Remember When?

80 YEARS AGO

OCTOBER 9, 1940

ON DISPLAY

R.D Stockton is quite proud of his potatoes this year. Potatoes all over the valley are unusually large and Mr. Stockton brought us in a couple of fine specimens weighing 2.5 pounds apiece, hard and solid, which are on display in The Ledger window. Sanders County is famous for its dry land seed potatoes. In the big potato producing sections where irrigation is used, seed potatoes are constantly shipped in from areas such as this to replenish the grades. We understand A.N. Brooks of Trout Creek has an unusually large potato, larger than anything seen so far in the valley.

Chris Herman brought us in a peanut plant, with peanut clusters on the roots. He raised them on his place across the river from town. Of course they are only an innovation, but they show what can be raised in Sanders County.

The Hill of the Lord grape vineyard near the Blue Slide bore abundantly this year. Since part of the time there was no caretaker, scores came out and helped themselves to tons and tons of fine lush grapes, which were converted into wine, grape juice and jelly. It is a shame that someone doesn’t take over this property and keep the vineyard up. It takes a generation to get grapes growing and it’s a shame to see the vines trampled down, arbor poles broken and the grapes left untended as they are.

Somebody could make a charming home out there, surrounded with fine fruit trees, vineyards and cultivated ground for all kinds of things. It is above the frost line and everything grows there. For someone who wished to retire it would be a perfect location.

It is owned by the ACM. It would be leased or bought, subject to reservation of mineral rights.

FISHERMEN THRONG

HERON RAPIDS

Tremendous crowds came through Sunday to fish at the Heron Rapids. About 400 thronged the banks Sunday but the run was slow. Monday run was heavy and fishermen reported capacity catches.

This is a big annual affair and each fall up from the Coeur d’Alene, the Kootenae and the Columbia the silvery horde begin their spawning run up the Clarks Fork. When the run starts the Clarks Fork is a fisherman’s paradise on hand.

70 YEARS AGO

OCTOBER 18, 1950

HUNTING SEASON OPENS

WITH A BANG

Hunting season opened last Sunday, October 15, with a terrific bang as the mighty nimrods of this section cut loose at deer and elk, wherever they were lucky enough to find them.

The day found the largest concentration of hunters that we have ever witnessed in the woods and hills on opening day. This was due to the two special hunting areas that were opened this year: The Cherry Creek Game Preserve, open to deer and elk and an extensive area on Thompson River that is open to either sex of deer. Unofficial returns reported that 36 does were checked thru the station at Little Thompson by Sunday evening. From our observations this doesn’t seem to be too large a percentage as hunters were swarming over the area like bees on a hive Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday evening, 61 hunters checked thru the Cherry Creek checking station. How many more than this checked in Sunday, we do not know, but there were plenty as many reported seeing red clad persons moving over the hills in every direction.

According to various sources there were 11 bull elk checked out of the Preserve Sunday.