Preserve an Object

The Museum gratefully accepts donations of artifacts and documents that have an historical connection to Bonner County. We also encourage you to contribute your family history related to Bonner County, which can take the form of an interview with a family elder, family documents, photographs, or a written history.

For more information regarding donations, ask about our donation guidelines. Before you bring in your valued history, you will be asked to fill out our Temporary Custody Receipt and bring it in for review.

If you have a photograph or document of historical interest, but would rather not donate it, we have the equipment to make copies so that your original can be returned to you.

Research policies and procedures

Our research room is open to the public during regular weekly hours.  Holidays and other closures are updated on our Google profile. We cannot perform research on Free First Saturdays.

While we invite visitors to enjoy the research room and exhibits during open hours and use the research library during these times, visitors must schedule a research appointment at least one business day ahead of time.  Our archival collections are maintained in closed stack areas and are only accessible by museum staff and volunteers- this gives us an opportunity to prepare items for you to view.  

To schedule an appointment, please fill out a research request form.

We are happy to receive requests for research to be conducted by our staff. Those who cannot visit the archive in person can email the museum.  Please include as much information about the requested search as possible and be specific about what information it is that you are requesting. Also include any background information that may be helpful to our researchers.

Wish List

Below is a wish list of items we would love to add to our collection. This list is by no means exhaustive:

  • Sandpoint/Bonner County Directories from 1915, 1917-1922, 1924-1925, 1927-1947, 1949, 1951-1955, 1957-1958, 1960-1963, 1973, 1994, 2015, 2019, 2020 

  • Sandpoint High School Monticolas (yearbooks) from 1916-1919 (may be called the White Pine Song Book), 1925-1928, 1952, 1954-1946, 1959, 1961, 1969, 1992-1993, 1995, 1997, 2000-2022

  • Any issues of the Priest River High School yearbook, Clark Fork High School yearbook, or Lake Pend Oreille High School yearbook

  • Book: A Century of Paddlewheelers in the Pacific Northwest, the Yukon, and Alaska by Edward L. Affleck

  • Book: One Inch Above the Water by Jim Payne

  • DVD: The Nell Shipman Collection Vol. 1: The Girl from God's Country

  • Photograph of the Sandpoint Interurban Railway crossing Sand Creek on its own bridge

  • Clothing and textiles from all time periods of Bonner County History

  • SunIce Ski Wear

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Research Request Form

Please fill out prior to your visit. Thank you!

Research Fees

Self-Guided Research
Available for BCHS&M members only. Archival handling training required before access to archives is granted; training sessions are scheduled quarterly.
Fee: BCHS&M membership

Research conducted by BCHS&M volunteer
You may either conduct research at the Museum with the assistance of a trained Museum volunteer, or one of our skilled volunteers can fulfill your request.
Fee: $25/hr (10% discount for BCHS&M members)

Research conducted by BCHS&M staff member
Thorough and professional research conducted by staff members. Please note staff availability is limited, but these requests are prioritized.
Fee: $75/hr - one hour minimum (10% discount for BCHS&M members)

Research Packages

Our most comprehensive research offering, these packages include extensive research conducted by expert regional historians, using both BCHS&M’s and external archives, presented in a professional, attractive layout you can share with family, business partners, and investors. You will receive a hard copy and digital file of these documents. Though the process typically takes 2-6 months, it is completely hands off for you.

Assessment Fee: $50
We charge an initial fee to help us determine if there is enough information available to meet your needs. If we determine we are not able to proceed with your request at this scale, you will receive a rough copy of any information we discovered during the assessment. If you choose to proceed, the $50 will go toward your research package fee.

Commercial Property: $1500 (typically 15-25 page history)

Residential Property: $500 (typically 5-10 page history)

Family History: $500 (typically 5-10 page history)
Please note that this package is offered as a narrative, featuring stories about the family. For detailed genealogical research, we recommend working with a BCHS&M volunteer or using these resources.

Photo Orders

Some photos from the BCHS&M Collection are available in high resolution digital format for a service fee. Images may be viewed at the Bonner County History Museum. To become acquainted with the photo collection, please schedule a 30-minute appointment using the form to the left. Then, use the photo order request form to view fees and place your order.

Other Services

Low Resolution Photocopies
$.50 each

Photography of Archival Collections
$.50 each
Personal photography of BCHS&M’s photographic collection is not permitted (see Photo Orders above), but you may take photographs of some archival records. Please ask permission of a staff member before using a camera or phone to photograph collections materials.

High resolution large-format scans (non-photo archives)
If a map or other document is too large to scan in-house, we will forward the cost from our printer and additionally charge a $50 transportation and handling fee to underwrite the risk of document transportation.

Curation Services: $50/hr ($500 base fee)
Exhibit design services are offered to businesses and individuals based on staff availability. Please contact curator@bonnercountyhistory.org to share your ideas.