Tales from the Wardrobe

The 1920s saw Bonner County’s population continue to grow. The logging, timber and railroad industries remained the mainstays of the local economy, and farming and ranching remained strong. World War I had shaken the entire nation, and in its wake, virtually nothing felt the same, least of all fashion. The rise of youth culture, Prohibition, women’s suffrage, and changing social standards all had their impact of 1920s fashion. Sandpoint’s First Avenue bustled with commerce as ready-to-wear clothing became widely available and increasingly affordable for the first time.

In the 1930s, however, the Roaring Twenties were hushed by the hard times of the Great Depression. The mighty Humbird Lumber Company closed its doors, along with many other businesses, leaving many unemployed. Wardrobes shrank along with the economy. Yet photographs and stories from the 1930s show Bonner County residents with the strength and spirit to survive, even to thrive.