Yesterdays: Oil drilling camp at Polebridge

70 years ago

Aug. 31, 1951

Pacific Petroleum was planning on drilling up Sage Creek in the Canadian Flathead for oil. It was building a camp and Polebridge was its headquarters, though the Polebridge Mercantile at that time was known as Rover’s store. It still had the same look, though no Polebridge sign across the face in a front page photo.

60 years ago

Sept. 1, 1961

A new reinforced concrete bridge over McDonald Creek near Apgar was expected to be built soon. C.B. Lausch Construction of Great Falls was the low bidder on the project at $208,000. The bridge replaced a wooden bridge across the creek — the pilings are still there today.

50 years ago

Aug. 27, 1971

Glacier Park was going to do repairs on the pole bridge across the North Fork of the Flathead River at Polebridge. At the time, the county did repairs on one half of the bridge and the Park Service the other half. The bridge was closed, but the hope was to have it open by Labor Day.

40 years ago

Aug. 27, 1981

Harry Donaghey, 23, died after he apparently fell some 400 feet off a cliff on Mount Stimson. It took a couple of days for searchers to find his body. The Pennsylvania man was with two other climbers on the west face of the massive peak when they lost contact with him. They hiked out and called for help.

30 years ago

Aug. 29, 1991

Glacier Park was spraying the knapweed along the Going-to-the-Sun Road near St. Mary. The noxious weed withe purple flower was taking over meadows. It was the first time the park had used herbicides to control weeds in the area. Knapweed still a perennial problem today. Work was well underway for the new Alberta visitor center in West Glacier.

20 years ago

Aug. 30, 2001

The Moose Fire went on a run, growing from 4,000 acres to 15,000 acres near Big Creek, but it hadn’t quite rolled into Glacier National Park — yet. Twelve residences had been evacuated. The Columbia Falls junior high opened to students for the first time — and rave reviews from kids and teachers.

10 years ago

Aug. 31, 2001

The first Habitat for Humanity Home along the Truck Route was nearing completion in Columbia Falls. The home would be the first in a neighborhood of homes there, which is a busy place today.