Series covers Cd'A in the 20th century

COEUR d'ALENE - Remember life in the last century?

But do you know what happened in Coeur d'Alene from 1900 to 2000? Chances are you know more about life in the Lake City in the 19th century than in the 20th.

Robert Singletary wants to change that and at the same time connect with more 20th century artifacts and photos.

The Coeur d'Alene Public Library and the Museum of North Idaho will host Singletary for a 12-part, monthly series, "Coeur d'Alene in the 20th Century," beginning Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room.

Singletary will trace the history of Coeur d'Alene decade by decade starting with 1900 to 1910.

Throughout 2014, the programs will be offered on the fourth Thursday of each month except for November and December, which will be on the third Thursday due to holiday scheduling conflicts.

Singletary, a regional historian, musician and author, is known for his historical portrayals and the local tours he conducts through the museum. He has previously conducted several series of historical programs at the library.

"A chronological, decade-by-decade approach to the history of Coeur d'Alene will provide the opportunity to see how and why the city developed and grew to its present state," he said.

Singletary plans to show how various aspects of the community, such as industry, business, education, politics, arts and culture, individuals and organizations have contributed to the development of the city.

To prepare for these lectures, Singletary has read every Coeur d'Alene Press from 1900 to 2000 and has interviewed scores of individuals in every walk of life from loggers to politicians. He will be working with various organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, the city of Coeur d'Alene, Downtown Association, and others to draw from their institutional memories.

In the past local historians and the Museum of North Idaho have given a great deal of attention to the early history of Coeur d'Alene, but not very much on the last 50 years, Singletary said. The museum needs more photos and artifacts from the latter half of the 20th century, especially the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Call the museum at 664-3448 or email [email protected] if you have items or information to donate or share about Coeur d'Alene's history.