From the Archives - Sept 17, 2026

Did you read “This Week in History”? “50 Years Ago ~ Bonners Ferry is no longer a two traffic light town. The old signals were removed on Thursday by the city, and in their places are four-way stop signs and four-way red flashers.”

Labor was done by the City of Bonners Ferry men and equipment. The materials, worth approximately, $950 were furnished by the State of Idaho Department of Highways. The new flashers, at Main and Bonner and Main and Kootenai replaced the obsolete traffic signals that were difficult to see at times. An alternative to the new system would have been modernized automatic traffic signals on each corner; eight signals plus a control box; however burrowing under the street would have cost around $15,000 in each intersection.

Today, all of the intersections in downtown Bonners Ferry are four-way stops with signs. No traffic lights run in the downtown area.

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.