Seeking Meaning in the Mundane and Adventure in the Adversity
In November of 1805, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark found themselves cornered by bad weather in a tiny nook at the Ocean End of the Columbia River, only miles from their destination. Their 'dismal nitch' was the last stop before making history. Nearly two and a quarter centuries later, you can find us at the other end of the Mighty Columbia, sheltered from the storm and planning our own emergence in to legend. Welcome to Northeastern Washington and the Dismal Nitch.
When I first moved to Colville, Washington in 1987, Fonk's 5 cent - $1.00 store was still operating on Main Street Downtown. It had been renamed Fonk's Pet and Variety and the place was jam packed with everything you could possibly imagine. The old Fonk's sign from Colville now hangs and the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture in Spokane.
http://spokanepublicradio.org/post/inhm-small-town-survival-and-fonks-variety-stores
If you're interested in reading the journals of Lewis & Clark from their epic adventure across the continent, you can find the transcribed content here.
