Today’s Tale ~ These photos were shared to the Museum from DeeAnna Racer, found in her “Grandmother Stockdale’s album”. President Harry S. Truman made a “whistle stop” in Bonners Ferry, Idaho on October 1, 1952. The BF Herald ran an article the next day, October 2, 1952, in the newspaper. Howard always talked about the Valley View students about walking down the South Hill to see this event.
President Harry S. Truman told an enthusiastic crowd of about 2,500 at a “whistle stop” talk in Bonners Ferry yesterday afternoon that “construction of the Libby dam would solve forever the flood problem of the Kootenai river.”
A large part of the President’s 10-minute talk was devoted to remarks concerning the Libby dam. He said the dam would produce twice as much power downstream as at Libby and pointed out that it was important to conserve the water resources.
Listen to President Harry S. Truman’s rear platform remarks, Bonners Ferry, ID, 4:10 p.m.
Truman said that when the coal mines shut down in the east it created almost a national emergency. He said it was equally as important to the economy of this part of the United States, which is so dependent on water power, to conserve water for use during the periods when the flow is low.
The President said that he felt, as head of the Democratic party, that it was his duly to inform the people of the issues of the present campaign. He urged support of Stevenson and Sparkman at the polls and declared that the Democratic party is interested in the Northwest and construction of dams such as Libby and Hells Canyon.
Referring to Stevenson’s GOP opponent, Dwight Eisenhower, the President declared “I think very highly of Ike, but I like him in the army where he knows what he is doing.”
The President said he had been fighting for Hells Canyon dam and added, “I’m going to keep right on
fighting for it.”
At the conclusion of his talk Mr. Truman, introduced his daughter, Margaret, who received a warm round of applause from the large crowd.
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Source:https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/soundrecording-records/sr59-110-president-trumans-rear-platform-remarks-bonners-ferry-id