By: Bob Gunter
Sandpoint, Idaho, came into being because of the
railroad and timber. The advances in technology
in these two areas are mind boggling. Follow the
railroad growth by reading the full story.
The
old lady has been sitting by the tracks doing
the same job for 83 years. One can see some
changes have transpired but she still presents a
picture of dignity and beauty. She came into
being in 1916 and was hailed as an important
addition to the growing village called
Sandpoint. Unlike her predecessor, who had been
surrounded by homes and businesses, she stood
pretty much alone because the people had moved
to the present town site across Sand Creek.
Her
"birth" made front page news in the Pend
`Oreille Review of November 10, 1916 when it
announced, "New Depot Open-To be celebrated."
The paper gave a description of how she looked
in her youth: "The new depot is constructed of a
fine grade of building brick capped with a green
tile roof...." "There is one large waiting room,
a rest room for the ladies and a smoking
compartment for the gentlemen. Below stairs is
the heating plant and the septic tank...Cluster
lights have been placed about the outside of the
depot while eight posts carrying large
candle-power lights have been spaced along the
brick platform. The total costs of the
construction is about $25,000."
If
the Northern Pacific depot could talk she would
have many fascinating stories to tell, both
happy and sad. She could tell of the happy
couples arriving after a marriage or others
waiting for the "all aboard" to take them to far
places on their honeymoon. She would tell of
young boys leaving home to fight in little known
places. She could relate countless stories about
GIs of both World Wars and of the time that the
citizens of Sandpoint brought food to the depot
to feed wounded World War I soldiers that were
passing through on their way to a hospital.
Joy
Ann O'Donnell tells of the importance of the old
depot to yesterday's kids of Sandpoint. "Every
Sunday we always took a drive and ended up at
the depot. Someone would ask `is she in the
block yet'?" The signal lights would turn red
and presently the steam from the engine could be
seen as the locomotive rushed past the station.
"We would wave and wave at the soldiers as the
train went through and they would wave back."
The
old lady is not as busy today but she has done
her job well. If you want to see where Sandpoint
got its start then give her a visit. If the
over-pass comes through her days may be
numbered.
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