Hungry Horse news., 1954-12-24
Col. Falls Recognized

Last Sunday saw Columbia Falls receive wha
Is possibly the best pat the back it has ever hac
from daily newspaper or magazine
The Sunday Muscular devoted the entire front
page of its feature section to Columbia Falls plus
two more columns on an inside page.
The headline in big type was columbia Falls
Industrial Center" It essentially picture story
with two photos of the aluminium plant, of
numbering three park scenes, one at Hungry Horse
and three others showing Columbia Falls building
progress.
make our home in Columbia Falls back in 1885, be-
this community pleasantly located near
Glacier National Park and had industrial promise
with growing lumber mills and Hungry Horse Dam
construction likely to start.
It wasn't until this last Sunday that we saw
daily newspaper actually recognize Columbia Falls
for its location and potential Despite industrial de-
veopment and growing payrolls, we've usually been
bypasSed small town up near KaliSpell
John A. Forssen, Missoulian staff writer, was
here a few months ago, and at the time seemed
much interested In the community and its location.
He did good job in carrying these thoughts into
print and deserves the thanks of the community.
The Forssen article starts with paragraphs on
Columbia Falls, then takes up the well publicized
stories of Hungry Horse with its size potential and
visitor attraction, next comes development of the
"Big" Anaconda Aluminium Co. plant and finally
a number of paragraphs on internationally known
Glacier National Park.
Columbia Falls has such location.
Here are the Missoulian paragraphs on Colum-
ola Falls that were the articles lead OFF:
Columbia Falls stands at the gateway to two
of Montana's top tourist and vacation attractions,
Glacier National Park and Hungry Horse Dam.
Actually the city is a short way from the
main highway Similarly, Columbia Falls generally
holds itself aloof from the tourist business.
"The city, resting a solid economic base of
industry and agriculture, has its place in the
sun, and is doing very well, thank you.
"Of course, it can't keep tourists out and doesn't
want to, but where other communities scramble for
The a Fa1
seems to be content with what it has
"And that's lot. Or rather, it will be lot
when the biggest industrial plant in the state,
that of the Anaconda Aluminium Co. is finished
some time next year.
''The $50,OO0O0O plant at the base of rugged
mountains two miles northeast of here, has been
under construction since the fall of 1852, with up
to 1900 men working.
with the construction pace slowed down by
weather and completion of concrete work, employ
nent now is about 1,200 and may drop to 1000
Turing the winter.
LESS spectacular than the aluminium plant de-
which is something entirely new to
has been the resurgence of the lumber
industry.
"Years ago, Columbia Falls had number of
umber mills which faded away as the timber in the
immediate area was exhausted.
'In recent years, building of access roads and
he of huge trucks has once again made the
ity numbering center, with prospects for a long
md bright future for the industry.
"In or near Columbia Falls four major
umber industry plants. Every of them has
ompleted major enlargement projects during the
ast two years"
Then Forssen tells of the name columbia"
hanged to Columbia Falls to avoid confusion with
Columbus near Billings.
He continued "The town prospered in small
ray as numbering and trading center, but dwind-
ID with the virtual end of the lumber mills and the
dvent of good roads and automobiles which hit
ard at many small towns.
"In 1880, the federal census showed popula- 2
on of 637. The next census, in 1910 came up with v
xacty the same figure.
''But it was different story in the 1850 cen 9
Is, when the population had almost doubled, to r
232 Il
"Today, it is estimated that Columbia Falls has
ore than 1,700 residents A
"The town got shot in the in 1947, when s.
work on the worlds fourth largest con-
etc dam was started on the South Fork of the in