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Demolishing the West Glacier Bridge across the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in 1965.
70 years ago
July 15, 1949
Glacier National Park was looking for a wood stain that wasn’t “offensive” to bears. It turned out that bears at the time damaged about one in 10 signs. They were clawed or chewed by bears. The story said the park had an estimated 100 grizzlies and about 400 black bears. It was expected to get hot, with highs about 92 degrees coming in the next few days. It had already been 90 for a few days in July.
60 years ago
July 17, 1959
The Flathead National Forest announced that it considered its “sustained yield” of timber harvest was about 99 million board feet annually. By comparison, the Forest Service says the sustained yield is roughly 30 million board feet annually, largely because of conservation measures for a host of species, several of which are endangered. John Maurer who was the lookout on Blacktail Mountain near the new radar base shot and killed a mountain lion that was prowling around.
50 years ago
July 18, 1969
Two island campgrounds opened on Hungry Horse Lake — one on Elk Island and one on Fire Island. There were 16 rocky mountain sheep rams hanging around Haystack Butte in Glacier National Park. Herds about the same size are often seen in the same area today.
40 years ago
July 19, 1979
The estate auction of Martha Johnston drew a huge crowd just south of Columbia Falls. The newspaper dedicated an entire page to the spectacle, as everything from a typewriter to an old car were sold. Director Michael Cimino had purchased more than 150 acres of property up the North Fork. The creator of “Heaven’s Gate” one of the biggest Hollywood flops of all time, had said he wanted to live in the area. He had been shooting the film in the Flathead and Glacier Park for months now.
30 years ago
July 19, 1989
A big rain washed out a section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road at Dead Horse Point on the east side of the Park. Two people were injured by a sow grizzly with cubs on the Cracker Lake Trail after they came around a blind corner and found themselves just 15 to 20 feet from th bear. They suffered several wounds, which weren’t life threatening.
20 years ago
July 22, 1999
The Hungry Horse community was mourning the death of 6-year-old Megan Lamanna who law enforcement said was drowned intentionally in the Flathead River. Police at the time said Anthony Evans, 14, was the suspect in the case, but prosecutors hadn’t yet decided on whether to charge him as a juvenile or an adult.
10 years ago
July 16, 1999
Just like this year, Glacier National Park was going gangbusters with bear grass blooms. Glacier Park announced it was opting to power the Logan Pass visitor center with solar power, rather than propane.