THANKS: For saving local history

We would like to extend our appreciation to Steve and Marie Widmyer for stepping up to buy the Roosevelt Inn and save another piece of our local history. Acts of kindness and thoughtfulness in saving our local history are sincerely appreciated.

We also wanted to give a shout out to those unsung heroes who have saved other local historical buildings — folks such as Robert Singletary, who owned a beautiful home on Sherman and restored it; homeowners in the Fort Sherman area who restore the old homes and maintain the charm and character; John Swallow who restored the Northern Pacific railway depot in Coeur d’Alene; Spencer and Danielle Howell who restored both the Westwood Brewing restaurant in Rathdrum and Old School Tavern in Huetter; and my family who restored the original I&WN train depot in Rathdrum.

Speaking from personal experience, restoration work is not only a labor of love but often very costly. While some believe it’s easier to tear down and rebuild (and that is often necessary, depending on the building), if the structure warrants saving and has historical value, our community is better off because of the hard work of these individuals. I’m sure that there are many others who have restored our local buildings over the years, and I want to extend my thanks to all of them. 

KANDI JOHNSON

Rathdrum