Town plat and sketch from Muscle, Grit and Big Dreams by Carle F O'Neil. Used by permission courtesy Frankly R Grubb, owner, O'Neil Printers
Demersville was named after Telephose J. Demers, a young man who first saw the Flathead during time spent as a muleskinner. Muleskinners kept the mules that pulled wagon trains in line and moving forward—at speeds that rarely topped 2.5 miles per hour. Telephose Demers set up a mercantile and the town of Demersville. Demers died in Butte City in 1889.
By 1890, Demersville had boomed to 3,000 people—a population that included early pioneers and an assortment of bums, bunko artists, gamblers, card sharps and outlaws who came to check on the growing Montana town. However the railroad bypassed the river town of Demersville. And by 1891 a new town was already being plotted to follow railroad progress. The plots to this new town sold faster than the deeds could be recorded. This town would become Kalispell. When the railroad finally came through, Demersville became a ghost town.
Articles from the Demersville Interlake:
May 9,1890 :The Flathead Lake Country eclipses all
No other place in Montana combines so many advantages
There has been no time within the past few years when the Flathead lake reagion, its advantages and resources have failed to aattract attention rom theoutside world. If the press oof other sections is to be taken as fairly representative of the current thought of its numerous constituents, Demersville and our whole Flathead country, is regarded by some with admiration, by others with a humerous wonder, an by all with interest; sometimes the recipient of lavish praise, and sometimes criticized with asperity, it is in either phase evidently the object of wide spread observation, showing that it possesses claim which entitles it to speial consideration.
The unprecedented growth of Demersvilled from Demer’s tent store of a few years ago, to the rank of a garrison town and steam boat terminas, justifies the interest with which it is regarded. The causes of Demersville’s growth and properity are many, of which we wil now enumerate a few.
1st. It’s central geographical position
2nd, its accessibility by land and wter
3rd. it’s excellent hotel accomodations,
4th. Its superior stores
5th, its’magnificent climate
6th. Its unsurpassed saw and grist mill site.
7t, its possession of United States troops.
8th, its pure water
9th . its inexhaustible forest of saw timber
10th. Its matchless hunting and fishing
11th. The public spirit and enterprise of its inhabitants.
Demersville has practical, energetic, companies who can insure success to any locality they take hold of and wish to build up. We have steamboat facilities for bringing the people here, and theses will be proper manipulate by the pushing men who own the steams Messrs DePuy and Chency. Of course, our hotel and other building will have to be enlarge in the near futures so as to astonish the oldest inhabitant.
May 30, 1890: Henry Therriault started one day this week for Missoula for the purpose of purchasing machinery for a new saw mill, to be placed on Ashley creek in the Selish neighborhood There is some very fine saw timber only two or three miles from Demersville, and it is a wonder that some enterprising business man has not taken advantage of this scheme before. Building in Demersville has been sadly retarded on account of the scarcity of lumber. This will not be the case in the future, for Henry is one of those far seeing men with business sagacity and energy, as well as plenty of capital who will keep[ constantly on hand plenty of all kinds of lumber, and will then put in a planning machine at this place, and will also have a lumber yard here. He should receive all the encouragement possible to make his venture a success.
By 1890, Demersville had boomed to 3,000 people—a population that included early pioneers and an assortment of bums, bunko artists, gamblers, card sharps and outlaws who came to check on the growing Montana town. However the railroad bypassed the river town of Demersville. And by 1891 a new town was already being plotted to follow railroad progress. The plots to this new town sold faster than the deeds could be recorded. This town would become Kalispell. When the railroad finally came through, Demersville became a ghost town.
Articles from the Demersville Interlake:
May 9,1890 :The Flathead Lake Country eclipses all
No other place in Montana combines so many advantages
There has been no time within the past few years when the Flathead lake reagion, its advantages and resources have failed to aattract attention rom theoutside world. If the press oof other sections is to be taken as fairly representative of the current thought of its numerous constituents, Demersville and our whole Flathead country, is regarded by some with admiration, by others with a humerous wonder, an by all with interest; sometimes the recipient of lavish praise, and sometimes criticized with asperity, it is in either phase evidently the object of wide spread observation, showing that it possesses claim which entitles it to speial consideration.
The unprecedented growth of Demersvilled from Demer’s tent store of a few years ago, to the rank of a garrison town and steam boat terminas, justifies the interest with which it is regarded. The causes of Demersville’s growth and properity are many, of which we wil now enumerate a few.
1st. It’s central geographical position
2nd, its accessibility by land and wter
3rd. it’s excellent hotel accomodations,
4th. Its superior stores
5th, its’magnificent climate
6th. Its unsurpassed saw and grist mill site.
7t, its possession of United States troops.
8th, its pure water
9th . its inexhaustible forest of saw timber
10th. Its matchless hunting and fishing
11th. The public spirit and enterprise of its inhabitants.
Demersville has practical, energetic, companies who can insure success to any locality they take hold of and wish to build up. We have steamboat facilities for bringing the people here, and theses will be proper manipulate by the pushing men who own the steams Messrs DePuy and Chency. Of course, our hotel and other building will have to be enlarge in the near futures so as to astonish the oldest inhabitant.
May 30, 1890: Henry Therriault started one day this week for Missoula for the purpose of purchasing machinery for a new saw mill, to be placed on Ashley creek in the Selish neighborhood There is some very fine saw timber only two or three miles from Demersville, and it is a wonder that some enterprising business man has not taken advantage of this scheme before. Building in Demersville has been sadly retarded on account of the scarcity of lumber. This will not be the case in the future, for Henry is one of those far seeing men with business sagacity and energy, as well as plenty of capital who will keep[ constantly on hand plenty of all kinds of lumber, and will then put in a planning machine at this place, and will also have a lumber yard here. He should receive all the encouragement possible to make his venture a success.
Mar 27, 1891: Demersville is the center of the Flathead Valley as well as the trade center. And it will always hold her own, no matter how many townsites are platted. A town which has the natural resources and advantages, like the bed bug, “will get there just the same”.
May 1, 1891: Not withstanding the fictitious valuation placed on undesirable realty in other towns, Demersville is content to enjoy a steady, substantial growth and is destined to be the QUEEN CITY of the Flathead country. Investors, realizing our superior advantages, sensibly recognize this fact and are purchasing desirable city property daily |
This is a wonderful article by the Flathead Beacon on Demersville. We decided to put in on our website but be sure to check out the original and other great articles that the Flathead Beacon has about our area. Used by permission: Flathead Beacon