Bonner County History - Aug. 4, 2026

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. 4, 1976 – BIRTHS 

Aug. 1: To Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Chapin, Samuels, 8 lb. 15½ oz. boy. Aug. 3: To Mr. and Mrs. William Elrod, Sandpoint, 7 lb. 1 oz. boy. Aug. 4: To Mr. and Mrs. Ray Green, Sandpoint, 8 lb. 10 oz. boy.  

• • •

EAGLES HIT BY BURGLAR 

Over $2,200 in cash was taken in a late Sunday or early Monday burglary of the Sandpoint Eagles Lodge. The money was in an early 1900s model upright safe and the unknown suspect peeled off the safe door with tools. Pry marks on the outside of the lodge’s rear door show it was forced open. The burglar apparently tried to leave through that door, but it had automatically locked, so the suspect pried open the front door to get out, leaving pry marks on the inside of that door.  

• • •

WINDOWS BROKEN BY VANDALS 

Late Sunday, Sandpoint Police investigated a report of juveniles playing in railroad cars across the highway from Motel 8 [on the Dover Hwy]. Over the next 1½ hours, officers discovered approximately 16 windows of various sizes broken out of commercial buildings facing the tracks, including Ziggy’s Building Supply, Murphy’s Saw Shop at 6th and Church, Loman’s Tire Service, the Mobil Bulk Plant, Russell Oliver’s maintenance shop, Quality Auto Body, Melody Muffler, the Co-op grain elevator, the Co-op retail building and the Big Pink Trading Company. No sign of entry was found at any of the buildings. The incident is still under investigation.  

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Aug. 4, 1951 – INSTALLS FIELD SPRINKLERS 

A newly installed sprinkler system on the T.W. Hunt ranch at the Bronx corner stops passersby who are intrigued by the sight of water spouting in a geyser-like spray from the aluminum pipe over an area some 80’ wide and 400’ long. The system was put into operation Friday on a new seeding of alfalfa which already shows remarkable growth as the result of 12-hour soakings. Hunt draws water by an oversized pump in Sand creek. There are only a few such installations in the county and results on the Hunt farm will be watched with interest.  

• • •

NEWS FROM COLBURN by Mrs. Bertha Boylan 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Green entertained about 40 guest at a wiener roast at their home Saturday in honor of the third birthday of their son, Richard. Guests were Mr. and Mrs. Kit Martin of Kootenai, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Oliver, Mr. and Mrs. Russell Oliver and daughter, Luella, and son, Glen, all of Sandpoint, Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Hustead, Klamath, Ore., Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Timlick, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Green.  

Mrs. Andy Slavek came home from the Sandpoint hospital Saturday with her new baby daughter.  

Mr. and Mrs. Werner Paulet entertained about 20 guests Saturday for Mr. Paulet’s 26th birthday. He received many nice gifts and was presented with a lovely birthday cake by his wife.

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