Yesterdays: EPA considering CFAC site for Superfund
The last service in the old United Methodist Church in Columbia Falls, April 7, 1974. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
April 23, 1954
A carpenters’ strike that appeared to be over a week ago was still ongoing, paralyzing work at the Anaconda Aluminum Co. plant. There were record timber sales up the North Fork totaling 48 million board feet.
60 years ago
April 24, 1964
Bids for a bridge that would connect the Camas Road to the North Fork Road over the North Fork of the Flathead River were due in mid-May. The bridge had been long awaited and would create a loop for visitors from the North Fork into Glacier National Park. At the time, the border was still open with Canada at the North Fork and there were plans for a connecting route into Waterton Lakes National Park, but that never came to fruition and the border is closed today.
50 years ago
April 26, 1974
The dedication of a new 40-bed nursing home wing to the Montana Veterans Home was finished. An open house was planned for May. The wing cost about $500,000. Ray Bengtson was back to work. He was the seasonal road foreman for Glacier National Park for the past 13 years.
40 years ago
April 26, 1984
Columbia Falls turned 75. On April 27, 1909, 55 residents voted in favor of incorporating Columbia Falls and 30 voted against it. The first mayor was EJ Murray and a month before, the Census Bureau counted about 559 people in the area.
30 years ago
April 29, 1994
Two young wolves that were caught near Augusta after killing calves were released into Glacier Park near Packer’s Roost, but biologists said they seemed to have immediately left the park and despite having radio collars on, they couldn’t be found.
20 years ago
April 29, 2004
A massive corn spill near on the train tracks near Essex would see night patrols to keep bears off the corn while crews cleaned it up. A total 29 cars tipped over when a BNSF Railway Train derailed.
10 years ago
April 23, 2014
The Environmental Protection Agency outlined preliminary plans for investigating the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. site. The EPA suggested at the time that making it a Superfund site would create more funding for investigations and cleanup.