Hungry Horse news., 1954-07-30
North Fork Offers Opportunity

POLEBRIDGE-A choice recre-
ational section of the Flathead is
its North Fork valley that stretches
from near Columbia Falls, Coram
and West Glacier to across the
Canadian line.
The valley is a portion of the
Rocky Mountain trench that con-
tinues through the Flathead, Bit
terroot and south into Idaho.
RAILROADS COMING
When the Flathead was settled
in the 1905 and 1905, the North
Fork was the objective of home
steaders as was the main valley it
self. There was to be a railroad
branch north connecting with
Canadian lines. The Great North
ern and the Milwaukee to come
I'D the Swan were interested.
Those were days of coal burn
ers, and Ignite deposits on Coal
creek up the North Fork were an
inducement.
The valley seemed favorable for
settlement being 5000 to 1000
feet above sea level and within
view of the Continental divide.
The up to is mile wide valley had
more year-around residents 40
years ago than it does today.
Big change for the North Fork
followed World War II. This last
wear saw the federal government
award $506, ,480 in contracts i'm
proving the main North Fork road
itself on the Flathead National
Forest side of the river.
HEAVY TIMBER YIELD
Immediate objective was SAL
wage of spruce bark beetle lnfest-
ed timber. Removing infested trees
is also considered the best method
of controlling the beetle. During
1853. a total of 22,391,0 1000 of the
whole forests record cut of 75,-
100000 board feet came from the
North Fork. This was timber for
500 local jobs, and three times
the North Fork timber yield OF
earlier years.
There is the thought that this
heavy timber output nearly twice
the sustained yield of the North
Fork in the end means a lower
annual cut. However trees not sal
vaged will eventually rot and die,
and infested with beetles help
spread the plague.
OIL POTENTIAL
Oil is also identified with the
North Forks history, with seep-
ages arousing interest so years ago.
There have been a number Of wells
with Pacific Petroleum Ltd. spend
ing $850,000 two years ago for a
well that went down below 10000
feet on Sage creek just north OF
the border. There was a good gas
flow. The well is capped, not aban-
doned. The Sage creek section is
about 25 air miles from Canada's
producing Pincher field. However,
Sage creek has not proved itself.
The North Fork in these post
war years has also seen consider
able cabin camp building in the
Polebridge vicinity. Glaciers at
tractive Kintla and Bowman lakes
are up the North Fork road on the
park side. Polebridge will come in
to its own as the northwest en-
trace to Glacier.
AKAMINA ROAD
Jean Lesage, Canadian cabinet
minister, who is the equivalent OF
the u. S. Secretary of Interior,
spent a day in Glacier during July.
Topic of conversation between
Canadians and Americans was ex-
tension of the North Fork road to
connect with Canada's hard-sur-,
faced highway into Cameron lake
in Waterton park. Twenty miles OF \
relatively easy construction WouldF
give Glacier and Waterton seen
ic loop road by way of the North
Fork. The Canadians are interest
ed. Result would be Glaciers west
side (the North Fork) becoming a
more visited section.
Meanwhile classification of the
North Fork as a forest highway"
equivalent of the improved road
I'D the Swan valley is not far dis
tant, and hard-surfacing the i'm
proved North Fork road should
not be too far off.
Great proven resources OF the
North Fork are its scenery, fish
wildlife and timber.
The river with its tributaries
provides ideal conditions for such
trout as the cutthroat, and the
North Fork is considered one OF
the nations choice trout fishing
sections.
Development of roads and bring
ing more traffic will place heaV-
ier pressure on this resource. In
creased numbers of visitors and
residents doesn't help fishing.
Residents of the North Fork
settlement is mostly in the Trail
Creek and Polebridge commune
ties-want the Flathead Electric
Coop to extend lines up their
valley. Mrs. Ira Waltz has COM
pleted a survey sending out 13O
cards to property owners. 1913 cards
were returned with 119 favoring
REA extension into the area, one
against the improvement, three
neutral and seven not heard from.
Winter finds the road up the
North Fork closed, and most OF
present day residents gone until
spring. Future holds that the i'm
proved road will be kept open,
and more settlers will be staying
wear around. This situation does