Remember When?

70 YEARS AGO • MAY 17, 1950

MANY AT PARADISE TO SEE THE PRESIDENT

Last Thursday night, about 11:20, the President’s train stopped at Paradise for about twenty minutes. Many from Thompson Falls had gone there to be present with the hundreds of others from all over Sanders County. Governor Bonner had the pleasure of introducing President Harry S. Truman who made a short talk and introduced Mrs. Truman and daughter, Margaret. Among those personally asked to greet the president and his party were Mr. and Mrs. Eugene H. Mahoney of Thompson Falls, who felt greatly honored on the occasion. The crowd gathered at Paradise was equally as large as that in Missoula early next morning.

PLANS FOR THE TOWN

The City Dads and the Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce are at present cooperating, trying to get the lease on the post and pole yard grounds, across the street from Falls Electric (now the Laundromat), next to Cross Fuel and Dray, intending to park it somewhat for the convenience of tourists who might like to stop over for a short rest, eat their lunch, have a place to park their cars, etc. The grounds would be cleared, shrubs and trees planted around, gravel drive-ins made, and benches would be constructed. In the wintertime this plot could be converted into an ice skating rink.

This area eventually became Rose Garden Memorial Park. After it became a park, the Thompson Falls Woman’s Club put in triangle shaped rose beds. People would donate money to the club to have a rose planted in memory of someone along with a market. The rose beds were on the east end of the park. According to Fat Brauer the west end of the park was flooded with water in the winter for an ice skating rink in an effort to keep kids and adults off the ice on the river.

TRASH CANS TO BE USED

Norman Cross, chairman of the Civic Improvement committee, Chamber of Commerce, announces that he has procured three fifty-gallon oil drums and has converted them into receptacles to be used as trash cans. He used grain paint and will letter the tins, to be placed in convenient places on Main Street. One, for sure, will be placed in front of the post office.

The public is invited and urged to use these containers instead of throwing papers and refuse all over the street.

30 YEARS AGO • MAY 3, 1990

TRL SCALER SCORES WELL IN SOCIETY COMPETITION

When Frances Farrington entered the scaling competition at the Intermountain Log Scaling Society annual spring meeting, she wasn’t sure just how she would measure up.

And then when she got a look at the logs, some spruce timber that had been sitting out in the sun for a couple of years, the competition grew keener.

But when the results were announced, she was pleasantly surprised.

Out of over 50 scalers competing in the competition, she finished on top, missing the average of the four check scalers by only one board or 10 board feet. It was a compliment to her and her teacher – husband Ed – whom she shares scaling duties with at Thompson River Lumber east of Thompson Falls.

Personnel Officer Joe Sol of the mill said they were quite proud of the effort put forth by Frances in the competition. “We’ve always felt we’ve had a reputation for fair scaling,” he noted, “and her accomplishment just helps bear that out.”

Frances has been scaling logs at Thompson River Lumber for about three years, since the mill was sold to Roger Claridge by its former owners, the Flodin-Bryce Lumber Co. She began work at the plant in the board handling area and gradually worked her way up to the scaling yard. There she found a good teacher in husband Ed, who learned the art from the recognized master – the late Wayne Garrison.