History.” 

The creation of the “This Week in History” column, is very labor intensive to create. “It takes many volunteers to create the column.” curator Sue Kemmis said about gathering the information for the column.  

“They read every newspaper, to gather tidbits from 100, 50, and 15 years ago.”  

The volunteers also work with microfilm, which can be difficult to read, as well as original newspapers that are fragile and, in some cases, deteriorating with age.  

Digitization efforts for further preservation are underway. The Library of Congress has already digitized local newspapers from 1891 to 1922, and the Boundary County Historical Society has begun the process of digitizing editions from 1923 to 1934. The project is ongoing, with the society budgeting $500 each year toward the effort, though the full process is expected to take many years to complete. 

Digitization of newspapers not only helps preserve aging materials but also ensures that future generations will be able to access and explore Boundary County’s history more easily.  

As communities across the country recognize Local News Day, the work being done at the Boundary County Museum serves as a reminder of the lasting impact of local journalism. Beyond reporting the news of the day, local newspapers create a permanent record of a community.  

For Boundary County, those stories are not just history. They are a living record, still being read, shared, and rediscovered today.