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bonner county historical society & museum
Founded in 1972, the Bonner County History Museum has been collecting and preserving the Bonner County region’s significant stories for over 40 years.
The Museum is located in view of Lake Pend Oreille in beautiful Lakeview Park. The park has many amenities including picnic areas, a playground, tennis courts, and the Native Plant Society arboretum. Adjacent to Lakeview Park is Memorial Field which has a boat launch and is home to the Festival at Sandpoint every August.
The Bonner County History Museum is a private, non-profit educational organization (I.R.S. 501 (c) 3). The museum is a membership organization, open to all. We operate thanks to community support, membership fees, gifts, retail sales and donations, and grants from private foundations.
The Museum is located in view of Lake Pend Oreille in beautiful Lakeview Park. The park has many amenities including picnic areas, a playground, tennis courts, and the Native Plant Society arboretum. Adjacent to Lakeview Park is Memorial Field which has a boat launch and is home to the Festival at Sandpoint every August.
The Bonner County History Museum is a private, non-profit educational organization (I.R.S. 501 (c) 3). The museum is a membership organization, open to all. We operate thanks to community support, membership fees, gifts, retail sales and donations, and grants from private foundations.
Bonner County History Museum
611 S. Ella Ave
Sandpoint, ID 83864
(208) 263-2344
info@bonnercountyhistory.org
611 S. Ella Ave
Sandpoint, ID 83864
(208) 263-2344
info@bonnercountyhistory.org
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:
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.” 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
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.” 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.