Yesterdays: Old cars used to manage riverbanks
Beating the bongoes at the Beatnik Dance at Columbia Falls High School in April, 1960, were, from left, JoAnn Cada, Carol Thompson, Karalee Stewart, Penny Steele, Mike Mrgich, Bob Fulton, Hugh Foley and Sandra Westre.
70 years ago
April 7, 1950
Hans Reiten was hauling old car bodies from the dump, filling them with rock and placing them along the banks of the Flathead River to keep the riverbank from cutting into the Spencer homesite and the Highway 40 bridge. There was concern that with a big snowpack, there would be flooding.
60 years ago
April 8, 1960
Shell Oil company was set to start drilling for oil near Sage Creek in the North Fork of the Flathead, about 10 miles north of the border. The business and professional women of Columbia Falls were going to start landscaping the vacant lots in the city center into a park. They had permission from the landowners.
50 years ago
April 10, 1970
Plum Creek announced it was eliminating “tepee burners” that burned wood waste. Higher efficiency systems that made less smoke would be installed. The move was to come in compliance with the Montana Clean Air Act.
40 years ago
April 10, 1980
The annual Lions Club Easter Egg hunt was held at Meadow Lake Golf Course in the woods. The lumber market was the worst anyone had seen, so local mills were operating with reduced shifts.
30 years ago
April 5, 1990
A group of volunteers got together to build trails and make an educational forest on lands owned by F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. with a public exposition planned for May 19. The effort would become the Family Forestry Expo, which still goes on every spring today.
20 years ago
April 6, 2009
The Clinton Roadless Rule, which would block most commercial logging in inventoried roadless areas on national forests was a hot topic. Montanans for Multiple Use were advocating a question be placed on the November ballot to gauge public opinion.
10 years ago
April 8, 2010
Brian Curtis Wright, 37, was killed by an avalanche in Glacier National Park while snowboarding on Mount Shields. Wright was from East Glacier Park and triggered a large slab avalanche. Former Canyon Elementary Principal Matt Fawcett was fined $400 for shoplifting from a grocery store in Kalispell. He allegedly took about $40 worth of honey, jelly and protein bars. Fawcett had resigned as principal shortly before the sentencing.