Columbia Falls Museum grand opening coming up
Peg Sorensen looks at an old copy of the Hungry Horse News stored at the museum.
Hungry Horse News
The Columbia Falls History Museum will have a grand opening from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 18 in the Gateway Building at the corner of Highway 2 and Nucleus Avenue.
The event will have presentations throughout the day including Doug Follett reciting some of his poetry and talking about his adventures as a park ranger in Glacier. Also, John Fraley will be there at 11:30 a.m. to talk about his book, “A Woman’s Way West,” about Doris Huffine and her husband Dan.
They will also be raffling off some great items as well, including a rifle. People can preorder their 2023 historical calendars which will have historical pictures of Glacier National Park. Calendar sales help support the museum.
The Columbia Falls Historical Society was founded in 2008 to preserve the history of the northeast corner of Flathead County, including Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse, Martin City, West Glacier, Glacier National Park, and the North, Middle and South Forks of the Flathead River.
The space, though modest in size, is packed with the area’s history, including bound copies of the Hungry Horse News, artifacts and equipment from the early days of logging and the railroad, and a scale model of the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. plant.
It also includes artwork and photos from years past as well as books on the area’s history.
In addition, the museum is working on a Glacier National Park display and a display of Native American artifacts.
Columbia Falls, once known as Monaco, was established in 1891 in anticipation of the arrival of the Great Northern Railway. The area in the early days was known for logging and agriculture, with numerous mills and farms located throughout the area. Though settlers were in the area long before, the city was not officially incorporated until April 26, 1909.
The museum will be open in the afternoon and evenings on Thursdays during the Community Market and beginning on June 22, it expects to be open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., though it's still in need of volunteers. Folks who would like to help can contact the museum staff by email at: cfallshistorical@gmail.com