Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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THOMPSON FALLS From Architectural and Historical Surveys When the original town site plat was adopted in 1893, the street bordering the town’s “red light district” received the appropriate name of Maiden Lane. Thompson Falls and neighboring settlements formed because of very specific geographic and economic reasons: The proximity of their locations to the mining fields and the fact that the railroad and subsequent roads gave access to these points rather than into the goldfields themselves. Their reason for being was to outfit miners into...
Kelsey Wallace, Thompson Falls - “Just go with the flow of it and take one day at a time, because that’s really all you can do.” Sarah Stover, Thompson Falls - “Cherish every moment, because it goes by fast.” Tara Hertel, Thompson Falls - “A lot of people are going to try to give you advice on how to parent, but you just got to trust your own gut. You know what’s best.” Natalie Thompson, Trout Creek - “As a young mom, the only way to be a good mom is to get guidance from the God who created us all.” Deena Brigham, Vancouver, Washingt...
It was a productive weekend, not only for myself, but for my honey bees as well. While I currently have two broody chickens and a broody duck on my hands; my bees are by far the most complex creatures I have encountered. It’s been three long months since tragedy struck on this little homestead. I have waited and waited for the weather to warm up in order to get into the hive that was struck down by a fallen tree. It’s always a guessing game with a Montana spring. In the morning it will be snowing, by afternoon the sun will be shining and com...
Plains Day isn’t the only action planned for Saturday, June 5. The Wildhorse Sports Association is once again bringing back the annual Wildhorse ShootOut three-on-three basketball tournament at the Amundson Sports Complex in Plains. This is the fifth year for the daylong tournament and organizers are expecting numerous teams to participate. The Wildhorse Sports Association is teaming up again with Mission Valley 3 on 3 to conduct the tournament, which in the past has attracted teams from Sanders and Lake Counties, as well as those from as f...
Maurita Crew has worked diligently toward expanding the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education into her student's curriculum at Trout Creek Seventh Day Adventist School (TCAS). In Crew's third year at the school, she has created a learning environment which allows students a hands-on approach to investigating and engineering solutions that cater to a student's academic needs. In that continuation, this year students are learning about space - the main...
Two does make their way through a chilly, foggy morning west of Plains....
"I was trying to reacclimate with life, and I knew that was something I wanted to bring to other veterans," said John Torres, a retired Marine infantryman, while he was outdoors on his family's land. The Torres family homesteaded on Eddy Flat near Thompson Falls in the late 1880s, and he recently became the caretaker of the property. Having served in combat and in the military, Torres is familiar with PTSD and the strain that tolls the minds of many veterans, even one that was never injured...
THOMPSON FALLS From Architectural and Historical Surveys “Thompson Falls is the last town on the Northern Pacific railroad aspiring to be the outfitting point for the Coeur d’Alene mines,” wrote a correspondent to the Weekly Missoulian in April 1884. Because the railroad tracks beyond Thompson Prairie came closer to the mouth of Prospect Creek, eventual settlement occurred three miles west of the station along the bank of the Clark’s Fork River and near the waterfall that gave the settlement its name. Knowledge of the Prospect Creek route a...
TRINA AUSTIN, Trout Creek - “No, I would not because I am not as dedicated to exercise as I should be.” COOPER MILNE, Trout Creek - “If I were to ever run in a marathon, it would be with my sister and if it was for charity.” PEYTON ELLUL, Thompson Falls - “Yeah, probably for a charity.” CHRISTY OVERMAN, Heron - “Yes, I feel that it is good to support fundraisers.” CHRISTA RUTLEDGE, Thompson Falls - “I would not run a marathon, but I would run a 5K or a doable distance.” JASON CLEMONS, Libby - “Yes I would, if the purpose was for a fundraiser....
Spring turkey season is upon us, and hunters of all ages will be getting out into the woods to try their hand at procuring their own birds. Once the fowl is brought down, most hunters will simply breast it out and be done with it, but a nice bird may be brought back to be mounted. The cost of doing so can be high, yet the process is something most people can do at home. Once learned, the simple do-it-yourself tail fan-mount can be transferred to use with several other game birds, including grouse and pheasant. The procedure is simple; once a...
Alongside any artist's work, a unique story of how each piece was crafted, closely follows. The same runs true for a new installation at the Sunflower Art Gallery in Thompson Falls. The birdhouses, as some may have seen sitting on the railing outside the gallery, are made by Ted Lockwood. A native Montanan who grew up in Polson, Lockwood is now a retired Seeley Lake resident. His passion for woodworking has led to the creation of the birdhouses. Each one taking on its only individuality and...
Members of the Paradise Center sometimes have to look at the big picture to get things done, but sometimes that big picture is a very big mural. The panoramic photograph of the mountain setting behind the Paradise Center was attached to a custom made frame on the wall in the center where a railroad display fills half the room. The mural, a photo taken by Plains resident Cheri Seli, was made up of three to five of Seli’s digital images that she shot two years ago. The mural, which was 34 feet, 3...
The 19th annual Thompson Falls Beautification days drew more than 100 volunteers from the area to spruce up the community last week. According to Kathy Conlin, who helps organize Beautification Days, there many returning volunteers each year, with "over half of our groups having an adopted annual project." These groups pick an area to clean during Beautification Days every year. A couple of examples are the Clark Fork Valley Elks, who tackle Wild Goose Landing every spring, and the Thompson...
The warmer weather of spring brings not only people out into the woods of Northwest Montana, but also ticks. People and pets throughout Sanders County have already been spotting ticks in the outdoors. Some residents who have already in the outdoors have said they have noticed more ticks than usual this year. The National Weather Service predicts that tick season (April through October) temperatures will be above normal, with less precipitation. According to the website Pests.org, those...
Despite numerous rumors concerning the demise of Plains Day, a local nonprofit group has decided to make it happen. "The Free Americans," a newly created Sanders County organization, met in Thompson Falls last week to discuss agenda items, which included Plains Day, although only a portion of the group is working on the festival, which had been canceled last year due to COVID, like other festivals. The Hot Springs Homesteaders Days are also going to take place, with three days of activities...
TYPICAL LUMBER CAMP From interviews conducted by Mike Scott An attempt will be made now to portray a typical lumber camp as it existed shortly after the beginning of the twentieth century, the personnel required to operate such an establishment and some of the customs of the industry. After selecting a site with an eye to the relative level topography and the proximity of a suitable water supply construction of the several buildings was started. Building material consisted almost exclusively of...
Devanie Mango, Thompson Falls - “Hiking, mountain biking and fishing.” Glenda Morgan, Thompson Falls - “Be outside more and be able to visit more people.” Joy Toelke, Ronan - “Go to the fair.” Kim Toelke, Ronan - “See my grandkids in Walla Walla, that was something I couldn’t do last year.” Irene Borden, Thompson Falls - “We don’t usually do too much in the spring. We’re going to stay in and only go out when we have to.” James Borden, Thompson Falls - “I want to get out and walk more than I did last year....
Saturday was the last time the Plains School Drama Club will ever perform at the fairgrounds pavilion, but the final time there was murder. "You Must Meet My Wife" was a comedy mystery that included murder, deception, greed, and several twists to keep the audience guessing, said Terri Henry, who heads the drama club and usually only directs the plays. But real life sometimes has its own twists, too, and the drama club is no exception. One of the main actors, senior Ruby Martinez, was put on...
A PAIR OF SNOW GEESE enjoys the greenery at Ainsworth Park in Thompson Falls. A grand opening for the park, on which construction was completed late 2020, is scheduled for June 2021. More details will be published as available....
Cancer Network of Sanders County (CNSC) is preparing for its spring fundraiser. Music for Mom will be held 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 7, at The Rex Theater in Thompson Falls. Instead of selling tickets, CNSC will accept donations at the door. The evening will feature six musical performances, including country singer Doug Grimm, the VonTraver Family Singers, Bob Sink on the fiddle, vocalist Mary Crouse, a duet by Tina and Theresa, and Keith Meyers and The Wester Sky Band. There will also be entertainment and games during the intermission. CNSC...
It's been over a year, but the walls of "Main Street" at Clark Fork Valley Hospital are no longer bare and art lines them once again. The Art on the Walls program was suspended last year after the student show because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the drop in cases, hospital officials decided to allow the Sanders County Arts Council to hang art in the hospital, according to Lisa Eberhardt, the chief nursing officer. "Based on the fact that the incidence in our county has dropped and more...
The Plains Community Clothing Bank is reaching out to help students look good for the school prom. The clothing bank exists to give away clothes, but this time of year it provides prom dresses for the girls and suits for the boys. The prom apparel is the only loan items at the clothing bank, said Jessica Peterson, who heads the "Prom Dress Rentals Program," located at the Assembly of God Church on Clayton Street in Plains. There is no charge for the suits or dresses, but Peterson said they'd...
"TIMBER-R-R-R OOP DA HILL..." From interviews conducted by Mike Scott "Timber-r-r-r oop da hill." With this traditional warning, a huge ponderosa began to sway and crack as the tree fell to the ground with a thunderous roar. "Yesus! That vere a big vun." The remark came from Ole Vickner, who with his partner, Ben Monas, formed a falling crew for the Montana Logging Company in the Lynch Creek operation from 1929 until 1940. An estimate of the amount of timber taken from western Sanders County...
Cheryl Fraser, Thompson Falls - “Yes, I think it’s a very good idea. I think it will save lives.” Karen Dykstra, Thompson Falls - “Yes, I really think they should have the drivers ed class. I think there are a lot of kids who live in town that really don’t have a chance to practice ahead of time.” Pam Stralser, Trout Creek - “I believe that 15-year-olds need additional education training in order to get their learner’s permit. All the experience they get makes them better drivers and the community safer.” Kyle Berke, Helena - “I don’t believe t...
A group of pinwheels fluttering in the breeze might not halt domestic violence, but members of the Sanders County Coalition for Families (SCCFF) hope they will attract attention to make people aware that there is a problem. Kayla Lehman-Torres, the supervised visitation program manager at SCCFF in Thompson Falls, and several volunteers created a field of colorful pinwheels at the Sanders County Courthouse a week ago and on the greenway along Railroad Street in Plains on Saturday. "One of the...
