The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-01
MISSOULA'S YEAR
MOST PROSPEROUS
City Feels New Life During 916-Important Railroad
Construction Begun, New Industries Established,
Many Activities Instituted

Missoula faces 1917 with more rea-
sons for thankfulness and better ex-
cuses for pride than on any other New
Years day since the city came into
being During 1916 Missoula and
western Montana experienced more
solid growth than during any other
year of their history.
IS n fitting climax for the year came
the announcement last week that the
city was placed second only to Butte
by the estimates of the United States
census bureau. These estimates give
Missoula a population Of 1924, show
ing remarkable growth since the taxi
ing of the census in 1870 when Mis-
soula had" 13,O4s people.
The reasons for this growth are not
hard to find. During the past year
and the year preceding, hundreds of
settlers came to western Montana to
locate as farmers. Moreover. new
industries were established in Mis-
dustries already in existence here.
Railroad Construction.
of 1865 important contributions : to
lMissoula's welfare. During the year
the Chicago. Milwaukee and st. Paul
began construction of a branch line UP
the Blackfoot valley into country OF
rema rkable fertility and hitherto with
out satisfactory routes to market. A
little later the Northern Pacific began
to build a branch line from Dixon to
Poison. at the foot of F1athead lake
crossing the rich F'lathead valley
whose greatest difficulty in the past
has been transportation. These two
extensions are perhaps the most inn
portant happenings on Mssoula's 1916
calendar.
Sugar Factory.
However, the decision ofnth Grea1
Western Sugar company to build :
factory in Missoula was scarcely o.
less consequence. This decision
which followed an intelligent and thor
ough campaign by the Missoula Cham
Der of Commerce, has aroused fresf
interest in western Montana agricul
tural lands among prospective farmers
and has greatly stimulated the com
mercial life of all this end of the state
Construction OF the factory was be
gun in the fall and will be finished, i
is promised, in time for conversion o
the 1917 beet crop into sugar.
The chamber of commerce, to who's
activity much of the city's prosperit.
. is due, had a successful year. It pur
chased and remodeled for it's own use
:, the building erected by the Independ
ent Telephone company on East Mai
:, street, for one thing. 1t has endeav
ored, too, to interest more of the PEG
|, pie of western Montana in it, worl
and has succeeded in attracting
\ large membership from among tn
farmers OF the districts immediatel
= tributary to Missoula.
:. Civic Improvement.
| n great vi NINlS
was undertaken by Missoula durin
1915. Pavement was laid over man
new streets, boulevard systems wer
extended and successful attefnr
was made in the spring to interes
N.issoula citizens in keeping the cit
clean enough to make the name Gar
@ den City" appropriate. trresent til
city is contemplating one of the mos
y important betterments it has ever un
O dertaken: the improvement of tn
a West Front street river bank, and tn
q diversion of the north channel of tn
: Missoula river to permit the 'creatio
Of a park between the north bank an
the edge Of the island under the Hie
c gins avenue bridge. This propose
;r endieavor Is to be decisively discusse
T.. soon and may be part Of the city's 191
n record.
IS Politically Missoula itself changed
1916 from Socialist to non -partisa
Andrew NJ. Getchell and Dale Hodso
mayor and commissioner. respectivel
We're succeeded in May by Mayor
r. Wilkinson and Commissioner To
KEMP. At the fall election the city
lie tcomplexion was notified, but Chi
lie glory lay with the Republicans for II
l. reason that national attention was d
l. rected to Missoula as the home of Mi
RS Jeanette Rankin first woman elect
Ito the United States congress.