Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1955-08-19
Governor Aronson Welcomes
Plant to FIathead Valley


Mentsna's ceverner J. Hugo A.
onsen welcomed H. new Anaconda
Alvminvm Co. plant with H. follow
ing remarks At HE dtdication pro-
gram Monday:
The Anaconda Aluminium Co. plant
here is q major addition to the &C.
onomy Of the Flathead valley, Gov
j. Hugo AronSon said Monday after
noon in extending Montana's official
welcome to it, and to those here for
its dedication.
The governor said:
This dedication of The Anaconda
Aluminium Company plant at Col
umbia Falls is an important event
in Montana's history and even more
important in Flathead county and
Columbia Falls history. While this
is my first visit to the plant itself,
/ have followed its construction
quite closely
Montana - as the title of a recent
best-seller asserts - is high, wide
and handsome. = Five or six counties
have mountains a little higher, one
or two are few miles wider, but
none in the state is more handsome
than Flathead. The comp0nents OF
the 'handsOmeness' broad and
fertile valley, 5000 square miles OF
forests, mountain peaks, deep lakes
and swift rivers - translate into
the raw material for a thriving com
munity, into cropland, timber, min
erals, irrigation water. tourist at
fractions and power. It is with these
resources and the ways in which
they can create more employment
and contribute to a higher standard
of living that has prompted The An
aconda Aluminium Company to con
struct and put into operation thi!
new industrial enterprise.
Man has long since turned tn
natural riches Of the Flathead t.
economic account Almost $500
people were dwelling in this coun
ty in 1910. In the year 1850 81, 40
people resided in this county, or Al
increase of rs per cent These peopl
are making use of its natural re
sources. With the development G
this aluminium plant and new oppol
tunities, the next 10 years could Sc
the population grow to nearly 0,0O(
or another Is or q per cent
The best prospects for the ect
nomic advance upon which a large
population depends appear to lie
the further development and refine
ment of resources and industrit
which already exist. The most Of
vious possibilities, in 1850, were TO
estry and numbering, agricultul
and tourist industry. Altogether, TO
est products, agriculture, and tou
lists were the basis of 8,197 jobs
1850. Employment in these fielt
might well increase to about II
us in 1855. An advance in the
lines would mean increased er
ployment in wide field of relate
activities, including forest process
ing, miscellaneous manufacture
transportation, construction, rets
and wholesale trade, and the Servl
industries generally
ADVANTAGES LISTED
Flathead county enters peri
possessed Of number of adva
tages. Not having an economy
the type which had to be convert
to war production, the county fac
no difficult process of reconversic
The principal products Of the are
food and lumber, are certain
continue in good demand and VIII
promises to be long period
worldwide reconstruction. Adding
food, lumber and unrivaled recre
ional attractions, another industr
enterprise is now being put into
GRAFTON namely the processing
aluminium raw materials in alum
um ingots by the Anaconda Co. 7
raw materials of industry still ex
in abundance in the county and n
tools, notably cheap electric pow
and irrigation from Hungry Hol
Dam are to be available to PER-