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Santa Claus visits with the kids at the VFW in Columbia Falls, Dec. 16, 1950. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
Dec. 12, 1947
The Kalispell Times, the newspaper of Kalispell and the Flathead Monitor, the newspaper of Flathead County, announced they would merge. One hundred and fifteen men were laid off for the winter clearing the Hungry Horse Dam site, as it was difficult to work in the two feet of snow.
60 years ago
Dec. 13, 1957
About a week ago, city water superintendent Howard Green shot a beaver that was causing problems at the city reservoir on Cedar Creek. Now the fish and game department was charging Green with illegal possession of a beaver pelt. But city leaders noted that as water superintendent, Green was also sworn in as a deputy game warden. Green didn’t contact a real game warden before he killed the beaver. He had plans to cure the hide. The city expected the charges to be dropped.
50 years ago
Dec. 15, 1967
Glacier National Park issued new snowmobile rules. Snowmobilers could go up the Going-to-the-Sun Road as far as Packer’s Roost, but not further. They could have fires in established campsites, but couldn’t carry firearms or molest wildlife. They also had to check in and out as a safety measure. Snowmobiles are completely illegal today.
40 years ago
Dec. 15, 1977
Ron Buentemeier, who had a field of trimmed Christmas trees ready for market at his home, said someone came up his drive and cut down a 6-foot scotch pine within sight of his house while he and his wife were attending a concert. He wrote letter to the editor about the incident. Buentemeier, in addition to being a tree farmer, was a longtime manager of the F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber mill. Dr. Bob Windauer returned to Columbia Falls after a month as a volunteer dentist in Guatemala.
30 years ago
Dec. 16, 1987
Ross Lee Bolt of Hungry Horse was found frozen to death in a gravel pit near Hungry Horse by a pair of eighth-grade boys. Suicide and foul play were not suspected. Bolt was only 23. Troy Dahl of Columbia Falls was off to New York to audition for the role of Tyler on the soap opera General Hospital.
20 years ago
Dec. 11, 1997
Bad Rock resident Dennis Hogan credited his dog, Dak, with saving his life. The dog woke him up as his house was on fire. The dog grabbed the Mooring Road man’s arm as he slept on the couch. The Flathead Basin Commission was planning on meeting with a Canadian mines official about proposed mines in the Canadian Flathead. The biggest concern was for an open pit coal mine at Cabin Creek.
10 years ago
Dec. 13, 2007
The Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. had settled its property tax bill with the state, which meant School District 6 would see about $140,000 less in its budget for the year.
Ryan Zinke announced he would run for the state Senate. A painting by artist Karen Leigh would adorn a Christmas tree ornament for the White House. The tree celebrated the nation’s national parks and had 391 hand-painted ornaments from artists across the U.S.