Yesterdays: Charges dropped against Texan who shot griz in Glacier Park
The Chief Charlo on the Hungry Horse Reservoir in 1954. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
Oct. 22, 1954
A total of 224 elk came out of the Flathead’s South Fork during the first seven days of the hunting season. Frank Ralston, one of the Glacier National Park’s earliest superintendents, died. He oversaw Glacier from 1914 to 1917.
60 years ago
Oct. 23, 1964
Richard Clark, the owner of Clark’s Body Shop on Highway 40 was suing the City of Columbia Falls for $64,000. He was accused of operating a junkyard in a zoning district, but was found innocent at trial, so he sued the city for damages related to the case and for false arrest.
50 years ago
Oct. 25, 1974
Starting Oct. 28, Plum Creek’s new medium density fiberboard plant would go into full-time production, running 24/7. The plant at the time was considered a bright spot in light of a rather glum timber economy as other mills in Columbia Falls were curtailing production and laying off workers.
40 years ago
Oct. 25, 1984
The Montana High School Association suggested that Columbia Falls go down to Class A after being in AA for several years, but only in football and wrestling. The school had a tough time competing in AA football overall and would finish the season 1-8.
30 years ago
Oct. 20, 1994
Columbia Falls artist Laura Merrell made a “living ribbon” of about 350 people joining hands to raise awareness about AIDs. The hope was to have about 1,000 people, but the weather didn’t cooperate.
20 years ago
Oct. 21, 2004
Attorney Eric Kaplan had his images from around the world displayed at the Hockaday Museum of Art. In addition to being city attorney at the time, he was also an avid photographer and traveler.
10 years ago
Oct. 22, 2014
Charges against Brian D. Murphy, 57, were dropped for shooting a grizzly bear in Glacier National Park. Murphy was charged by a grizzly while hiking the Mount Brown Trail. He first sprayed the bear with pepper spray, but when it kept running at him he shot and killed it with one round.
A federal judge found he acted with restraint and a misdemeanor charge of discharging a firearm in a national park was dropped.