Concrete block town hall project
News from 1948
Completion of the new Columbia Falls concrete block town hall at the top of Nucleus Avenue hill was main topic in January 1948.
Volunteer labor completed foundations during the summer. Funds raised included individual donations; entire proceeds from the showing of the movie “Where Rivers Rise,” which had been filmed in Columbia Falls, donated by the Park Theatre; and a bake sale sponsored by the Newcomers Club. Gravel and concrete blocks were paid for with approximately $500 left in the building fund.
R and S Construction Co. donated 4,000 board feet of lumber to help finish the building. It was estimated about 11,000 more board feet were required.
City jail, city clerk’s office, police station, council chambers, firemen’s room, two fire trucks, and hose drying rack would be in the new city hall.
A planning committee was formed to discuss completion of the building. It was composed of Don Mansfield and Bob Smith, aldermen; Joe Reese and Frank Kirkpatrick, Chamber of Commerce; and Fire Chief Bud Darling and Ernie Massman, firemen.
Separate front page story listed 10 city and county court cases heard by Police Judge Chuck Hetzer during the month.
City court cases were L. Matthew, Dick King, Mrs. Herman Benzien, Andy Westberg, Jr., illegal parking, $2 fines each; Walter Peterson, making an illegal u-turn, $3.
County civil case heard was Lois Cote versus Ronald Parker. Cote was seeking to recover a debt of $60 for rent. Judgment was given to Mrs. Cote.
Alfred Rear, transient, paid a $15 fine for a drunk and disorderly charge. The following each paid a $10 fine for drunk and disorderly conduct: Adolph Kason, Jake Citner and Leonard J. Mathes.
Buster Riley, transient, charged with assault in the third degree, was given a six months suspended sentence.
Seventh graders on a field trip to the Fenholt home in Riverhaven by the Silver Bridge found two slot machines in the river. Whiskey, two slot machines and March of Dimes jar were reported stolen from the Hungry Horse Bar, in Martin City.
No information was available concerning theft of $40 from the Snack Shack in Columbia Falls.
Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News.