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Putting down the cornerstone of the Masonic Temple in Columbia Falls, April 30, 1951. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
Dec. 25, 1947
The Hungry Horse Dam project saw its first accidental death since the project started three years ago. Charles F. Powers was unloading a load of logs from his truck when a log fell and crushed his head. The Hungry Horse News was now in its new log building and the first newspapers were rolling off the press. Glacier Park naturalist Don Robinson had a 30-pound bag of English walnuts on his back porch in the Park that he was saving for the holidays, but a pine squirrel got into them, hauled them up into the attic, put them in empty jars that were being stored and sealed the jars with chewed up cardboard.
60 years ago
Dec. 27, 1957
Flathead state Sen. Charles Jellison said he was going to lobby to have Montana license plates made out of aluminum, rather than steel. Steel, it was noted, did not reflect Montana industry, as Columbia Falls was home to the Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant. More than 80 homes in Columbia Falls had light decoration up for the holidays. Top home was Mr. and Mrs. Basil Everin’s house.
50 years ago
Dec. 29, 1967
Lumber continued to be the main industry of the Flathead Valley, with about 1,200 employed. Columbia Falls had 600 men working in its four mills. The Libby Dam project was expected to be a big employer in 1968, with about 2,500 workers.
40 years ago
Dec. 29, 1977
Big Mountain was booming. The Whitefish ski resort saw 3,273 skiers in one day — breaking the record from the previous December. Plans were underway to expand the operation, with a chairlift from Haskill Basin into the North Bowl.
30 years ago
Dec. 30, 1987
Montana Sen. John Melcher got an earful about wilderness proposals from people concerned about shutting down oil and gas exploration, among other things. But Melcher countered them by noting the Rocky Mountain Front and the Jewel Basin likely didn’t have much oil and gas anyway. “I don’t think there will be any oil and gas leasing in Jewel Basin,” he said.
20 years ago
Dec. 25, 1997
Drs. Doug Pitman and Chet Hope celebrated 20 years practicing in Columbia Falls, but the pair were selling the business side of their office and would concentrate on just practicing medicine. Chris Finberg scored a game high 22 points against Flathead, as the Wildcats beat the Braves in basketball, 67-61.
10 years ago
Dec. 27, 2007
After spending the Christmas before in Iraq in the Army with the 10th Mountain Division, veteran Christina Moser was happy to be back home from the conflict. In Iraq, she was a mechanic and drove a wrecker and gun truck. Biologist John Weaver said the time to conserve the region’s carnivore population was now. Roads, he noted, were a big problem, as they cut the north-south valleys of the region in two.