COEUR d’ALENE — A local author has had her work immortalized at the North Idaho College library. 

Barbara Bennett, a 94-year-old Hayden native, grew up without knowing why Hayden and Hayden Lake were named. 

“I went all eight grades right here in the Hayden Lake School and there was never a mention of who this place was named after. His name was Matthew Hayden,” Bennett said.

She said missing out on learning local history inspired her to write her book, “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives.” 

The book is the first volume in a series that catalogues the stories and history of families in the Hayden area. Bennett is already working on the second volume.

The Kootenai County Genealogical Society arranged the book’s insertion into the research library’s collection and said it is a valuable resource for those who wish to study the area.

“When doing genealogy research, this is a good place to come,” said Pam Barnhouse, KCGS vice president. 

She said the NIC library was the perfect place to put the book because of a shared history. 

“So much of our history intertwines with NIC,” Barnhouse said. 

The NIC library was proud to add a local author to its collection and happy KCGS presented the book. 

“We loved having them here, we are so thankful they came,” said Mary Ortman, tech and digital services librarian. 

Ortman hopes more people take advantage of the NIC library which can be accessed with a photo ID. 

“We love welcoming the community in. A ton of people don’t know that we are open to the public,” she said.