Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-04-24
KAL|SPELL, MONTANA
Commercial Center and Distributing
Point for Flathead Valley,

The following sketch of a live west.
ern town is sent us by g. w. Scheu-
pei, former resident of Perrysburg:
Kalispell, the county seat of Flat
head county, is located about the CEN
ter of the Flathead Valley, on the west
side, and one mile from the Flathead
river. 1t is seventeen years old and
has 5000 inhabitants. The city is
populated by an intelligent and pro-
gressive people, and the volume of
business transacted is large, as indi-
Gated by the freight receipts of the
Great Northern Raiload.
The city is well supplied with all
the elements for the comforts educa.
tional and religious advantages of it's
citizens. good schools, churches, of all
denominations $4,000 library. In
addition to the public schools Kalis
pell has the County Free High school,
which cost S20,000 The teaching
force of this school consists of six in
structors, all graduates from eastern
colleges.
1t has been we'll said by some phil.
osopher, that the history of prosperous
banking institutions is also the history
of prosperous communities; and evi-
dence offered to this effect here in
Kalispell proves it to be true,
The Flathead Valley is protected
from the strong winds and storms by
the mountains. 1t possesses climate
in summer of warm days and coil
nights. 1t never has heated terms
such as the Mississippi valley suffers
from. In winter the climate is even
comparatively mild. No better or
more productive land than that of the
Flathead Valley can be found in the
United States. The soil is a dark
rich loan on clay subsoil, usually
without rock or gravel. The rainfall
is usually ample to- raise all crops
without irrigation; it ranges accord
ing to the part of the valley, from 16
to "a inches per year, and comes at all
seasons, principally in May and June;
but no doubt larger crops could be
raised by irrigation. No failures have
occurred, and nine crops out of ten
are good. The valley raises a crop
each year.
Winter wheat yields from 20 to 65
bushels per acre. Spring wheat from
Is to 40 bushels per acre. The oat
crop runs from 30 to ITO bushels per
acre. Rye and other small grains do
we'll. The grain grows very heavy
and the straw is strong and meyer hav-
ing severe storms here, there is seldom
any lodged grain, and it is no uncom-
mon thing to see wheat FIVE feet in
height. Hay is one of the leading
crops of Montana, always a ready
market, the price running from SO to
SIC per ton. Vegetables are at home
in the Flathead Valley, and cabbage,
turnips, beets, potatoes, peas, parsnips,
and other vegetables raised are the
wonder of the eastern states when
sent there on exhibition. Apples,
pears, plums, cherries, and of the
small fruits, strawberries, currants,
gooseberries and raspberries do ex-
ceedingly WELL Many thousands of
fruit trees are planted each year and
many orchards are in profitable bear
ing. The fruit orchards are one oil
the most beautiful and interesting
sights in the valley in their season of
ripening. Many support their fami
lies, build new houses and make other
improvements on their farms from
small orchards, so heavy is the yield
and high are the prices caused by the
demand from the large mining cen
ters of the state.