Bonner County History - Sept. 8, 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

Sept. 8, 1976 – BLOOD DONORS WANTED 

Bonner General Hospital is searching for persons between the ages of 18 and 60 willing to give blood. Bill Crouse, medical laboratory supervisor, said the hospital is experiencing a “critical shortage of blood” of all types and asks anyone who would be willing to donate to contact the hospital laboratory between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Once the donor’s blood type is established and other information is gathered, a donor card will be issued and when the hospital needs that type of blood, the donor will be called.  

•••

HUCKLEBERRY REPORT INCORRECT 

Contrary to an account printed in Sunday’s paper, huckleberry picking really isn’t any good up Rock Creek Rd. three miles east of Noxon, says Emma Lou Hook of Sandpoint. She tried picking there Thursday and found it poor with berries spotty and falling off the bushes in places. She did find better picking higher up on the same road, which she guaranteed was at least as rough as reported.  

•••

PALMER NEW ATTORNEY HERE 

New Sandpoint attorney, Fred Palmer, a Gonzaga law school graduate, has set up office at 101 N. 1st. The Yakima, Wash. native and his wife, Barbara, recently moved here from Snohomish, Wash. Palmer, who has previous experience in criminal defense, plans to set up a general legal practice here. He became acquainted with Sandpoint while at Gonzaga, and was drawn by its outdoor recreation opportunities and “general quality of life.”  

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Sept. 8, 1951 – PARTY FOR KENT DEAN 

Kent Dean observed his ninth birthday on Monday with a party at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Dean. After games, the traditional birthday cake and ice cream were served to the following: Linda and Sally Miller, Stephanie Harris, Patty West, Winfield West, Jeffrey Harris, Kent Pietsch, Dannie Kline, Loren Evenson and Bobby Kennedy. 

•••

GOLFERS TO VISIT FAIR 

The Ladies Friday golf club will meet as usual at the first tee Friday at ten. Mrs. Charles Tigglebeck won last week’s ball. Members will have lunch at the Bonner county fair church booths after the game.  

•••

LEONARD THURLOW BOATS 25-POUNDER 

Leonard Thurlow of Sandpoint doesn’t put much faith in that old saying about lightning never striking twice in the same place. On opening day of Lake Pend Oreille’s 1951 fishing season, he boated the day’s largest Kamloops rainbow trout – a 15¾ lb. fish that won him the “Kamloops and Kokanee day” trophy. Over Labor day weekend, he went fishing for the third time this year and landed the year’s largest Kamloops, in fact, the largest one caught here since Aug. 1949. The 25 3/4-pound rainbow was caught off the mouth of Garfield bay near the end of the day’s outing. Incidentally, Thurlow caught both big fish using the same lure, a Lucky Louie pearl pink plug.

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