Patrick
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| Sholeh Patrick |
Book captures memories
Walking down the rows of perfectly preserved hot rods at Car d'Lane a few weekends back, a mental picture transposed itself -- a flashback to a time before any of us were born.
Imagine that street, with far fewer businesses alongside, when the wheels not of automobiles, but of horse-drawn buggies kicked up the dust as they trotted through town. Now alter that picture by adding a man in a bowler hat with a starter pistol, shouting, "On your marks, get set, go!"
That's a scene from local history I gleaned from a old photograph, donated to The Press' memory book project, of Coeur d'Alene's first buggy race in 1908. With enough interest and pre-orders, The Press will share it and many others we're selecting from hundreds of previously unpublished photos of Kootenai County in a "coffee table" memory book.
Like all art, different strokes appeal to different folks, but here are a few of the historical photos that struck me, all from personal collections:
• A downtown dog sled race, piloted by kids
• A popular restaurant owner, who shall remain nameless for now, in his skivvies (and with cuter hair)
• A stolen Democrat HQ sign, hung as a joke on an abandoned building (I think the statute of limitations has run out, so if pushed I may even reveal the culprit)
• The day President Wilson was here
• A deadly passenger train derailment
• An ambulance driver-nurse, wife of the well-known and loved "political commentator" above, and her rig in 1944
• What the Hagadones looked like at home, way back when
• Those handsome guys in uniforms -- from the Civil War to WWII
• An old barber shop -- what was it about barber shops and beauty salons that drew each sex there to gab?
• The shoreline, homes, and businesses over the last hundred years -- some are even still around.
Best of all, the people. Sure there are the pictures of young Fred Murphy and other famous folks, some yet unseen. But I couldn't help but feel a tug at my heart when I saw one of Dr. Ted Fox at a groundbreaking, young, vibrant and still alive.
Others are not so well-known, yet they speak to the heart: a dreamy-looking photo of the backs of three children seated on a curb, simply staring at a train going by; a group of ladies in the fifties, all gussied up and laughing with silly hats on (future Red Hot Mamas?); or the curious shot of two unknown girls dressed in white, with dark hair and the most haunting eyes I've seen.
I can't help but wonder what made their eyes like that -- so different from the typical carefree look of children. Did they have a hard life? Were they harboring a sad secret? Were they just windows to unusual souls?
It's been fun going through all these photos and learning so much about our area. Thanks to all who've shared their family albums with us -- what a treasure.
If you'd like a copy of the memory book, you can save $10 by ordering now. The cost for pre-orders is $29.95 plus tax - a total of $31.90. You may mail a check to the Coeur d'Alene Press, attn: Mike Patrick, 201 N. Second, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814. If you have any questions, send me an e-mail.
Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. E-mail her at sholehjo@hotmail.com.
