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The Martin City and Coram MC&C team won the Bad Rock Canyon Softball League’s regular season in 1969 and second in the end of year tournamenrt. Front row, from left, are Laura Hanks, Lil Bras, Rosie Treat, Carol Wilkens and Marlene Potter. In the back row are Barbara Birnel, Sandy Djonne, Janet Mendenhall, Karen Leitz and Lavon Mundell. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
July 29, 1949
The clearing about 15,000 acres of timber behind the Hungry Horse Dam was the last big contract that had yet to be let for the project. All timber and brush had to be cleared below 3,450 feet, according to the contract specifications.
60 years ago
July 31, 1959
Border and Customs was going to be set up at the North Fork border with Canada. The border had been without a customs and immigration agent for about four years, but now interest in a route to the western half of Waterton Lakes National Park was heating up. Sen. Mike Mansfield was even working on getting funding for one of several bridges that would be needed.
50 years ago
Aug. 1, 1969
Mary Ellen Acheson, 19, fell off the Pinnacle Wall in Glacier National Park, but was expected to survive. She had multiple lacerations and contusions but no broken bones. She was a cabin maid at the Switcurrent Motor Inn. She was climbing the Iceberg Notch above Iceberg Lake when she lost her footing after taking a picture and she tumbled down about 200 feet. Rangers, including renowned ranger Bob Frauson, carried the girl up to the notch in a litter and then over the other side where a helicopter waited. She was then flown to Many Glacier, where she was placed between the pilot and a doctor. She was then taken to a Cardston Hospital in Canada by vehicle.
40 years ago
Aug. 2, 1979
The featured event at the Columbia Falls Western Days was a big tug-of-war between the staff of the Hungry Horse News and the staff of KJJR radio. The Starvin’ Studs prevailed in the battle.
30 years ago
Aug. 2, 1989
Twenty-nine cars derailed west of Whitefish, resulting in a diesel oil spill into Whitefish Lake at Makinaw Bay. Two tankers with 26,000 gallons of fuel oil apiece were leaking in the lake. “It’s a solid rainbow mess across the water,” the story noted. Fish were expected to survive the spill, since the diesel fuel floated. An oil and gas well being drilled at the Ladenburg spread south of Polebridge was causing a stir, but drilling on private lands was much faster to permit than on public lands, the story noted.
20 years ago
July 29, 1999
A big spruce tree fell on logger Harold Glazier while he was working on the Ladenburg ranch south of Polebridge. Glazier, with a huge gash in his head and a broken ankle and several other injuries, was able to crawl back to his skidder, then to his pickup where he drove himself to the Home Ranch Store where he finally got some help.
10 years ago
July 30, 2009
A cell phone tower near the Glacier Hills subdivision in Martin City was causing a stir with residents, as it had a flashing light that blinked all the time and it ruined the views. Crews were starting night work on the Going-to-the-Sun Road reconstruction. Up until now, this had been the first summer without any construction delays.