A Brief Visit to Bonners Ferry...

Our first morning greeted us with the most spectacular, and somewhat surreal, sunrise provided by the Kootenai River Complex of fires.

The smoke, mixed with the morning fog, was breathtaking.
By the time we began our day, the air had cleared.
Bonners Ferry, known as the Gateway to the Canadian Rockies, began in 1863 when thousands of prospectors flooded from the west en route to the North. This sudden movement had been inspired by the discovery of large amounts of gold in the East Kootenays of British Columbia. A year later, Edwin Bonner, an enterprising merchant, constructed the ferry where the trail crossed the broad Kootenai River, thus giving the town its name.
We were here two summers ago. My blog post explains more about the history and even shows the photo of the moose I 'made' Steve find for me here at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge.
We didn't see the elusive moose but we had fun just being in nature.






History was found at the Boundary County Historical Society Museum. We were there to see original artifacts, period rooms, exhibits, and displays designed to present the history of North Idaho and the indigenous Kootenai people.
The dream of having a historical society here began in 1895 when historians collected the words of the old pioneers. They felt the romantic history of the people, the Kootenai, the fur-trappers and traders, homesteaders and early residents should be preserved.


The bylaws of the Society state, “The purpose of the Boundary County Historical Society shall be to bring together persons interested in the history of Boundary County; to promote further interest in the heritage of this area; to gather information, objects and materials relative to its history and development; and to carry on educational programs concerning this region."
We felt, after spending time here, that they succeeded in what they had set out to do.



I love old movie theaters. This one, the Rex Theatre, opened almost 100 years ago, on October 24, 1923. Sadly, it appears to be closed permanently.

Our history lesson was paused for a coffee break at a delightful sidewalk café.
Our last stop was at the Bonners Ferry Main Post Office, which was built in 1938 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It got this designation due to the fact that it represents an outstanding and well-preserved architectural example of the progression of federal architecture from the first two decades of the century through the transition of style which ended with the onset of World War II.
Our visit here was too short. Promises were made to return again, this time to linger and savor. We have places to go and more people to see but what a wonderful detour Bonners Ferry proved to be.

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