Bonner County History - Sept. 13, 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. 13, 1976 — SIX JR. TACKLE TEAMS

Junior Tackle football action begins Saturday at Memorial Field when all six teams compete in three games. The teams and coaches are: Cowboys (1975 champs) — Mike Plaster; Colts — Tim Timlin; Bears — Larry Jeffries; Packers — Terry Thompson; Clark Fork Dolphins — Fred Page. As ruled last year, no one over 135 lbs. will be allowed to carry the ball, said commissioner Jon Lind.  

• • •

LOCKING GATE HASN’T WORKED 

Locking the City Beach gate at night has not solved the problems at the beach after dark, and may have caused new ones. With that in mind, the Parks, Beach and Building Committee recommends to the full City Council that the gate be left open 24 hours a day. Some motorists, finding the gate locked, drive around it across the shrubbery of the trailer park adjacent to the beach. A few nights ago, some residents who were sleeping outside on the ground were “nearly run over” by someone trying to get around the gate, said Emma Lou Hook.  

• • •

ELDERLY URGED TO GET SWINE FLU SHOTS

After several delays, the federal government’s massive swine flu inoculation program is expected to get underway soon. Health officials urge those over 65 and anyone with chronic heart, kidney or lung disease to get the shots, as those groups were most severely hit by previous flu outbreaks. “High risk” people will get a special combination shot that will protect them against both the swine-type flu and the A-Victoria flu, which was quite widespread last year and may occur again this winter. 

75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

Sept. 13, 1951 — THOUSANDS VISIT FAIR

Visitors from all over Bonner county attended the four-day county fair that ended Sunday with a huge crowd that came for the horse show put on by the Sandpoint Saddle club and the Riders of the Hills from Cocolalla. A highlight of Sunday’s show was Miss Shirley Carter performing with her trained horses. Perfect weather marked the four-day fair except for Friday night, when a sudden thunderstorm dunked the area and a lightning strike near Wrencoe plunged Sandpoint in darkness, halting the evening performance. Despite this, the Bonner county chorus, directed by Mrs. O.W. Vander Velden rendered a program in the darkness in the arena before the crowd disbanded.  

• • •

BIG BIRD VACATIONS

The stork is on vacation. Bonner General hospital, the stork’s largest distribution point, had no babies born from Sept. 5 to Sept. 12.  

• • •

LT. NEU RETURNS TO GREAT FALLS BASE

Lt. and Mrs. Robert Neu left for Great Falls AFB, after five days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Neu, and other relatives and friends. Lt. Neu, who recently returned from a trip to Germany and Africa, is attached to the ATS at Great Falls, Montana.

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