Bonners Ferry Has Many Claim Jumpers

Leaving Kootenai Station in Sandpoint, on the future main line of the Northern Pacific Railroad, six passengers on a cold March 1892 day take refuge in one of Sam Smith’s cold stage coaches – headed for the young and thriving town of Bonners Ferry. 

The road for the entire 32 miles heads straight north and is cut out of dense stands of tamarack, pine, and hemlock.  A good part of the very crude, rough road is chiseled out of the side hills to avoid the deep bottom mud which in places is very precipitous.

Upon arrival, the stage pulls up to Smith’s Hotel.  A rough town of 600 people has sprung up on the south banks of the Kootenai River.  That river meanders lazily and the width varies from half a mile to three miles, shore to shore.   The Kootenai River is navigable as far south as Fry’s Landing, which is an important transit point into Canada.  The river is deep enough to allow two steamers, the Spokane and the Alton, to float up to Nelson, BC and to the mining fields at Ainsworth Hot Springs.

History

In the beginning EL Bonner in 1864 had found the perfect spot to run a small ferry, crossing an important river.  Piloting a ferry  boat river crossings was a very easy way to make a living.  He left, but a few years later Richard Fry and William Eaton pioneered here and a neighbor rivalry began.  Both wanted their names on the new hamlet, but the Bonner name stuck.  

Sometime in the 1880’s after many years ranching and ferrying, Eaton moved away.   Fry was still there and in 1890 he made claim to the government lands which he had occupied for years.  He knew the Great Northern Railroad was coming, and he planned to sell land to new arrivals. 

To profit immensely, Richard Fry sold Fry’s Landing, to a wealthy syndicate.   Fry claimed his township covered both sides of the Kootenai river.   Fry had been running the only ferry across the river for years and justified claiming both sides ownership from his ferry business.  The only sensible way to cross the river was to use Fry's Ferry.   The north side was not the choicest place to build houses.  That part of the Fry land was under water in the spring and has little use as a town.

Turmoil In Bonners Ferry

The way this got to today’s situation is interesting….

The Great Northern Railroad is coming to town.  Land will be sold at a premium price.

Across the river on the south side exists a much better flat area.  In the fall of 1891, the town of Bonners Ferry was in turmoil.   Squatters were moving in, claiming the right of possession by living on the land.  The legitimate owners were attempting to drive them off of the land and they are headed to court to get proof of ownership granted. 

Meanwhile, the town was in full excitement and gossip talk was everywhere.  The new idea is to "squat" on open land.  An area in town has been claimed by William Keller.  He is pressing his mineral claim rights for land right in the center of the town on that land he has settled on.  He is relying on using the existing mining laws of Idaho. 

The Keller faction has "jumped" on to the land and has staked a claim to the township.  There is an existing owners group headed by the Wright Faction.   The  Wright Faction now owns Fry's claim and is also claiming ownership of Bonners Ferry.   

Extreme measures are being resorted to try to remove the invaders.  But they already occupy the south ground and are seeking to remain in Bonners Ferry.  Since the squatters are claiming they have right of possession under existing mining laws, they present proof.  They exhibit rich ore that they say has recently been found on their land.  The other side says that the ore samples are just “salted” to make the land look good.    Additionally, the mining claim owners are selling ownership to many speculators.  That just brings in more and more drifters.

SB Wright is heading the Fry Investment Group, having bought all of Fry's land.  In that group are three commercial banks that lent wealthy investors who are putting up all the money.  These speculators have big plans to cut up the land and sell lots. 

The purchase deal with Fry has been finally completed on October 4, 1891.  It is the most important real estate deal ever made in Kootenai County, but the price is secret.    To take advantage of the arrival of the Great Northern Railroad - The Fry/Wright investment group is buying all the land in Fry's township.  They claim it covers both sides of the river.  Fry remains a partner and also has been paid a huge undisclosed sum.

Great Northern Railroad

The arrival of the railroad is a way for opportunistic men to make a huge  fortune.  The Great Northern has finished grading a level route between Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry and will lay tracks shortly.  The new town is at the junction of the newly arrived Great Northern Railroad and the piers the steamships moor to on the Kootenai River.  These two transportation methods will connect to the waters of Kootenai Lake heading up to Nelson, BC.    There are thousands of miles of unexplored land and untold numbers of gold ore claims located in Canada.   The new town is expected to have a great boom.  

The courts will have to step in and decide the fate of who owns the land.

Now 1892 at Bonners Ferry

A year ago this town was nothing but a few ranches.  Today new streets have been cut out, along which on either side are substantial business houses, hotels, and saloons.  The three new hotels are inadequate for the rush of people coming in and a fourth one three stories in height is being erected.

Three General Merchandise stores, all carrying a large stock of goods, do a rushing trade.  One hardware store carrying a $15,000 stock, has just opened up.  

This year there is considerable activity.  There are also located here one drug store, two cigar stores, two wholesale liquor houses, two livery stables, two blacksmith shops, two barber shops, and 12 saloons.  Two sawmills within a short distance from the town cannot supply the demand for enough lumber, so a third one is being erected on an island in the river. That sawmill is bound to be kept busy, so great is the demand.    

This year the Great Northern Railroad will finish building their right of way through the town.  The construction train is expected in a few days.  Yesterday the train whistle echoed and reverberated in the air.  The welcome shrill sound was heard moving from mountain to mountain, finally fading into a far distant valley. 

Once the railroad reached Bonners Ferry, Sam Smith planned to close his Stage Line.

For many years this section of land was only worked for placer gold.  Several millions ounces of ore were taken out, but the prospectors at the time did not deem it worthwhile to bother looking for galena and silver ore because of the poor shipping arrangements.  All that has changed with a vast area of ore now able to be worked.   

The Lawsuit

SB Wright and his investment group are trying to force William Keller to vacate the land he has squatted on. Keller has claimed that land he has pitched a tent on is a mining claim.

Both sides are prepared to make vigorous preparations to hold their property under any and all circumstances.  To avoid bloodshed, both sides also have agreed to abide by the decision of the court.

Decision

Judge Chambers is holding court in Fry’s saloon in the middle of the township.  He is a very grizzled, wise frontier judge.  A jury has been seated and they are intently listening to both sides.

As testimony unwinds and as the case becomes clear, the jury is leaning.   The outcome is obvious and Keller sees his fate is tenuous.

On March 27th, 1892 the suit is settled out of court and SB Wright has won.  He is granted full title to the land and Keller has lost everything.  Keller has been ordered to vacate immediately.  Surveying now will start and a new bridge crossing the river is being planned and funded by the US Government for late summer.  They plan to build a road up to Canada.

This is how fortunes were made and fortunes were lost in the untouched wild western frontier.