Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The Coeur d’Alene Inn, the oldest hotel in Coeur d’Alene, was destroyed by fire when two Japanese boarders accidentally overturned an oil stove in their room.

They poured a bucket of water on the fire, but that only made the flames spread. The room became a “mass of flames,” which spread rapidly throughout the second floor of the three-story structure.

The hotel was erected in 1878 on the fort grounds but was removed by order of the post commander and transported to a site on Sherman Avenue. A third story was added in 1892, giving the building 60 sleeping rooms.

The damaged building might have been repairable, but the fire ordinances of the time prohibited any frame building from being repaired within the city limits.  Old frame buildings had to be torn down and replaced by brick structures in order to reduce the risk of citywide fires.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1707: The Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect. … 1960: The Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane over Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers. … 1962: The first Target discount store opened in Roseville, Minn.