Hungry Horse news., 1955-03-25
Columbia Falls Needs 100 New Homes

Industrial expansion should see
construction of an additional 100
homes in Columbia Falls this year.
This was the conclusion from
the Columbia Falls Chamber OF
Commerce meeting on housing held
Wednesday evening with As at
tending.
H. G. Satterthwaite, Anaconda
Aluminium Co. plant manager, told
the group that ITO of the applica-
tions for jobs in operations were
from men with Columbia Falls ad-
dresses. Total number of employees
will be $50 with IS now on the
operations staff.
This leaves a balance of over
200 men with housing undeterm-
ined, Satterthwaite concluded.
AS men leave other employment
to work at the AAC plant, the
housing need continues since
steady jobs in the Flathead are n-
creasing.
Anaconda Aluminium Co. policy
was stated as having no require
ment on residence location except
that the men come to work every
day. However it is not anticipated
that men will commute as far 10
operational jobs as they have TO
construction employment. Some of
the construction workers are driv-
ing over 100 miles round trip In q
day.
A survey of contractors and real
estate men present showed nine
new residences in Columbia Falls
for sale, and no house rentals.
It was agreed that real estate
men and others with rentals or
|, houses for sale should telephone
John Kearns, AAC personnel di-
rector, and list such information
with him.
James G. Edmiston, board chair
man of the Bank of Columbia
Falls, and executive vice president
of the Conrad National Bank, Kali
ispell, along with Gene Gillette,
who has charge of the banks FILA
loans, answered questions on new
home financing.
A down payment of about 20 per
cent is needed to start new FILA
homes in the Flathead. FILA loan
on a $4,000 house is $9,450, gen.
orally.
Edmiston said that he felt the
Conrad bank was willing to loan
up to $1,OOO,0O0 in FILA loans in
Columbia Falls, if this amount was
needed, and applicants could quail
ify for financing.
Hesitancy of insurance company
money coming to the Flathead to
build homes was explained. InSur-
ance companies prefer larger met
ropolitan communities where
blocks of 100, 500 and 1000 homes
can be built, it was explained.
Only Great Falls and Billings
were termed Montana cities which
were able to obtain such financing
Cost of buildings in the Flat
head was discussed by G. A. Mon
egan, Bob Sanders and r. N
4 Smith, local contractors, as vel
as by Pat Kelly, 1umberman.
The contractors felt that freigh'
e rates increase local building cost.
: by about 10 per cent over Spokane
S Furthermore Montana weather
a results in cost figures of $3.50 ;
square foot as compared to So an6
Il SO in California where insulation
IS is missing, houses are often bull
IS on slabs, and there are no storm
Il windows. Foundations in the Flat
head 60 a foot deeper than in Spo
,r kane to avoid frost upheaval.
s Coast contractors bidding ON 10
" cal housing have had higher bid
N than the Montana contractors.
~ Contractor comment at th
$ Wednesday meeting was that the
O. could not afford speculative build
ing and erect houses to wait NOR
~ than 80 days for buyer.
: Columbia Falls real estate agent
- present, Dwight Lohn, Chet Sey
. mer and Gordon Trimmer agree
~ - that lot prices in most cases wer
" running from $500 to $3.50. Nc
present were agents, Floyd ]
~ Jones and Oliver Fredriksen.
Oh Contractors listed as havin
II houses for sale were Bob Sander
re Leonard Nash, R. N. Smith, E.
Tolley and James Clark with G. 4
in Monegan presently erecting tw
ur new houses. At the meeting ais
j. was Robert Powell, another build
D. ing contractor.
There are Is Anaconda Alumni
a. um Co. foremen arriving in Co.
gs umbia Falls in the next tn
er months.
gs Another conclusion at the NEE,
ing was that FILA financed hous,
had been built in Columbia Fal
in recent years with the hon
owner providing his labor as pa
and even all the FILA downpay
u ment.
Is Supt. Dulane Fulton said tn;
lal school enrollments were increasir
ILL., three and four students a da
). Most of the students list touri
TN courts and trailers as addresses.
r. DR.. w. F. Bennett, chamber pre-
e. ident, presided.