Yesterdays: Avalanche in Avalanche Creek
J.D. Fenholt rowed his scow right up to the porch of the Roger Ganiere home near the Flathead River in 1948. In the boat are Jimmy Ganiere and John McDonald. The flood was the worst since 1908 and 1913 and went higher than 19 feet at the gauge at the Old Red Bridge. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
April 13, 1951
Avalanche Creek was living up to its name as a large slide went down McPartland Mountain in Glacier National Park and breached over McDonald Creek. Front page photo featured Ponderosa pines logged at the Sutton Ranch west of Kalispell. They had diameters of 6 feet and more.
60 years ago
April 14, 1961
Poles for new lights at the football fields at the high school had arrived.
They were provided by the Forest Service, peeled by Plum Creek and cut down by Harry Cheff and Glen Kartheiser of Martin City. Plum Creek also furnished equipment to put the poles in.
50 years ago
April 16, 1971
Glacier Park announced that just four lookouts would be manned this summer — Huckleberry, Numa Ridge, Switcurrent and Loneman. Apgar, Bowman, Porcupine, Scalplock and Garry would not be manned.
Garry and Bowman no longer exist.
40 years ago
April 16, 1981
Fire investigators determined a fatal house fire that killed Donald Smith of Columbia Heights was caused by a woodstove that was too close to a wall. Smith died trying to save his son who he thought was in the fire, but had already been rescued.
30 years ago
April 11, 1991
Three wolves that had been trapped near Dixon were ready to be relocated in Glacier Park, but biologists were staying mum on where they were dropped off until the transfer was over. The wolves had killed a calf in the ranching community. A fourth wolf hadn’t been caught yet.
20 years ago
April 12, 2001
The Bonneville Power Administration said it would close down aluminum plants in the Pacific Northwest for at least two more years due to a power crunch.
Meanwhile the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. said it was bullish on a restart at some point. The power crisis eventually marked the end of most aluminum plants in the region.
10 years ago
April 13, 2011
The Kalispell Regional Medical Center would open a new clinic in Columbia Falls in about a month. A new quarter showed a scene of Glacier National Park — a mountain goat with the mountains behind it.