THE BAMONTE Historical pages continue.
The five major ingredients for success in the Wild West, GOD, GIRLS, GOLD, GUTS & the GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD.
GOD. The back cover of "Spokane and the Inland Northwest.
Girls in a business school classroom.
GOLD. Note the names, Paulsen, Day, Hutton. These names are on some of the most recognized buildings in Spokane to this day,
GUTS. Deep in a mountain and never certain to see the light of day again.
A log boom along the banks of the Spokane River in Spokane. A vintage postcards from old Spokane. From the collections of Duane Broyles, Howard Ness and Tony and Suzanne Bamonte.
The Ottmar family of German decent, was lured to Russia. Kept captive until some of the family escaped while others were killed. Later they imagrated and settled in North Dakota. Still later moved to wheeler Washington then east to Davenport where Jacob and his wife Barbra settled and raised there family. They had at least 10 children including Ben between his Mother and Father. The youngest at the time.
This photo from the Ottmar family Album in 1905. Unknown location or which family members but during harvest it was cusomary for the wife to bring refresments to the crew. Mid morn and after lunch. Here is a timely photo oc a lady in the buggy returning home in order to prepare a huge super for the famished harvesters. A womans work was endless during this season. In addition it is noted that a horse drawn Combine is pictured. Very unusual for this early period. One operation ( not including harnesing and hitching up maybe 30 horses to the combine which I assure you was no easy task) took the place of cutting with a binder, Shocking the bundles, Set up the thresher and pitching the bundles on to the Bundle wagons, pitching the bundles in to the thresher.
Davenport, Washington in 1898. Rather primitive but very tidy.
The first photo of early Davenport WA
Dennis Ottmar's Father, Ben Ottmar, born in the Davenport area in 1913. Raised on a farm in the Davenport WA. vacinity. Dennis and his Wife reside in Spokane with a Son in the Deer Park WA. area.
Detour, there's a muddy road ahead.
They played rough in those days.
Spokane in the very early stage. Coutesy of Tornado Creek Publications.
This log building may be included in the existing Wolf Lodge Inn Steakhouse.
Although the CDA Tribe was confined to a reservation, Chief Seltice gained control of the lower part of Lake CDA.
Farragut Naval Training Station during WW II was massive. Pend Oreille Lake is large and deep enough to conduct even submarine exercises and still do today.
The early day settler's life was gruelling but still managed arrangements for leisure.
1889 and Coeur d' Alene was well on its way.
Sandpoint, Idaho is a destination vacation land on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Watersports and fishing are summer attractions while excellent sking at Schweitzer Mountain can be enjoyed in the winter.
Moyie River rushes through a canyon carved from the granite mountains. The highway of old was a nightmare to drive, hairpin turns on rock cliffs finally breaking out on to an antiquated bridge visible in the distance of this perfect photo. The River flows through this huge rock mountain wall. Near the base of the mountain is a hole in the mountain wall and from the hole the Moyie river gushes under tremendous pressure.
The main street of Sandpoint, Idaho in 1921. Today all traffic on Interstate Highway 2 travels on this same street A bypass is just now under construction.
The timber Industry today is much smaller than it was when virgin forests were being logged. There are only a few sawmills left to attest to this industry.
At the base of the steep grade west from Lookout Pass and the Montana-Idaho state line lies Mullen, Idaho and the eastern fringe of what has been named the Silver Valley. Every little settlement, such as Eagle City pictured above, was snuggled at the bottom in a long canyon near this state line. Most of those canyons held treasures of silver, lead, zinc and gold. Fortunes were made in towns like Mullen, Wallace, Burke, Kellogg and many little mining settlements that sprang to life, sputtered and died and are now long forgotten. Eagle City is one of those forgotten today.
This gorgeous sight is no longer. Hidden from view forever by progress.
Please note. A photo including the Hecla mine in 1905 in the second photo down on the right side. This is the long abandoned Hecla Gold, Lead & Silver Mine. The upper left photo is a Classic photo of the almost identical location taken in 1904. This photo was taken March 7th 2010. 106 years later. Burke Idaho is still sparsley settled but not one bussiess remains with the possible exception of some sort of recreation building. We talked to 4 people. They seemed very pleased to see us. Strangers or not.
Burke, Idaho is a few miles northeast of Wallace at the bottom of narrow valley and home of the Hercules mine. This mine provided much money for the owners and built mansions and several business buildings in downtown Spokane, Washington.
Wallace was a bustling boom town with the big spenders, bawdy houses. and bar room brawls typical of every rich mining district. It was also a place where many famous men from the wild west visited such as Wyatt Earp on his way to northern Washington.
Mullan, Idaho is located at the base of Lookout Pass, sometimes referred to as Mullen Pass and also the Hump,
Kellogg, Idaho is located several miles further west from Wallace. There the canyon walls widen and make room for a town to spread out in all directions. Kellogg was The largest towns in the Silver Valley. It held the smelter and was the shipping center where the precious metals were loaded into box cars locked tight and shipped out. In 1938 Eldon Jaeger, a dignitary on the railroad, opened a carload of silver bars. The bars had been laid the full length of the car but only about a foot deep. Each bar of silver measured about 2 1/2 X 4 X 10 inches. Even though appearing nearly empty the rail car was loaded to capacity by the weight of the silver. In the heyday of the mines rail cars like this were strung out by the dozens.