history creating community
THe Bonner County HIstorical Society was incorporated in 1972 and has been going strong for 50 years thanks to you!
BONNER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM
Founded in 1972, the Bonner County Historical Society has been collecting and preserving the Bonner County region’s significant stories for over 50 years. The Museum is located at 611 S Ella Ave, in view of Lake Pend Oreille in beautiful Lakeview Park. You can't miss the big yellow caboose on the Museum's lawn!
Museum exhibits immerse visitors in local history dating back to the ice age floods, the early days of the Kalispel and Kootenai people, the fur trade, steamboat era, log drives, and stump ranches. Visitors will learn how Sandpoint grew from a few shacks along the railroad to the resort town we know today, and the early beginnings of the small logging, mining, agriculture, and railroad communities that dot the roadways in Bonner County.
The Bonner County Historical Society is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization. Museum membership is open to all. We operate thanks to community support, membership fees, donations, admissions, retail sales, and grants from private foundations.
Museum exhibits immerse visitors in local history dating back to the ice age floods, the early days of the Kalispel and Kootenai people, the fur trade, steamboat era, log drives, and stump ranches. Visitors will learn how Sandpoint grew from a few shacks along the railroad to the resort town we know today, and the early beginnings of the small logging, mining, agriculture, and railroad communities that dot the roadways in Bonner County.
The Bonner County Historical Society is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization. Museum membership is open to all. We operate thanks to community support, membership fees, donations, admissions, retail sales, and grants from private foundations.
QUICK LINKS
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Museum Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free First Saturdays 1st Saturday of each month 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (FREE admission) |
Admission
$4.00 – Adults $3.00 – Seniors $1.00 – 6-18 years Free – Members & children under 6 Free for everyone on the 1st Saturday of each month |
a brief history
In 1953, the first Museum in this area was established in Room 2 of Sandpoint High School by Dr. Ethel Page Westwood. It was called the Museum of Natural and Human History and displayed her extensive collection of rocks and fossils, along with artifacts that were contributed by local residents.
Within a year the Museum moved to the annex of the Sandpoint Community Hall, and later to the basement of the Sandpoint Library at Second and Poplar Streets. Without a permanent location, the collections suffered damage and there were limitations in how things could be displayed, so the long search for a permanent structure to house the Museum began. Fundraising efforts to build a museum started with the David Thompson Sesquicentennial
Commemoration in 1959, which put $550 into the coffers.
On January 3, 1972, Articles of Incorporation were signed by:
On March 9, 1972, The Sandpoint News-Bulletin announced the formation of a non-profit organization dedicated to the collecting and preservation of the historical heritage of Bonner County. Mrs. Littlefield was the Society’s acting President at the time, and a temporary board of directors was named during the organizational period. The Society’s long-range goal included a museum building where collections and research materials would be available to the public.
The building project gained focus in the community during the celebration of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. $50,000 was raised in cash and pledges in a few weeks and construction began on the site of the old Fairgrounds, now Lakeview Park. The grand opening was held in July of 1980.
Over the years, county residents have shown their generosity by contributing thousands of artifacts, photographs, and documents related to their family and community histories. After 30 years of collecting, the Trustees are now looking at opportunities to expand the Museum in order to continue preserving our county history and serving local residents and visitors with quality exhibits, research, and programming.
The Society is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that are elected by the membership of the organization. The Museum is managed by an Executive Director, Curator and Museum Administrator and assisted by a team of talented and dedicated volunteers. As the Museum is a repository of county records, Bonner County contributes funds each year to the Society’s annual budget. The remainder of the Museum’s operating expenses are raised through admission fees, gift shop sales, memberships, memorials, research fees, special fundraisers, and grants.
In 2001 the Society was honored to receive the Esto Perpetua Award “in honor and recognition of significant contributions to the preservation of Idaho history.” BCHS volunteers Nancy Renk and Julie Monroe have also received Esto Perpetua Awards for their efforts to preserve Idaho history. The Society and Museum was once again honored in 2008 by receiving the first Sister Alfreda Elsensohn Award for excellence jointly presented by the Idaho State Historical Society, Idaho Humanities Council, and Idaho Heritage Trust.
Within a year the Museum moved to the annex of the Sandpoint Community Hall, and later to the basement of the Sandpoint Library at Second and Poplar Streets. Without a permanent location, the collections suffered damage and there were limitations in how things could be displayed, so the long search for a permanent structure to house the Museum began. Fundraising efforts to build a museum started with the David Thompson Sesquicentennial
Commemoration in 1959, which put $550 into the coffers.
On January 3, 1972, Articles of Incorporation were signed by:
- Sallie Bishop
- Teresa Deshon
- Phyllis Holzemer
- K.T. Littlefield
- Herrick “Swede” Heitman
- Leonard Anderson
- Richard Curtis
On March 9, 1972, The Sandpoint News-Bulletin announced the formation of a non-profit organization dedicated to the collecting and preservation of the historical heritage of Bonner County. Mrs. Littlefield was the Society’s acting President at the time, and a temporary board of directors was named during the organizational period. The Society’s long-range goal included a museum building where collections and research materials would be available to the public.
The building project gained focus in the community during the celebration of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. $50,000 was raised in cash and pledges in a few weeks and construction began on the site of the old Fairgrounds, now Lakeview Park. The grand opening was held in July of 1980.
Over the years, county residents have shown their generosity by contributing thousands of artifacts, photographs, and documents related to their family and community histories. After 30 years of collecting, the Trustees are now looking at opportunities to expand the Museum in order to continue preserving our county history and serving local residents and visitors with quality exhibits, research, and programming.
The Society is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that are elected by the membership of the organization. The Museum is managed by an Executive Director, Curator and Museum Administrator and assisted by a team of talented and dedicated volunteers. As the Museum is a repository of county records, Bonner County contributes funds each year to the Society’s annual budget. The remainder of the Museum’s operating expenses are raised through admission fees, gift shop sales, memberships, memorials, research fees, special fundraisers, and grants.
In 2001 the Society was honored to receive the Esto Perpetua Award “in honor and recognition of significant contributions to the preservation of Idaho history.” BCHS volunteers Nancy Renk and Julie Monroe have also received Esto Perpetua Awards for their efforts to preserve Idaho history. The Society and Museum was once again honored in 2008 by receiving the first Sister Alfreda Elsensohn Award for excellence jointly presented by the Idaho State Historical Society, Idaho Humanities Council, and Idaho Heritage Trust.
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