Sandpoint and Surrounding Communities History
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The Ferries of Bonner County - Always on the Other Side, Sandpoint Never Had A Ferry

by, Paul Rechnitzer

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 Sandpoint. The approved schedule of fares was: "1 man and 1 horse, $1.00; 1 horse and wagon and driver, $1.50; 2 horses and wagon and driver, $2.00; 3 horses and wagon and driver $3.00; 4 horses and wagon and driver $4.00; 1 span horses or mules, $1.00; 1 yoke of cattle, $1.00; loose horses or mules per head, 50 cents; loose cattle, 25 cents; loose sheep or hogs, 12 1/2 cents,~1 pack animal loaded, 75 cents; footman 25 cents."

Whether or not this ferry ever operated is a good question. It may have operated for a time, but the clamor for a ferry or bridge after the turn of the century would indicate Sandpoint (or Pend Oreille as it was first called) never did have a full time ferry. The riverboats or lake steamers undoubtedly did cross the river from Kootenai since there are references to landings that must have been in the Fry Creek area. It should be remembered that as a settlement Sandpoint was a latecomer, more or less coinciding with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The earliest settlements were related to river and lake traffic.

On November 4, 1906 the Commissioners rejected the petition of Lee Hyatt, et al for a ferry to operate from Sandpoint to Ventener's Landing. Just where that landing was located isn't known.

As newspaper articles indicate local merchants wanted to be more accessible to customers south of the river. The ranchers felt very much the same. On one occasion a gathering of ranchers on First Street became so agitated about the lack of a ferry the police had to be called to disperse the crowd.

If the Commissioner minutes have been correctly read, Pearson and Donovan were paid $12,557.22 to construct a bridge. It could have been for the "solid" part of a combination bridge and ferry. What happened to that effort isn't exactly clear.

In January 1909 the Commissioners decided that the bridge at Sandpoint should be a "solid bridge" without a ferry over the main river channel. On January 15, 1909 Burrell Bridge Co was awarded a contract for a bridge to be built with "steel cylinders filled with concrete, for $19,844.00. The bridge was to go to Fenton's Landing, today another unidentified place.

On March 11, 1910 the long awaited "Wagon Bridge" opened for traffic to become an important part of local history which is more than can be said for a Sandpoint ferry.

 

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.

 

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