The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-08-27
Observations
By T. A. Busey

Park and the Flathead valley,
many things of interest were
noticeable. Sunday was not quite
as attractive as usual at this
time of year. due to heavy rains
and low hanging clouds that OBJ.
structcd much of the magnifi.
cent views. but it did provide q
particular kind of beauty that is
not to be seen in clear weather.
The roads are now in good con.
ditiOn and little driving incOn.
vcnicncc is experienced in max
ing the trip over the higher pass.
A short stop at Hungry Horse
dam was interesting and reveal.
ing. with the big installation now
complete. with the thirty.mile
reservoir behind the dam filled
to capacity. and the big genera.
tors turning out power in a large
volume. Tourists are taken
through the dam at rcgural in.
tervals. and the working of the
big installation explained in dc.
tail. Roads are being completed
around the lake. which is in the
heart of one of the most print.
tive areas of Montana, and is
fast becoming an attraction to
visiting tourists.
The towns of Hungry Horse
and Martin City, which sprang
up when construction on the
dam started. are fast becoming
ghost towns. as most of the pop.
ulatiOn moved out when con.
struction was completed. How.
ever. a rather sizcablc number
of people will remain pcrma-
nently as supervisors. mainte.
nance crews. etc.
Columbia Falls. which for
more than fifty years remained
a sleepy. lifclcss small town. is
developing into bustling little
city that is growing rapidly and
will probably settle down to a
town of around 5000 inhabitants,
according to conservative csti.
mates Of those in touch with the
local situation. All this has come
about. first by reason of the
towns close proximity to the big
Hungry Horse work. and later
by the location of the huge Ana.
cOnda Copper Company alumi.
mum plant that is now under
construction.
This writer. in company with
John E. Davies. had an oppor.
tunity of making a quick tour of
the gigantic work now going on
as the big plant is being built.
Through the courtesy of Mel
Ruder. editor of the Hungry
Horse News. published in mod.
crn printing establishment in
Columbia Falls. We were taken
on a trip through the works.
which is ordinarily closed to the
public.
We were told that there are
at the present time between
100; and LOO men employed on
the construction job. with an i'm.
mensc payroll. II was stated that
the total cost Of the plant will
be approximately sixty million
dollars. and that il will be some
time in 1855 before il will be
completed sufficiently to start
producing aluminium. Once in
operation. the plant will employ
on a regular schedule between
five and six hundred men.
Many new homes arc being
built in Columbia Falls. and
many more arc planned. The
town is taking on the atmos.
phcrc Of a real boom. and while
the present population Is less
than 1000 II Is easily conceivable
that the estimate of a total pOpu.
lation Of 5000 to $500 is well
within the realm Of possibility.
Columbia Falls has had a rath.
or troubled and in some ways
tragic history in the past. When
the Great Northern Railway was
built into Flathcad valley. along
about 1890. the first plans called
for locating the division point ut
Columbia Falls. which would
have made Of II the principal
town Of the then new and rich
Flathcad valley just being
opened up to settlement. But
due to lack Of an agreement with
the owners of the land needed
for the railroad activities and
the plating Of q new tOwnSitc.
railroad officials n b a n d o n g d
their original plans for COlum.
bia Falls. went on down into the
center Of the valley and cstab.
lishcd Kalispcll.
Later on. when the main line
of the Great Northern was
changed to q route farther north.
the division point was removed
from KaliSpcll and an entirely
new town sprang up on White.
fish Lake. the present city Of
Whitcfish. and Kalispcll was left
on n branch line Of the railroad.
Columbia Falls was still just a
whistle stop. and Whitcfish be-.
came the fast growing cOmmu.
nifty of the valley. When tho
main line Of the railroad was
moved and the division point