Bonners Ferry, Idaho

GEOGRAPHY

Bonners Ferry is located at 48°41'32" North, 116°19'3" West (48.692110, -116.317626).

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 5.8 Km&² (2.2 Mi&² ). 5.5 km&² (2.1 mi&²) of it is land and 0.3 km&² (0.1 mi&²) of it is water. The total area is 5.78% water.

DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the Census of 2000, there were 2,515 people, 1,027 households, and 650 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 458.0/km&² (1,186.9/mi&²). There were 1,120 housing units at an average density of 204.0/km&² (528.5/mi&²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.67% White , 0.04% African American , 1.59% Native American , 0.52% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 1.31% from Other Races , and 0.87% from two or more races. 4.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,027 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were Married Couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,509, and the median income for a family was $35,237. Males had a median income of $28,558 versus $16,776 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $13,343. 20.0% of the population and 17.3% of families were below the Poverty Line . 28.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

HISTORY

When Gold was discovered in the East Kootenays of British Columbia in 1863 , thousands of prospectors from all over the West surged northward over a route that became known as the Wildhorse Trail . Edwin Bonner , an enterprising merchant from Walla Walla, Washington , established a ferry in 1864 where the trail crossed the broad Kootenai River . In 1875 Richard Fry leased the business, but the location retained the name of the original founder and later became the town of Bonners Ferry.

Before the Gold Rush , only a few visitors had come to the region. One of the first was explorer David Thompson , a Cartographer for the Northwest Trading Company . Thompson and four fellow Fur Trader s arrived in 1808 to trade with the Lower Kootenais. He was followed in 1846 by Jesuit Priest Father DeSmet , a missionary to the Kootenai Tribe . Government surveyors of the Boundary Commission came in 1858 to establish the border between the United States and Canada.

With mines to the north, the community of Bonners Ferry began to flourish in the 1880s as a supplier. The Norwegian-built Steamer "Midge" launched into service in 1883 and operated for the next 25 years carrying passengers and freight between Bonners Ferry and British Columbia . The Great Northern Railroad was built here in 1892, followed quickly by the Spokane International and the Kootenai Valley lines.

The town of Bonners Ferry was formally established in 1893 along the south bank of the Kootenai . Scattered along the valley and benchland were a few ranches and homesteads. Numerous mines were developed in the nearby mountains, including the Continental Mine in the Selkirks. The lumber industry also grew rapidly. Bonners Ferry—much of it perched on stilts to avoid the inevitable spring floods—appeared to be a boom town.

Moving into the 20th Century , the town became the center of a lumbering and farming community. The valley land was drained and diked, and farms were cleared on the benches. The rich Kootenai Valley became known as the "Nile of the North," while the Bonners Ferry Lumber Company grew to be one of the world's largest Lumber Mill s. The downtown took shape as brick buildings were constructed, replacing those on stilts. Today, much of Main Street dates from this initial period of solid, permanent construction.

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Bonners Ferry, Idaho