Yesterdays: Forest Service considers protections for Jewel Basin
Cowboy Santa Claus Hudson at the Saddle Club, Dec. 21, 1952. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
Dec. 12, 1952
Murry Giles had a contract with Plum Creek to sell its sawdust to locals. A truckload of sawdust (presumably a dump truck) cost $1.50. A pickup truck load cost 25 cents.
60 years ago
Dec. 14, 1962
Great Northern Mountain and the Jewel Basin were being considered as “scenic areas” on the Flathead National Forest. Front page photo spread was on Mickey Wagoner, who lived up the South Fork in a log cabin and homestead. Wagoner came to the Flathead in 1910 from Buffalo, New York.
50 years ago
Dec. 16, 1982
Plum Creek expected its new medium density fiberboard plant would be online by 1974. The Columbia Falls plant was expected to employ 100 to 125 people. The plant uses sawdust to make thin fiberboard and is the only mill owned by the company still in operation in Columbia Falls.
40 years ago
Dec. 16, 1982
Columbia Falls was preparing for major road construction, as Highway 2 would be widened with four lanes, a turning lane and 8-foot sidewalks. Fred Winegar, Plum Creek President for 35 years, was retiring. Winegar started with the new company back in 1947.
30 years ago
Dec. 17, 1992
The state Department of Environmental Quality was asking the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. to come up with a better plan for disposing cyanide that was leaking into groundwater and then into the Flathead River. The cyanide was coming from a landfill and a defunct spent potliner soaking pit at the site. The water coming out of the site was below safe drinking water thresholds, but was above safe surface water thresholds. Cyanide is still the main concern at the defunct plant site today.
20 years ago
Dec. 12, 2002
The Super 1 Food Grocery store was going up and was expected to open by March, the owners said. The large grocery store is a Columbia Falls mainstay today.
10 years ago
Dec. 12, 2012
Former Columbia Falls city manager Bill Shaw graced the front page as Santa Claus. Shaw had a naturally white and long beard and played the part to a T.