First settled in the late 1860s, Bonners Ferry is today a small city of 2,500 straddling the Kootenai River in the centre of Boundary County. The name
Bonners Ferry comes from the fact that
Edwin Bonner began operating a ferry over the Kootenai River at this place in 1864 to aid prospectors in crossing the river on their way to recent gold strikes in British Columbia. With mines opening in nearby areas, Bonners Ferry began to flourish in the 1880s, and the Great Northern Railway made its way through in 1892. The Spokane International and the Kootenai Valley lines soon followed. Established as a village in 1893, the town continued to grow as agriculture took a foothold in the valley. The forestry industry has also become a major player, further enhancing growth in Boundary County.
Likely of early twentieth century vintage, the two story Bonners Ferry town hall was built of brick with terra cotta decoration. Atop the flat roof is a tall, four sided clock, a reminder of the days before everyone and his dog carried a cell phone. Especially notable is the main entrance on Main Street, a double wooden door framed by a beautiful terra cotta frame. Town hall is only one of the several buildings which line Main Street that are original to the era of construction of more permanent buildings in the town, replacing the even older wood framed structures which first sprang up in Bonners Ferry. The two most notable NRHP buildings are the Boundary County Courthouse, 1938, and the Post Office & Federal Building, 1937, both WPA projects.