Yesterdays

60 Years Ago

July 20, 1951

A car from California pulling a trailer on Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road lost full use of its brakes and hit and instantly killed a well-known roadside bear cub. The other two cubs of the "bum" black bear nicknamed Gussie sniffed at the dead body, prompting witnesses to call for the driver's arrest, but a Park ranger ruled the death accidental.

Great Northern Railroad announced plans to remodel its train depot in Columbia Falls sometime in the fall. Work would include interior remodeling, enlarging the office and reducing the size of waiting rooms.

50 Years Ago

July 21, 1961

Construction started on Truck Route, a new road from Highway 40 (now the U.S. 2 strip) to the north end of Nucleus Ave. The county said it would use a dust coat on the new road in 1961 and an oil mat in 1962.

The Glacier Lanes bowling center opened on Nucleus Ave. The eight-lane center, owned by brothers Robert and Thomas Smith, of Columbia Falls, featured American Machine & Foundry pinspotters.

40 Years Ago

July 23, 1971

An overweight vehicle from San Jose, Calif., was blamed for damaging the pole bridge over the North Fork of the Flathead. A Flathead County special deputy sheriff warned the owner of the custom camper pickup and 25-foot tandem trailer not to cross the bridge because it exceeded the bridge's 3-ton weight limit. Repairs to a broken upstream truss and cribbing on the Park side of the river would have to wait until low water.

Park officials decided to close 37 tent sites at the Avalanche Campground and convert one loop at the Sprague Creek Campground to day use so the sites could recuperate from intense use.

30 Years Ago

July 23, 1981

Terry Malone, 29, a worker at the Hungry Horse Dam, was mauled by a grizzly sow with a cub after he surprised them while hiking along the North Fork of the Flathead River. The bear knocked him down and bit his arm and ear then sniffed Malone's fishing gear and got a red-and-white Daredevil stuck in its nose. The bear ran off, snapping the fishing line.

Justice George Shay said he was closing Justice Court in Columbia Falls. The county commissioners had ordered it closed by July 15, but Shay tried to keep it open while requesting an injunction. "If there is no money, I can't operate," he explained about his decision.

20 Years Ago

July 25, 1991

Larry and Alice Smith, both 40, of Canton, Ohio, were mauled by a grizzly bear with a cub after they topped a rise on the Avalanche Lake Trail and surprised the bear. With Alice's head in the bear's mouth, Larry beat it with a stick. The bear turned on him and bit him on the right leg, leaving a hole the size of a fist. After the bears left, Larry used a shoelace for a tourniquet and awaited help. He couldn't talk because of a bite to the neck.

Health officials say one of the five bears at the Great Bear Adventure tourist attraction in Coram died of rabies. Owners Russ and Peggy Kilpatrick disputed the findings and kept the drive-through park open. Russ said he planned to buy another bear from Bear Country U.S.A. and noted that his bear Daisy was pregnant.

10 Years Ago

July 19, 2001

The Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous was expected to draw more than 1,000 mountain men to Sondreson Meadow up the North Fork. There was a lot of buckskin, canvas, beads, beards and black powder.

The Columbia Falls City Council directed city manager Dick Larsen and parks superintendent Kim Cheff to open the city pool on Sundays. The pool was closed on the slowest day of the week after the council cut $8,000 from its operating budget.