Remember When?

81 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER 20, 1937

SALMON COMING UP

Every year the salmon come up the river. As soon as the fall rains commence and the water rises, they start up out of the Columbia, Priest Lake and Pend d’Oreille and strike for the headwaters. Usually about September 15 to October 1 they reach the dam at Thompson Falls where they are checked. Forced back they spawn in the river below the power house. At this time, fishermen by the score harpoon, drag line and with whirling spoon inveigle and catch them by the thousands.

When word came last week that the salmon were coming up, and had reached the rapids at Heron, about sixty miles down the line, the fishermen started out. For the past week at the rapids, from ten to forty persons every day have been snagging.

Last Sunday, the writer, Muggs Huff and Chas. Libby drove down to the rapids across from Heron and engaged in the sport. We were lucky and each got a good catch. We got there early, but before the morning was gone everybody and his brother was there. There were fishermen there from Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint, Spokane, some from Lonepine and Missoula. It looked like an army poised above the rock barricades waiting for the foe.

By next Sunday, the salmon drive may have surged on way above, and if the water rises, the glistening steelheads may have reached the great barrier at Thompson Falls, and all the local nimrods and sportsmen in town will be out attempting to snag them out.

83 YEARS AGO • MAY 17, 1939

HARDLY KNOW OUR TOWN!

If people who had lived in Thompson Falls six years ago should return and look around, they would be greatly surprised at the changes and improvements made.

The street and alley improvements are exceptionally noticeable. Rock foundations have been built up for the streets on the hill. The railroad right-of-way in front of the post office has been parked, and more of the ground is gradually being parked. A splendid athletic field has been constructed and is now being lawned (Ainsworth Park), and a tennis court is now under construction opposite the school buildings.

School buildings are a surprise and a wonder to outside visitors, and we ourselves are immensely impressed. When the new buildings are completed we will have a gross outlay of more than $350,000 in school buildings. The campus of the schools looks almost like that of a college. Driving in along the highway in the distance they appear like a group of towering castles.

We can look back and remember when many of the principal streets of the town were hardly more than cow paths going through the pines; when the town water system was a patched up affair, hardly affording irrigation for lawns and gardens, let alone fire protection. Now we have a $100,000 water system, operated on the gravity basis with a vast storage reserve reservoir, and an oil, cement curbed main street.

It is impossible to accurately state the number of new homes constructed in the last five years, but at least thirty-five to forty new homes have been built and most of them are first class structures. Besides that, nearly all homeowners have improved the appearance of their homes and lawns. A good share of the older homes have recently been painted.

Thompson Falls with splendid schools, modern living conditions, attractive homes and beautiful scenic surroundings has every reason to be optimistic for the future. But, at that, we must all strive to better and improve the town. Many of the property owners should improve their sidewalks (including ourselves), and it might be advisable for the city council to require improvement to sidewalks on lots owned by out of town people.

At the present time there are four houses in town under construction, and we understand there are several more first class residences under consideration for early construction. The A.A. Wilson duplex apartments will be a building the town will be proud of. The Blanche Hurlburt home will soon be completed and will be an attractive asset to that section of town. Postmaster Dorris completed the stuccoing of his building this spring and it greatly enhances the appearance of the neighborhood in which he lives.

Glen Larson is lawning around his attractive residence, while county agent Ralston is devoting all his extra time to lawning around his home and putting in a garden. Paul Brown has a most attractive lawn. Wish we could attempt to mention every attractive home in town. Ben Saint plans to paint the exterior of his apartment and business building. This improvement will fit in very nicely with the new Saint, Carruthers, and improved Wollaston residences.

We have never seen the grounds around the Power camp more attractive than this year.