MOVING HISTORY FORWARD: Finding the college a home and beginning to build
A group photo of the second North Idaho Junior College Board of Trustees. Two new members were appointed to serve after Charles Simpson and Alvin Green moved from the area. The board also hired a lawyer to provide the trustees with legal advice. Back row, from left: Horace H. “Dusty” Rhodes (trustee), Eugene V. Boughton (lawyer) and Warren T. Shepperd (trustee). Front row: Mrs. Anna Edminster (trustee), G.O. Kildow (trustee) and Mrs. Nora Schmidt (trustee).
Photo courtesy of NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE
This 1941 photo shows the south side of the college’s incomplete Mechanical Arts Building. The outbreak of World War II stalled work on the structure until hostilities ended.
In early 1940, NIJC trustees C.D. Simpson and A.S. Green resigned from the board of trustees, having moved out of the Junior College District. Retired mining executive Horace H. “Dusty” Rhodes of Coeur d’Alene and Post Fall High School Principal George Oliver “G.O.” Kildow were appointed to replace them. In addition, a local lawyer, Eugene “Bill” Boughton was hired to advise the board on matters of law.
By the fall of 1940, the junior college’s enrollment had risen to 118 students. With classroom space already at a premium, trustees made moves to secure more space for the swelling number of students by establishing a home to build a campus.
The board formed a building committee that settled on two locations — the west third of the Coeur d’Alene Mill Grounds between Fifth and Seventh streets, or a 32-acre tract, known as Winton Memorial Park, in the Fort Grounds area.
To hasten a decision, the board called on their legal counsel, Earl Boughton, to ask the Coeur d’Alene City Council to put the question to the taxpayers. They agreed to tie it to a city election April 22, 1941. The results favored Winton Park because it contained room to grow.
The Winton property became the new home for the college May 9, 1941, when the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution to formally deed the 32-acre Winton Park site to the North Idaho College District as a permanent location for the school.
The property acquisition was considered a gift to the college as no monetary considerations were stipulated. The land had been donated to the county in August 1937 by the Winton Lumber Company board of trustees in honor of the late owners of their company, Charles and David Winton. The property transfer came with the stipulation that the property could only be used as the location for a county hospital or another use “deemed fitting to be located on the memorial as determined by the commissioners.”
The college trustees accepted the county’s gift, and President Lee was soon authorized by the board of trustees to use $10,000 of federal money that had become available to begin construction on the college’s first building. Using donated labor and $1,000 in materials, work began in the fall of 1941 when ground was broken for a Mechanical Arts Building on a spot located near the southwest corner of the property.
Concurrent with the start of construction of the Mechanical Arts structure, a 20-year, $125,000 bond issue to fund other buildings was put before the voters Sept. 23, 1941. The measure failed despite having 1177 in favor and 750 against. Passage required a two-thirds majority to pass.
Because of the beginning of World War II in late 1941, construction on the building was paused, and it was not completed until 1947. In the interim, temporary structures were moved in and used during the war years.
In our next installment, the college will receive new leadership and experience an extended period of major growth.
An important NIC board election is currently in progress. Please remember to vote Nov. 5!
This 1941 photo shows the south side of the college’s incomplete Mechanical Arts Building. The outbreak of World War II stalled work on the structure until hostilities ended.