Sandpoint, Idaho
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Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of, Bonner County,
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Its population was 9,777 as of the 2022
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
. Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products, light manufacturing, tourism, recreation and government services. As the largest service center in the two northern Idaho counties ( Bonner and Boundary), as well as northwestern Montana, it has an active retail sector. Sandpoint lies on the shores of Idaho's largest lake, Lake Pend Oreille, and is surrounded by three major mountain ranges, the Selkirk, Cabinet and Bitterroot ranges. It is home to Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Idaho's largest ski resort, and is on the International Selkirk Loop and two National Scenic Byways (Wild Horse Trail and Pend Oreille Scenic Byway). Among other distinctions awarded by national media in the past decade, in 2011 Sandpoint was named the nation's "Most Beautiful Small Town" by
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and ''
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''.


History

Salish Tribes, specifically the Kalispel, and the Kootenai, built encampments on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille every summer, fished, made baskets of cedar, and collected huckleberries before returning to either
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
or Washington in the fall. The encampments ended before 1930. The region was extensively explored by David Thompson of the North West Company starting in 1807. Disputed joint British/American occupation of the Columbia District led to the Oregon boundary dispute. This controversy ended in 1846 with the signing of the Oregon Treaty, whereby Britain ceded all rights to land south of the 49th parallel. In the 1880s, the Northern Pacific Railroad brought European and Chinese settlement to the area. In August 1888, 29-year-old author and civil servant
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
visited Sandpoint on a caribou-hunting trip in the
Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains. They begin at Mic ...
. Roosevelt documented what a rough-and-tumble environment "Sand Point" was at that time (and for many decades following). Sandpoint was officially incorporated in 1898. Timber harvesting and railroads drove the economy for nearly a century as loggers moved in from the over-harvested
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
region. Several lumber companies operated in the region from as early as 1896 to present, the most notable being the Humbird Lumber Company which operated from 1900 to around 1944. The lumber companies bought land from the Northern Pacific Railroad and built a major mill at Sandpoint and adjacent Kootenai. Lumber company-owned railroads extended into many of the local drainages including Grouse Creek, Gold Creek and Rapid Lightning Creek. Although the trees were never exhausted in the area, Humbird Lumber succumbed to the low timber prices of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. "Stump ranches" were sold by Humbird to many families who slowly cleared much of the valley land of tree stumps. Farming and ranching became the third largest business in the area, behind lumber and railroads, prior to the "discovery" of Lake Pend Oreille as a sports fishery in the 1950s. The economy was given a boost during World War II from Farragut Naval Station, a training center for the US Navy located at the southwestern end of Lake Pend Oreille. The opening of Schweitzer Mountain Resort in 1963 turned the area into a year-round tourism destination. The beauty of the surrounding Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains and Lake Pend Oreille has kept Sandpoint a tourist favorite for water sports, hunting, hiking, horseback riding, fishing and skiing. In the 1980s and 1990s, 30 miles south of Sandpoint, the areas of Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Lake attracted nationwide publicity when white supremacist
Neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
groups (most notably the Aryan Nations) set up headquarters in the area. Many Sandpoint residents reacted negatively to such groups; some formed the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force in opposition. In 2001, the Aryan Nations lost a lawsuit filed against them. The lawsuit bankrupted the organization and forced them to give up their Hayden Lake property and disband. In December 2011, Sandpoint became the first city in Idaho to pass an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Community organizations stage a number of regionally known annual events, including Sandpoint Winter Carnival in February; the Lost in the 50s vintage car show in May; and the Festival at Sandpoint summer music festival in August. Sandpoint's historic vaudeville-era Panida Theater hosts frequent performing art events and an ongoing independent film series. The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint provides classical music classes and inaugurated its "Little Carnegie" concert hall in 2022. A robust visual arts community supported by the Pend Oreille Arts Council also contributes to Sandpoint's reputation as a center for arts and culture in northern Idaho and the Inland Northwest. There have been occasional reports of unusual lights over Lake Pend Oreille at night. Described as glowing orbs, these lights have been attributed to various causes, including possible military activity from the nearby Farragut Naval Training Station, though no definitive explanations have been provided.


Geography and climate

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Sandpoint has a fairly typical inland Northwestern
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
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''Dsb''), with cold, snowy winters and dry summers with large diurnal temperature swings from hot in the day to very cool at night. The record low was on December 30, 1968, while the record high was recorded on June 30, 2021. The wettest month was December 1933 with of total precipitation and the most monthly snowfall in January 1969.


Demographics

The median income between 2016 and 2020 for a household in the city was $46,712. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $28,210. The percentage of persons below the poverty line (2016–2020) was 14.7%. The median value of owner-occupied housing in the city was $228,800. The homeownership rate (2006–2010) was 49.6%. Of the population over 25 years of age (2006–2010), 89.9% had graduated high school, 25.6% had achieved a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
or higher.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 7,365 people, 3,215 households, and 1,811 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 3,769 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.1%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population. There were 3,215 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.7% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 38.8 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.


Politics


Economy

Since 2002, Sandpoint has been home to aircraft manufacturer Quest Aircraft.


Education

Sandpoint is part of the Lake Pend Oreille School District. Sandpoint High School and Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School educate students in grades 9 through 12. Forrest Bird Charter School educates grades 6–12.


Rail transportation

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's
Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great North ...
carries passengers daily in both directions between
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Illinois to the east and
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington and Portland, Oregon to the west. Sandpoint's Amtrak station serves as the only stop in Idaho. Sandpoint is on the main line of the BNSF Railroad, 80 railroad miles northeast of Spokane. Traffic flow was improved in 2023 by paralleling a 2.2-mile segment including the lake crossing that had been constricted by a single-track bridge.


Local media

;Radio * KSPT AM 1400 ( News/Talk) * KRFY FM 88.5 ( Alternative) * KPND FM 95.3 ( Adult Hits) * KTAQ-LP FM 97.7 ( 3ABN Radio) * KIBR FM 102.5 (
Country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
) * KTPO FM 106.7 ( KPND 95.3 repeater) * FM 105.3 (Sandpoint's Hit Music) ;Television Television stations serving Sandpoint originate from the Spokane, Washington market: * KREM 2 ( CBS) * KXLY-TV 4 ( ABC) * KHQ-TV 6 ( NBC) * KSPS-TV 7 ( PBS) ;Print * The '' Bonner County Daily Bee'', daily paper since 1965 * The '' Sandpoint Reader'', weekly paper since 2004


Notable people

* Forrest Bird, aviator, biomedical inventor, recipient of Presidential Citizens Medal * Allie Brosh, humorist blogger and novelist * Leon Cadore, baseball pitcher who pitched a 26-inning game in 1920, graduate of Sandpoint High School * John Craigie, folk singer, lived there for a summer and wrote the song " All of July" about Sandpoint * James C. Fry, United States Army major general, recipient of Distinguished Service Cross * Mark Fuhrman, former LAPD detective primarily known for his role in the O. J. Simpson murder case * Tinker Hatfield, athletic shoe designer and Nike Air Jordan architect * Nate Holland, two-time Olympian, five-time X Games gold medalist, US Snowboard team * Nell Kruegel Irion, city councilor and first woman to run for Congress in Idaho * Jerry Kramer,
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
right guard, author * Joe Mather,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
* Patrick F. McManus, outdoor writer and humorist *
Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received nominations for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Mortensen made his film debut with a small role in ...
, actor and producer * Alex R. Munson (born 1941), chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands * Don Osborn, former minor league baseball pitcher and manager and pitching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates * Kristy Osmunson, singer and fiddle player of the country music duo ''Bomshel'' * Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican nominee for Vice President * Genevieve Pezet (1913–2009), American artist who lived in France. * Jake Plummer, former NFL quarterback * Shook Twins, folk music duo who grew up in Sandpoint * Lucy Ann Polk, big-band singer * Marilynne Robinson, writer and winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction * Jake Rosholt, mixed martial artist and former collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State * Don Samuelson, 25th
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of Idaho (1967−1971) * Edgar Steele, attorney found guilty of a murder-for-hire plot (from the nearby town of Sagle) * Ben Stein, writer, lawyer, actor, comedian, and commentator on political and economic issues * Tim Thomas, retired National Hockey League goaltender


References


Further reading

* * Edward S. Curtis
''The North American Indian''
Northwestern University, Digital Library Collections, "Kalispel", Page 51


External links


City website

Bonner County Profile from the Idaho Department of Labor
{{authority control Cities in Bonner County, Idaho County seats in Idaho Populated places established in 1898 1898 establishments in Idaho Cities in Idaho