Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1955-09-02
Hungry Horse News !. !,
FIQtheQd EmerQence

FIathead Emergence
Through the years Montana has tended to think
of its beautiful Flathead county essentially as fine
place to vacation fish and hunt.
We of the Flathead would like Montana to con-
tnue this pattern of thought, and at the same time
take into account economic factors.
Our belief is that Montana has few if any sectors
that have made further economic strides in these ten
years since the end of World War II than this part
of the Treasure state considered vacationland
From the standpoint of natural boundaries and
size Flathead county can be imagined state
within state Flathead county has SLIT square miles
compared with the state of Connecticut with 5000 The
Flatheads $4,000 residents compares with 2OO7 28O
in Connecticut Our frontier is the continental divide
on the east, Canadian border to the north and the
Cabinet mountains the west. We doubt that
Connecticut has any better natural boundaries
First we want to pay due respect to the Flahead's
scenery and the way attracts visitors The average
Glacier National park visitor drives 1000 miles to
visit the land where fortunately live all the year.
In 1947 Glacier had record travel year with 324396
visitors For five years now, Glaciers travel has
ceeded 100000 visitors annually, and the total for the
1855 season is nearing 100000
Keeping pace with this increased travel has been
development of visitor accommodations in communities
just outside the park. From Columbia Falls to West
Glacier cabin camp facilities have more than trpled
in the past ten years and the investment the
county in this service business is at least $2OO0OOO
, Then there is Big Mountain founded in 1947 that
has been host to three national ski meets in these few
years.
New phase of development for the Flathead in the
postwar years has been utilizing its second greatest
resource-water.
Largest new man-made feature on the Montana
map is Hungry Horse Dam with its 3OOOO 900 cubic
yards Of concrete enough to give each man, woman
and child in this state nine ton chunk.
The nations fourth largest third highest concrete
dam started in 1948 and completed in 1852 bolstered
the Montana economy with 100000 man hours
worked in construction Next step as result of the
harnessed water the $65 900 Anaconda
Aluminium Co. plant two miles east of Columbia Falls
dedicated Aug. Is.
AS result Montana adds aluminium to the metals
It provides, and there now $50 new Montana jobs
producing aluminium.
The Flathead has been one of Montana's lumber
counties, but what was formerly a chief producer of
railroad ties has become major exporter of planned,
finished lumber.
Last year there were 1900 freight cars of lumber
sent out the Great Northern railway from Column
bia Falls Back in 1947 the then record total for Col
umbia Falls was 779 cars.
Columbia Falls Martin Cty-Coram lumber mills
employ three to four times as many men as the In
dustry did in these communities before the war Part
Of this growth is reflected in shift of the Flaheads
lumber center from Sonlers to mainline railroad
locations closer to the F1ahead National Forest timber
resource.
At the same time installation of planners and dry
kilns have resulted in more finished product The
more finished lumber, the more hours worked
in the Flathead. Ahead is development of pressed
boards and new and popular paneling effects.
Alphabetically the Flathead seems to have changed
less Wheat is still the principal crop in this mountain
ringed valley just as is out on the unlimited praries
The Flathead produces extra fine potatoes and
seems well suited to registered seed growing. There
is some expansion in this direction and also in pro-
ducton Of registered beef cattle.
Dairying has been increasing in the F1athead
along with sprnklertype irrigation This valley re-
ceives almost enough rainfall and has never had a
crop failure. Sprinklertype irrigation in summer
esch as this one is certainly b0lsterng pastures.
Christmas tree production provides an important
cash crop, but is heading for change. The harvest
has depended natural growth in the forests, and
eventually will come more and more to Christmas
tree farming.
F1athead sweet cherries are famed Two-thirds Of
Mis- crop is shipped through Kalispen, though most
q i is the product of Lake county orchards
In talking Of the Flathead some purpose is SER
we'd BY line the weather Here we expect an aver
age seven summer days with reading above 80 and
L winter days with the thermometer zero or below.
In adding up increased vacation use, Big Mountain
Hungry Horse Dam, the new Anaconda Aluminium Co.
plant and the lumber upswing, wonder if any other
section of Montana has showed marked change. Re
fleeing the change dollarwise is the Flaheads assess
ed valuation In 1947 it $38 1918, and in 1855,
County Assessor Grant Campbell reported figure of
$9O54288. Some part is from revaluation, but most
is from growth
Surprisingly this growing economy with a much
widened base supports just "a, 900 people MR