From the Archives - June 25, 2026

Did you read “This Week in History ~ 100 Years Ago”? “Captain Roald Amundsen and Lieutenant Lincoln Ellsworth, leaders of the recent polar expedition stopped briefly in Bonners Ferry.”

In 1926, Captain Roald Amundsen and Lieutenant Lincoln Ellsworth, along with Umberto Nobile, successfully led the first documented flight over the North Pole in the airship - "Norge" marking a significant achievement in polar exploration.

The expedition, also known as the Amundsen-Ellsworth 1926 Transpolar Flight, was a collaborative effort between Amundsen (the polar explorer and expedition leader), Ellsworth (the wealthy American adventurer and explorer who financed and navigated the trip), and Nobile (the airship's designer and pilot).

The expedition used a semi-rigid Italian-built airship named "Norge". They departed from Ny-Ålesund at Svalbard and flew over the North Pole to Teller, Alaska, crossing the Arctic Ocean for the first time. This flight was the first documented trip of any kind to the North Pole; and the first aircraft to fly over the polar ice cap between Europe and America. The airship was dismantled in Teller, Alaska, for transport to Europe and was never flown again.

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.