The Regatta Grandstand on
WrittenbyStephenShepperd
Therecordshowsthatthefirst“official”Coeurd’Alene RegattaoccurredovertheJuly4thweekendin1913.The ideaofholdingawatersportsextravaganzaonthe lakefrontwastheproductofalengthydiscussionbythe membershipofCoeurd’Alene’snewlyformedChamber ofCommerce TheChamber'sfocushadbeenonwhat couldbedonetodrawsummertourismdollarsintothe coffersofLakeCitybusinesses Itwashopedthatthisinflux ofmoneymightoffsettheeffectsofaseriouseconomic recessionthathadthelocallumberandminingindustries initsgrip
Duringthatfirstyearoftheregatta,theeventswere
1915.REC-15-011
Tubbs Hill
mostlyheldinfrontofCityBeach.Specialwooden stadiumseatinghadbeenconstructedonthesandanda setofbleachershadbeenbuiltonalargedockfloating outonthewater.
The1913regattabrokeevenfinancially,buttheregatta committeefelttheycoulddoevenbetterfinanciallyifthe viewingareawascompletelyundertheircontrol They establishedasub committeetoexplorepossibleoptions formakingthishappen
Theideathatgainedthegreatesttractioninvolved buildingalargecoveredgrandstandandlocatingit awayfromthedowntownwaterfront.Ideally,theRegatta
Grandstandwouldbebestsituated whereitofferedspectatorsprime viewingofthemajorityofthe watersportsactivities.Ticketsfor seatingcouldthenbesold,helping payforthebuildingand maintenanceofthestructure whilealsounderwritingallfuture events
Forthecommittee,thebest optionforthelocationofthe grandstandappearedtobeat CorbinPointonthesouthwest cornerofTubbsHill.Theproperty abovethepointcontainedthe unoccupiedsummerhomeof AustinCorbinIIandhisfamily CorbinwasthesonofSpokane railroadmagnate,DC Corbinand heandhisfamilyhadrecently vacatedthepremises.
ThecommitteeworkedhardtosecuretheCorbinproperty,onlytohaveitsoldoutfromunderthematthelastminute undersuspiciouscircumstances.
Havingbeenforcedbacktosquareone,theRegattaCommitteefocuseditsenergiesonfindinganewlocation.A numberoflocationswerediscussedandrejected,butfinally,onMay16,1914,apotentialsitewasannounced The
REC-15-19 RegattaCommitteevoted unanimouslytopurchasea31 acretractonthesoutheastcorner ofTubbsHillthatreportedlyhad morethanenoughroomforthe grandstandstructure.
Thetractoflandwasownedby ChesterGlass,whowasaresident ofthestateofNewYork.Itwas purchasedbytwolocalmen,and theyinturnhandedthedeedover totheRegattaAssociation
Thenextquestionwashowto gettothesite Buildingaroadto theGlassPointlocationwas nearlyimpossiblebecauseofthe rockyterrainonTubbsHill. Dependingonwhichoftwo conflictingreportsyoubelieveto betrue,eitheraroadoratrailwas pushedthroughfromthe11th
Streetsideofthehillrepletewithlandscaping Itismorethanlikelythatmostofthecrowdarrivedatthesiteonfoot andnotbycarorbuggy Amuchsmallercontingenttookaten minuteboatridefromthecity’swaterfront
OnJune1,localarchitectGeorgeWilliamssubmittedplanstotheRegattaAssociationforaroofedgrandstand structure Itwastobe100feetlongandtohaveaseatingcapacityof1,000people Thedesignerestimatedacostof $2,500,whichwasattheassociation’sestablishedlimitfor1914construction Thestructurewastobebuiltona“unit plan,”allowingfortheexpansionofseatingcapacityasneededfromyear to year.
OnJune5,thecallforbidsfortheconstructionofthegrandstandwasmadebytheassociationandonJune9,itwas announcedthatthewinningbidtobuildthegrandstandwouldgotoChrisOlsonfor$398.Heandhiscrewbeganwork withinafewdaysofbeingselected.
Therewerefewreportsmade abouttheprogressmadeonbuilding thegrandstand,butitappearsthat workprogressedwithverylittle problemandfinishedontime Materialsweredeliveredtothesite viaabarge,includingtheconcrete neededtocreatethefootingsforthe bigstructureandthewoodand othermaterialsneeded.
A“coldopening”ofsortswasheld onJuly29totesttheuseofthenew grandstand TheCoeurd’AleneCity
muchlargerRegattaGrandstandandalargeexpanseofbleacherseatingtoeithersideofthe coveredstructureonTubbsHillwaspicturedintheSpokaneChronicle, June22,1921.
BandmovedtheirSundayafternoonconcertperformancetotheregattagroundsatGlassPointfromtheirusual locationintheCityPark
AreportintheCoeurd’AlenePressthedayaftertheeventrevealedthatafair sizedcrowdattendedtheconcertand otherscheduledactivities.Theareaaroundthegrandstandswasropedoff,aswereanyrockformationsthatposeda dangertoaviewerfalling.Theareaoutsidethegrandstandwasavailableona“first come first served”basisfor seating.Thecommitteewashopingtoguardagainstpeoplesittinganywherebutthegrandstanditself,butphotos showthatmanybravedthehillsidetogetaviewwithouthavingtopay.
WhattheRegattaCommitteedidnotplanfor,however,wastherainyweatherthatdescendedontheregattasiteon Saturday,thefinaldayofthe1914event Steadyrainsbadlyhurtattendanceandresultedinapoorfinancialreturnfor theorganizers
Despiteasmallprofitmargin,theRegattaAssociationdidn’tgiveup TheywouldusetheRegattaGrandstandsfor fiveofthenextsevenyearsfortheCoeurd’AleneRegatta(therewasno1917or1918raceduetoWorldWarI)
In1921,theseatingcapacitywasexpandedtenfold Additionalaislesandasetofuncoveredbleacherwingswere addedoneachsidetoallowfor10,000spectators
Butthe1921regattawouldprovetobethelasthurrahforthegrandstandandtheGlassPointregattasite.Despitea combinedeffortbytheSpokaneandCoeurd’AleneChambersofCommercetofilltheexpandedstands,theexact oppositeoccurred.Thefinal dayattendancewasdownconsiderablyfrompreviousyearsandtheeventlostsignificant money
Muchbackandforthensuedoverwhattodonext MostcommentsmadeatanOctober4publicmeetingwere negative,soitwasnotsurprisingthattheCoeurd’AleneChamberofCommercedecidedataFebruary6meetingto officiallywashtheirhandsofstaginga1922Regatta TheChamber’sdecisionturnedthefutureoftheeventbackover totheRegattaAssociation OnMarch9,1922,thestockholdersoftheassociationvotedtodisposeoftheregatta property,includingthegrandstand,thedocks,andotherassociationholdings
OnMay22,1922,itwasformallyannouncedthatCoeurd’Alenewouldnotbeholdingaregattain1922 TheRegatta AssociationboardofdirectorsalsoannouncedthattheyhadauthorizedthesaleoftheTubbsHillgrandstandalong withallseats floats andbroomsticks(pilings)usedtomarktheperformancearea.
InDecemberof1924,atransferoftheoldRegatta GroundsfromtheRegattaCommitteetotheCityofCoeur d’AlenewascompletedandGlassPointbecamepartofthe city’sTubbsHillproperty Bythattime,theRegatta Grandstandhadlongbeenremoved,theonlytraces remainingtobeasetofconcretefootings
Thisauthorcanconfirmthatroughlyninety eightyears later,theconcretefootingsarestillthere.MywifeandI hikedalongtheshorelineofTubbsHillonasunny afternoonandliterallystumbleduponthefootings.Itook aphotoofseveraloftheconcretepylons,andIamsharing ithere
[PS ForagenerousdonationtotheMuseum'sBuilding Fund,Iwillguideyoutheresoyoucanseeitforyourself]
M U S E U M N E W S
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From the Executive Director
WewrappedanothersuccessfulseasonattheMuseumofNorthIdahoattheendof October,andwhataseasonitwas!WehadTWOfeaturedexhibits:"GadgetsGalore! TransformingtheAmericanHousehold"and"TheRumRebellion:Prohibitionin NorthIdaho."Onceagain,webrokeattendancerecordswithover6,500visitors,and weweresohappytoseeallofyoucomeouttolearnmoreaboutourlocalhistory.In additiontotheexhibits,weheldavarietyofprogramsandevents,includingthesold outForestCemeteryWalkingTours,monthlylectureseries,schoolfieldtrips,movies attheChapel,andanotherAntiquesAppraisalDay.Wealsosoldoutourinaugural benefitgalathatallowedtwohundredpeopletobringouttheirinnerGatsbyand flappergirltoraisefundsforournewmuseumfacility.
WearenowattheendoftheyearwhichisalsoGivingSeason.It'sthetimeofthe yearwherewelooktoourfavoriteHistoricalPreservationPioneerslikeyoualltohelp uscontinuetopreserveandilluminateNorthIdaho'srichheritageBeginningwith GivingTuesdayonNovember29th,weaskallofyoutoconsidermakinga contributiontotheMuseumofNorthIdahoAlldonationstoMONIaretax deductibleandareeligiblefortheadditionalIdahoEducationaltaxcreditAsour communityrapidlygrows,ourhistoryisatriskofbeingbuiltover.Byworking togetheronhistoricalpreservation,wecanensureourheritageexistsinmorethanjust ourmemories.
From the Board President
MartinLutherKingJr.said,”Ifyoucan’tfly,thenrun.Ifyoucan’trun,thenwalk. Ifyoucan’twalk,thencrawl,butbyallmeans,keepmoving!”Ithasbeenthreeyears sincewemovedtheJ.C.WhiteHouseontoitsnewfoundation.Alothappenedto savethisbuildingfromdemolitiontopreserveapartofourpastforfuturegenerations. Asanewmemberontheboardatthattime,itwasexcitingtobedoingsomething meaningful.Afewmonthslater,COVIDhit,andwehadmyriadchangesonthe board.Inspiteofallthat,wewereabletoraisesomefunds,completeourarchitectural plansandmoveforwardwithsomesmallsteps.
Thereisnothingquitelikedoingamajorconstructionprojectwithpredominately volunteerleadership.Theanalogyof“herdingcats”comestomind.Lastsummer,we foundoutourconstructioncostsfortheundergroundexhibitgalleryhaddoubled from$750,000toover$1,500,000.Wedecided,inspiteoftheobstacles,thatwe wouldmoveforwardwithwhatwecoulddoandbegintheprocessofrestoringthe house,whichwearenowdoing.Wewantittolookandfeelasitdidwhenitwasfirst built.Weexpectthatwithin6monthsyouwillbeinspiredbythelookandfeel,and wewillcontinuetoraisefundsandmoveasfastaspossibletowardoursharedvision. Wearelookingatalloptionstofly,run,walk,orcrawlourwayforward.Weareso gratefulforthecontributionsandsupportwehavereceivedsofarandforthosewho maywishtotakeadvantageofnamingrightsandotheropportunitiestocreatea familylegacywithintheMuseum.
