Remember When?

100 YEARS AGO

FEBRUARY 13, 1919

NARROW ESCAPE

Patrick Duffy who lives three miles west of Heron had the misfortune to lose his team of horses in the Clark’s Fork River last Sunday morning.

He was taking them across the river on the ferry, which consists of a cage suspended from a cable by means of blocks and operated by a gas engine. The cable spans the river at a height of 150 feet. When about half way across the sheave of one of the blocks came off the cable and during the delay which ensued in trying to remedy the trouble, the horses became restless, kicked off the bars at the entrance of the cage and plunged into the river.

Joseph H. Brooks and Thomas Duffy who were on the cage at the time narrowly escaped being precipitated into the river along with the horses.

While the accident was a costly one, the young men can congratulate themselves on their good fortune of having escaped the fatal plunge into the icy waters of the river.

50 YEARS AGO • MARCH 6, 1969

CITY ASKED TO MAKE FIELD INTO CITY PARK

A request that Ainsworth Field be designated as a permanent park and playground was presented formally to the City Council at its March session by representatives of five Thompson Falls civic organizations.

The request was made so that some future council would not consider selling the ground for building lots or other private usage.

The council concurred in the request and will confer with City Attorney James W. Cunningham, regarding the necessary legal steps to be taken to formally designate the field as a park-playground.

Ainsworth Field four years ago was traded by School District 2 to the City for a 30-acre tract in the old golf course area, which is to be used as a future school site.

Representing various organizations at the meeting were: Woman’s Club, Mrs. Gary Gunderson and Mrs. Richard Heater; BPW, Miss Sherrill Brauer; Jaycees, Carl Brauer; Lions Club, Leonard Lovhaug; Booster Club, William Chisenhall.

Lovhaug also asked the city to instruct Marshall Dick Sanders to check locks on doors of business houses as he makes his rounds during the night.

Also discussed by the city dads were proposals to annex the Mountain View Addition. (This area encompasses Elk Street and Hill Street. The city must have gotten protests by the residents of these streets and it was not annexed. They tried to annex it again in 2018 but after overwhelming protest by the residents of the streets, it still remains outside the city limits.)

An ordnance was adopted raising the pay of the mayor to $50 per month effective with the start of a new term May 5. Councilmen will continue to receive $5 per meeting.

HISTORY OF TELEPHONE LINES

The first telephone line in Plains was owned by Dr. Peek. It extended from Plains to Thompson Falls. Only the business houses in Plains had telephones, no resident phones, but, every farmer between Plains and Thompson Falls had one. Dr. Peek’s telephone office was in the Pardee Post Office building. Genevieve Floyd was an operator for Dr. Peek in the years from 1906 to 1907. She received $4.00 a week salary. When offered $6.00 a week by Mr. McGowan in the latter part of 1907, Gen changed her manner of industry and became the first female clerk to be employed by Mr. McGowan

In 1922 there were 67 subscribers, in 1943 and in 1952 the number of subscribers was 325. Mr. Lota was the first contract local manager. Mrs. Nellie Hood, Mrs. McAlvoy, Elsie Floyd, Rose McCaffery, Angeline Junemann, Mrs. Grace McDonald and Mrs. Lorna Wilkins have been managers in the past. The first telephone office was located in the post office building owned by the post master in that early day, Mr. Pardee. The building was situated in the plot now occupied by Hospitality House restaurant (east of McGowan Grocery).