In the Wake of the Deluge: a special evening of history

The water color above this posting features Lake Pend Oreille from Kootenai Point on the lake's north shore. This painting is associated with a very special evening for history buffs, scheduled for next Thursday, Nov. 17 beginning at 5 p.m. at Di Luna's Restaurant in Sandpoint.

Historian Jack Nisbet will begin the festivities with a book signing during a no-host cocktail hour from 5-6 p.m. He will sign Sources of the River and his most recently published title The Mapmaker's Eye.

Both books deal with the wanderings of British mapmaker David Thompson who traveled through North Idaho and established the Kullyspell House on Lake Pend Oreille's shores in 1809. Nisbet is considered one of the premier regional experts on the travels of Thompson who produced early maps of North America.

After the signing, dinner will be served from 6-7 p.m. Then, Nisbet will team up with Idaho State geologist Roy Breckenridge to discuss the glacial Lake Missoula flood path. Both speakers will be using images completed between 1810-1860 by Thompson, James Madison Alden, Henry James Warre, Paul Kane, and Charles Wilson as they retrace the course of the unleashed waters of Lake Missoula.

According to the promotional flier, the epic flood, at the end of the last Ice Age, "left a trail of geologic landmarks across the Inland Northwest. These landmarks--many of which center on Lake Pend Oreille and the ice plug at the mouth of the Clark Fork River--have become familiar markers on our modern landscape.

"But the effects of the flood were probably even more visible to the people who looked at this countryside during the period of contact and before. Tribal trails, river crossings, sentry points, and drainage curiosities were created by the Ice Age floods, and the first mapmakers and artists who visited our area captured them on paper in ways that shed new light on these familiar features."

So, yes, this morning, I'm using my posting to spread the word about this evening of fine wine, fine dining and fine knowledge from the experts about a significant event and some significant people who defined our area. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Bonner County Museum. The $25 charge includes dinner and the program. Because of limited seating, reservations (call 263-2344) are encouraged.

Lots going on that evening. It's guaranteed you'll go away well-fed and equally well-nourished on your insights of the beginnings of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille.