Yesterdays: Goats crash Hollywood movie
A horse party descends down to Lake Ellen Wilson on a Superintendent's trip in August, 1963. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
July 31, 1953
The mountain goats were investigating the set of a Hollywood movie being shot in Glacier National Park which starred Vincent Price. Columbia Falls would get a new post office on First Avenue West, while the town saw 50 new residences as a result of the new aluminum plant being built.
60 years ago
Aug. 2, 1963
Nicki Smith of Mangy Glacier was crowned “Miss Glacier Park.” The pageant featured Glacier Park hotel and lodge women employees and included a “cocktail dress” competition as well as a talent competition that was supposed to be 50% of the score. The winner woman all expense paid trip to the winter carnival in St. Paul, Minnesota.
50 years ago
Aug. 3, 1973
Columbia Falls was celebrating “Progress Days” with a rodeo, parade and other festivities. It was the precursor to today’s Heritage Days. The Iceberg Lake Trail was featured on the front page, noting it had a lot of flowers in late July and August.
40 years ago
Aug. 4, 1983
The Border Patrol sent back about 100 illegal immigrants back to Mexico. They were hired on to pick cherries in orchards along Flathead Lake. Vice President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, were going to camp in Glacier National park over the weekend.
30 years ago
Aug. 5, 1993
A grizzly bear that mauled two people on the Cracker Lake trail was a surprise encounter, the Park Service determined. The hikers, from Maine, ran into the sow with her two cubs. The bear bit and scratched both hikers, including biting the woman in the head, but did not kill them. The trail had been previously posted for bear activity, so the hikers did have a warning bears were in the area.
20 years ago
July 31, 2003
The Hungry Horse News was with firefighters as they protected structures threatened by the Robert Fire. The fire burned right up to some homes, but firefighters sprayed them with retardant and none were lost. The fire was burning from west of Blankenship all the way to Apgar.
10 years ago
July 31, 2013
Travis Heitmann recalled being hit by lightning in Glacier National Park. He said the worst part of his recovery was the soreness in his chest from being given CPR. He also had temporary hearing loss from the strike, which happened on the St. Mary Falls Trail during a violent thunderstorm.