History of Boundary Communities

 

road map

Towns, Communities and Former Settlements

  Some of the historical communities are: Addie,  Beardsmore,   Boulder City,  Chelemeta,  Colony,  Copeland,  Crossport,  Curley Creek,  Deep Creek,  Deer Park,   Eatonville,  Eileen,  Fry,   Good Grief,   Harper,  Katka,  Kenney,  Klockman,   Leonia,   Lucas,  McArthur,  Meadow Creek,  Moravia,  OckonooK,  Ritz,  Reed,  Rock Spur,  Round Prairie,  Schnoors,  Shiloh,  Shultis,  Sinclair,  Smith Creek,  Snyder,  and Swede Island.

Communities showing zip codes are the only "towns" currently in Boundary County.  We are starting to add pages about the communities, especially those areas where no town exists today. When completed you will be able to click on these underlined names and find further information, and we hope, even photos.

Addie

Vacant old school still remains; post office from 1908 to 19542

Allens Spur
Bonners Ferry - 83805

Bonners Ferry from "History of Boundary County" 1987

and Bonners Ferry

Cort Conley in Idaho for the Curious writes (p. 668f): The old Indian-Wild Horse Trail from Seneacquoteen came north through this area (Bonners Ferry). When gold was discovered on Wild Horse Creek, British Columbia, in 1863, thousands of prospectors, conscripted by the fever, came up the trail via Walla Walla to cross the river at this point. Not one to let an opportunity drift past, [Edwin] Bonner obtained an exclusive five-year franchise from the Territorial Legislature for this seven-mile stretch of river. His toll rates were $1.50 for loaded pack animals and .50 for a person on foot. . . . After the mining boom subsided, the settlement of Bonners Ferry looked like it be stranded out of place and time. Richard [Frey] leased the ferry from Bonner in 1875 . . .

 

Boulder City
Burns

- In 1906 Burns Mill was located one half mile south of the Deep Creek bridge on the Moravia Road

Copeland

Still a thriving community, Copeland had a post office from 1900 to 19722

Crossport
Curley Creek
Deer Park
Eastport - 83826

Eastport is located on the northern border; established as a post office in 1906 2

Eatonville

Eatonville formally located on the eastern border of downtown Bonners Ferry is now part of the city.

Eileen

Eileen had a post office 1912 -1914

Fry (renamed Bonners Ferry)

Fry was the post office 1887 -1892

Leonia

"Ghost town" (several buildings and a cemetery); established as a post office named Leonai in 1892; named changed to Lenia in 1901 & to Leonia in 19232

Good Grief
Katka
Kenney

Kenney had a post office 1914 -1915

The Kenney school house and Kenny Post Office were located at the bottom of the today’s Turner Hill Road.

Klockman

Klockman had a post office 1916 -1930

Lucas

Lucas had a post office 1892 -1898

McArthur

Though once a thriving village, McArthur didn't last long. It had grown up quickly around William McArthur's homestead and lumber mill at the turn of the last century. Before the disastrous fire of 1922, there sat along the north side of the Great Northern Railway, a post office, a 2-story I.O.O.F Northern Lodge #81 building with a dance hall, a grocery store, a schoolhouse, and 17 saloons! All that remains now of the town is the small Odd Fellows cemetery nestled in the shade of the woods.

Meadow Creek

Old foundations still visible. Lots of lavender lilacs in spring. Post office 1910 -19432

Moravia

The former community of Moravia lies approximately 1 mile west of the Mirror Lake Golf Course. All that remains of the town are the cemetery, the school house (now a residence), and a motel (also now a residence). post office 1903 - 1917; 1918 - 19432

Moyie Springs - 83845

established as post office in 1926

Naples - 83847

Naples is at southern end of county. "Received its name from Italians working as construction crews for the Great Northern Railroad in the winter of 1892."1

OckonooK

Now called Porthill

Porthill - 83853

on northern border; established as a post office named OckonooK in 18932

It was in December 1893 that “Ockonook” became the official name of the new post office with ex-customs official; J. I. Barnes was its postmaster.  A more correct spelling of Ockonook is Ahquonook, which means rocky and grassy hillside.  Editor Taylor was appalled that they had decided on such a “heathen savage” name.  On January 1, 1897, the site was renamed Port Hill, after customs inspector C. P. “Chippy” Hill.  He had acquired most of the town site through a mineral claim.  In 1916 Port Hill was the second largest community with a monthly newspaper published by S. T. Jordan.  David McLaughlin was the official weather recorder.

 

Pine Island

By H. L. Talkington - 1922' As one approaches Bonner's Ferry, he will see on the north. Pine Island, a pine clad promontory, where Father De Smet met the Kootenai Indians in 1844, and again two years later. A short distance from here is a queer old Catholic Church established in very early days. In this town was established one of the first large saw mills in the state in 1903. This mill cuts 120,000 feet in eight hours, and 50,000,000 feet of lumber in a year.

Reed

Reed had a post office 1909 -1910

Ritz
Rock Spur - a spur of the Kootenai Valley RR near Copeland, renamed "Delbohm's Spur about 1910 (according to "My Kootenai" stories published in the Bonners Ferry Herald in 1976) (A 1927 map shows Rock Spur east of Crossport but many maps have serious errors)
Round Prairie
Schnoors
Shiloh
Sinclair

Sinclair had a post office 1914 -1933

Smith Creek
Snyder

Snyder had a post office 1908 -1913

Threemile Corner

 

North Kootenai Co.

North Kootenai County in 1895, before Bonner County (1907) and Boundary County (1915) were formed


For a complete list of Boundary County historic post offices, see Mark Metkin's Idaho post offices website

 

1Cort Conley. Idaho for the Curious/A Guide. Backeddy Books, Cambridge, Idaho. 1982

 2Mark Metkin's Idaho post offices website


::  Latest Update April 2024  :: 

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