Remember When?

105 YEARS AGO • APRIL 26, 1917

LOG DRIVE STARTED SUNDAY

Clean Up of Logs Along the River

Now Under Way – About 20 Million Through Dam

The log drive to clean up several million feet of logs lingering along the shore and on the rocks between Weeksville and Hope, Idaho, began Sunday. A gang of Blackfoot Lumber Co. river men with several boats is doing the work. It is expected that they will be in Thompson Falls the middle of next week.

The men who are putting the logs through the dam here report that about 20 million feet have gone through since they first started to come downstream six weeks ago. That would leave about six million between Thompson Falls and Weeksville. Below the dam the logs are clinging to rocks and in little bays along the shore all the way down the river. At that time there was no Noxon dam or Cabinet Gorge dam.

90 YEARS AGO • MARCH 30, 1932

W. A. DARLING’S JEWELRY STORE ROBBED FRIDAY

The jeweler, W.A. Darling was robbed of approximately $300 worth of jewelry Friday night, consisting of four $50 wrist watches, three small diamond rings and other rings and some fountain pens.

A 50-cent coin of the stamp of 1818 which had been in the possession of the jeweler for many years was also taken from the safe. The apprehension of the burglar hinged on the spending of this coin by the robber at a Sandpoint cafe when he was taken into custody.

Mr. Darling says that this is the first time his jewelry store has been burglarized in the 25 years he has been in business. And by such a dumb burglar too. The stunts he did almost go to show that he wanted to get a term of years during these depression times. At the hearing of the prisoner Tom Rogers Saturday morning he pleaded “guilty” and said he wished they would be quick about it, he wanted to get it over.

Well, he helped himself get in jail alright by trying to sell a fountain pen to A.B. Curtis and a wrist watch to Frank Hartman at the station with the price tags still on them. With two people able to give the officers a description of the man and knowing the direction of the train he rode out of town on and the spending of the old coin he could never have gotten away in all likelihood very far. Before consummating the robbery, he was brought into town as a hitchhiker, and apparently decided we had a cozy jail here and decided to remain as a permanent boarder with nice quarters and not have to ride cold freight trains and eat out of the mulligan stew and sleep next to the railroad ties.

W.A. Darling was a resident of Thompson Falls for two decades, coming to Thompson Falls when the dam was first built. He operated a jewelry store called Power City Jewelers in the community. The Sanders County Ledger, February 7, 1934 – Liquor Store Established: Last week it was announced that W.A. Darling of Thompson Falls was appointed state liquor tore vendor of Sanders County. The store opened officially on Monday, February 5.

Mr. Darling is conducting his vendor ship in connection with his jewelry store business.

The prices quoted are not high in comparison with the prices prevailing generally throughout the country. Whiskey sells for from $1.35 to $2.25 per pint. By quarters from $2.50 to $7.25, the later aged, bonded whiskey 16 years old. Gin sells for $1.10 a pint, and wines sell at $1.10 to $1.40 a quart best grades. It is expected that the prices will be materially reduced as soon as national production catches up with demand. Note: this was just after prohibition was repealed December 5, 1933.

40 YEARS AGO • APRIL 15, 1982

DOUG’S DRUGS

TO OPEN

Doug’s Drugs will open for business later this week as a new department of Gambles with pharmacist Doug Shear managing the drug department.

Shear has been serving as manager and chief pharmacist for Thompson Falls Drug for the past several months. He obtained his degree in pharmacy at the University of Montana.

Shear said that in addition to offering a complete line of prescription drugs, Doug’s Drugs will also offer sundries and patent medicines.

His father-in-law, Ben G. Cox, recently purchased all of the stock in the BGC Corporation, owner of Gambles from the four other stockholders – W.E. Manley, Don Parks, Gary Johnson and Robert “Skip” Baxter.

BGC Corp. was formed to acquire the Gambles store and building from Jim Freer and his mother.

The Gambles store became True Value in 1984. Doug’s Drug moved to the former U.S. Post Office on the corner of Main and South Gallatin streets in 2003. It is now Thompson Falls Family Pharmacy.