DOVER — As visitors walked through the Dover Heritage Festival on Saturday, they were transported centuries into the past as community members, both young and old, celebrated both Dover's history and America's 250th anniversary. 

Nearly 25 tents filled festival grounds as community volunteers hosted hands-on activities and historical showcases. Some even dressed the part, donning everything from corsets and billowing skirts to cowboy hats — a nod to America's fashion trends over the decades. 

Violin music drifted through the park as attendees participated in several events that brought the early America era to life, including gold panning and metal working. 

President of the Dover Historical Committee Joe Gibbs said the festival serves to help the community "appreciate what we have developed and made in this country." 

Gibbs and his family moved to Dover when he was 3 years old, and he remembers his childhood vividly — riding his bike around Dover, playing basketball, and swimming in the river. 

Now, at 78 years old, Gibbs feels compelled to preserve the history that has made the town what it has become. 

"I could see all that had changed, and I thought, 'You know, it'd be nice to preserve some of this for young people in the next generation,'" said Gibbs. 

Gibbs said the committee hoped to bridge Dover Bay and the historic section of Dover, two vastly different communities existing within the city. 

"Of course, it's different people, but hopefully, most people will come and be involved and get a feel for what Dover was like," said Gibbs. 

Dover Mayor Keith Congleton said the events like the festival "brings the community together." 

"Dover doesn't stand by itself; it's part of the greater Sandpoint community," said Congleton. "It's important that we keep this history alive, too." 

Bonner County resident Robert Alderman has been making knifes that resemble those used during the fur trade ear for nearly 50 years. 

Alderman said that fur trade knifes weren't just used for skinning animals, but that they were "basic survival for the people that were here." 

"Food preparation, trapping and skinning, all the camp duties," said Alderman. "Without knives, they were in serious danger." 

Tim Benson, a member of the American Mountain Men, stood behind a table lined with goods that once served as common trade items between Native Americans and white settlers. 

Metal, beads, tea, and beaver hide were among the items the drew questions from visitors as Benson shared their historical significance. 

Benson explained that certain trade items, like metal, were highly valued among the Native Americans. 

"Anything metal was nice," said Benson. "Prior to having a brass bucket to boil some water in, you would have had to heat rocks, put them into a container, and boil it like that." 

Among the curious visitors was Bonner County resident Jennifer Lanaville, who stopped to examine the collection. 

Lanaville began collecting Native -American arrowheads in 2018, when she noticed them washing up while walking the shoreline in Laclede. 

When Gibbs asked if she'd be willing to have them displayed at the festival, Lanaville was happy to say yes. 

"I think the world needs to see them," said Lanaville. 

Laneville's said her favorite part of the event was being able hearing volunteers explain the craftsmanship that was once a part of everyday life. 

"It's a lost art," said Lanaville, "I don't know many people that do it anymore."

    Children pan for gold at the Dover Heritage Festival.
  

    A community volunteer teaches a girl how to axe throw at the Dover Heritage Festival.
  

    A boy plays the violin at the Dover Heritage Festival.