A Place of Remembering
by Bob Gunter
When the little village, that was to be Sandpoint, was very young the people who had gathered along the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks had to have a place in which to bury their dead.
The land on the West side of the creek was a remote forest and a plot more accessible was needed. A Mr. Ferguson met this need by donating to the Town of Sandpoint a strip of land to be used for burial purposes. The land given was also wooded but was closer to the few people living in the village.
In 1893 the J.D. Nesbitts owned a boarding house and a shingle mill located close to the cemetery near the tracks. After the Humbird Lumber Company had established itself as the largest mill in the area more land was needed. Arrangements were made for the Humbird Company to purchase the boarding house as well as the shingle mill. They also purchased the ground on which the cemetery sat. The Humbird Company had its manager, A.E. Rickard, purchase a five-acre plot of land from E.T. Vought for the purpose of moving the bodies of those that had been buried in the old cemetery.
Today, these five acres are known as the old part of Lakeview Cemetery. In 1929 another four acres was purchased in order to expand the cemetery. Lakeview is located at the end of Division Street and for many years it was the burial place for the Sandpoint area. To walk through the quite and serene area is like experiencing a page from the history of a town and its people. Names like Coons, Farmin, Ferguson, Page and Whitaker are seen and remind us of those who made our town what it is today. The bodies of men and women who served in the armed forces of our country are buried at Lakeview. As one stands and gazes at the beautiful trees and the lake one experiences a sense of quietude as if some unheard voice is saying to those sleeping there, "Take your rest, take your rest."
Someone once said that you could tell the character of a town by the way they maintain their places of burial. From the beginning people stepped up and took a responsible role in maintaining Lakeview Cemetery. In 1903, A.E. Rickard, H.E. Hunt, P.H. Moran, and Charlie Foss filed articles of incorporation. This group of men became the first managers of the new Lakeview Cemetery. Later men like H.C. Culver, Robert Coons, Charles Wilson, Andrew Christianson, and Frank Culver assumed the responsibility to see that Sandpoint's place of burial was maintained to honor those who had gone before.
During this Centennial Year of our town it seems fitting for each of us to have an opportunity to remember and honor all those pioneers that gave so much to the place in which they lived.
To see more great old photos of Sandpoint and the surrounding areas :: Click Here ::
All photographs have been used with permission of the Bonner County Museum.
Old Sandpoint
To experience the charm of a town one must live there. Bob Selle is an old-timer in the Sandpoint area. Here, in his own words, he gives us a peek at a young person's...
Early Sandpoint "Hang Town"
Today Sandpoint, Idaho is known for its beautiful lake and majestic mountains. It is known as a good place to find serenity and a sense of peace. But the Sandpoint...
McFarland House
The old building is called the McFarland House by practically everyone that lives in the Sandpoint, Idaho area. It is located on the corner of Highway 95...
The Fish House
The whistle of the strange looking craft broke the silence as it pulled away from the City Docks of Sandpoint...
Street Cars
In the early days of Sandpoint, Idaho there was quite a transportation problem. For most people there were two ways of getting around-walk or ride a horse...
USO Club
The community Hall in Sandpoint, Idaho took on a national function in 1942. The YMCA leased the hall from the city for $1 a year to be used as a USO club...
2nd Sandpoint Hospital
It was on May 23, 1903 that the Northern Idaho News heralded the opening of Sandpoint's second hospital by stating, " Dr. Ones F. Page established a hospital...
First School
In the early years of the pioneer town called Sandpoint, it was a struggle for parents to educate their children. Funds had to be subscribed to hire the teachers...
Along the Wild Horse Trail
Long before the white man came there was a trail. The Indians for time immemorial had used it. The old trail started on the Spokane River and ran through...
Bonner County Poor Farm
Pat Gooby has lived in Sandpoint all his life and as a child did chores at the old County Poor Farm. I asked Pat to tell me a story about the farm and here...
Coming Home
We sat on the lawn in front of the house that had meant so much to her. She, and her three children, had come from Seattle for a time of remembering...
Hope, Idaho
The first white man to come to the area was the famed David Thompson, map maker and fur dealer. He had traveled from Canada and built Kulyspell House...
The Campfield Ferry
The Idaho Territorial Legislature granted a license to operate a ferry to Charles H. Campfield and Associates. That was on December 22, 1864. The authorized...
Sandpoint had no Ferry
On April 18, 1891, C.R.Martin and A.T.Dickinson received a license for $36.00 after posting a $1,000.00 bond, authorizing them to operate a ferry at...
Here and There in Sandpoint 2
At one time Priest Lake was the scene of a movie camp owned by Nell Shipman. She was an old time movie star and produced movies at Lionhead Lodge...
Library in the Early Years
The roots of the present library system in Bonner County, Idaho, started in 1905 when a few individuals opened a "free reading room". Hope was...
Logging in Bonner County
Bob Selle has lived in this area since 1923. He was seven years of age when his family came to the Sandpoint area. His first experience in logging...
The Sundance Fire
The Selkirk Mountains still show scars from the devastating effects of the Sundance fire. The fire started on August 23, 1967 with a lightning strike...
Pend Oreille Lodge
The two old chimneys still stand like two fingers pointing to the heavens. They are all that remain of what once was a show place along the banks of...
Sandpoint 1901-1902
When you walk the main streets of today's Sandpoint you will find most of the businesses are geared to meet the need of the tourist that frequent the area...
Smelting Companies
It was in March, 1903, that the Kootenai County Republican announced that "ground will be broken in ten days" for the new smelting company located at...
Technology
Men invent things for two reasons: There seems to be in every person a desire to find a better way of doing things and the second reason for invention is to make...
Train Technology
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...
The War Years 2
Many people came to Sandpoint during the war years. Two of them were Beth Knight and Price May. Her story, in her own words, continues and she tells about...
Trestle fr. Sunnyside to TrestleCr.
The picture is of the old trestle that used to go from Sunnyside to Trestle Creek just a few miles from Sandpoint, Idaho. In the picture there is seen...
©Copyright 1998- by Sandpoint.com - All rights reserved