County centennial plans include silver, copper coins

Jeff Gruber is an eBay fan. The Libby resident enjoys checking out the variety of coins up for bid online – especially those that commemorate certain events or places.

Trying to come up with ideas for next year’s Lincoln County centennial, Gruber’s love for coins seemed like a natural.

“There are various towns and places that pop up on eBay that have issued commemorative coins over the years,” Gruber said Wednesday morning following a briefing with Lincoln County commissioners. “I think it would be a neat way to celebrate … that’s a big mine in Troy.”

Lincoln County was formed out of Flathead County on July 1, 1909. Gruber has volunteered to help get the ball rolling on ways to celebrate next year’s centennial.

Gruber was making reference to silver and copper that is mined near Troy – something he feels would be a good representation of the natural resources in Lincoln County. Preliminary plans call for 1-ounce silver and 1-ounce copper commemorative coins.

In addition to the coin idea, Gruber also chatted with commissioners about a centennial theme at next year’s Lincoln County Fair in Eureka. A book is also in the works – a volume that would summarize today’s Lincoln County but also with memories and images of the first hundred years.

“It will be a snapshot of our time and place so people a hundred years from now will be able to see what we were thinking about, what we were selling, what we were hoping our places would become,” Gruber said.

At this time, nothing has been planned for July 1 – the official date of the county’s formation.

But the commissioners and Gruber decided to move forward on forming a Lincoln County Centennial Board with small group of volunteers who can help with those types of plans.

Gruber said he’d like to see the county come together to celebrate as a whole instead isolated events in three different cities.