Today’s Tale ~ 7 Jan 2016 by Susan Kemmis
This photo was shared with me from Melinda Brinkman. She wanted the history of the building, so here are the facts from Howard Kent.
The ground level building with basement was built in the spring of 1916, for the First National Bank. The back portion of the building held the U.S. Post Office for Bonners Ferry.
It was about two months old when the Mighty Kootenai River jumped its bed for the Flood of 1916. New basement was full of water!!!
In 1923, the north side of the building had a small addition added giving the bank a few more feet, and having an office space to rent. It was rented by O. C. Wilson’s Boundary Abstract.
In 1924, Saunders & White (White’s Grocery) opened in a space between the Post Office and the FNB. The side of the building had a doorway which you entered, and then had two swinging doors-you could go into the Post Office or the Grocery Store (these two doors hang in the Museum between the South Wing and Portrait Hall).
In 1924, The Masons built the Masonic Temple on top of the entire building. Other business to use the back after the Post Office moved to its current location: VFW, the Liquor Store, Dr. Durose.
The business space on the north side of the bank portion has been used by: Pace-Kerby, Kayser Insurance, Karl’s Jewelry, The Athletic Connection.
After the bank closed, The Library moved into the space in 1963 and moved to the new building in 1974, then Coast to Coast opened. Coast to Coast closed in 2002, but for one year True Value Hardware used the space. True Value became the R-Store which eventually became the Dollar Store, and then Huckleberry Variety.
Be sure to stop by the Museum!
And see the old post office doors from the First Nation Bank building and
of course much more!