Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1955-10-07
Col. Falls and us. No. }.

Every town has dreams In Columbia Falls almost
from the time of settlement in $780, there has been
the idea of good road up the North Fork and
location the Roosevelt highway that we have come
to call u. S. No. 2.
There was bitterness in the community some
years ago when U. S. No. relocated on its pre-
sent route further east of the Fathead river Good will
toward the county seat deteriorated.
Then Columbia Falls thought in terms of the
LaSale road being designated alternate No. O. A
highway, marked in red brings tourists to a city
especially supporting restaurants motes and service
stations Tourists less frequently follow blue desg
mated state highway or country road
Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce was much
interested, but there was not valley-wide support
Learned again that small city by itself is not
particularly effective.
At the same time it appeared that Columbia
Fails mas become the largest Montana community not
on federal highway.
Last Fridays Hungry Horse News brought the
welcome story on page 1 that State Senator Charles
Jellson, who lives on the LaSale road was actively
working toward having the LaSale road declared
alternate u. S. No. g.
The information was also well received in Kalispell
The Daily Inter Lake used the story front page Sum-
day. and followed this week with editorial endorsing
the project.
Kalispen residents recognize that such designation
will help Columbia Falls 1t will also help themselves
They take into account the new factor of the
Anaconda Aluminium Co. plant with its 500 employees.
There isn't discrimination as to where the production
force at the plant lives. At the same time the plant
operates 365 days year. Men who cannot get to
work are not holding jobs The Flathead presents sew
eral months of snow and icy road factors.
Present u S. highway No. is not particularly
effective route from Kalispe to the Anaconda Alumni
UNI Co. plant. The LaSale road is.
Flathead county commissioners recognize the
maintenance problem and this summer purchased new
trucks which will carry pows in winter The commits
sioners feel that these trucks will provide speedier
opening of the LaSalle road than do the rotaries In
the past winter conditions at times the LaSae road
would discourage a from living in Kalispel and
getting to work at the AAC plant
At the same time none of us should expect that
the county road force will prove quite effective in
keeping the LaSalle road open day and night would
a state highway department crew
There is another factor that U. S. highway No. 2
along the direct and better east shore of Flat
head lake route is resulting in number of Flathead
visitors going from West Glacier through Coram Mar
tin City, Hungry Horse, past Bigfork and down the
lake shore missing both Kalispen and Poison. An
alternate U. S. No. (the LaSalle road would bring
vacationer traffic through Kaspell and Poison
and closer to Whitefish
1t would seem that the interests of most Flathead
valley residents would be better served if the LaSalle
road designated part of the states primary
highway system as alternate U. S. No. g.
At the same time, we should recognize that the
nationwide movement is toward taking highways out
of towns and cities. MR.