Tyson D. Duncan, who arrived in the Valley in 1883, tells (in 1926) the story of the beginning of Kalispell.
“In the fall of 1889 we got word that the Great Northern Railway surveyors had crossed the main range and were coming down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
The outside people had heard it and came in by the scores. As Demersville was the head of navigation it began to grow and began to resemble a mining town boom.
About this time [1891] C. E. Conrad and A. A. White came in to locate the town site of Kalispell…. They took options on six farms telling the owners what they wanted them for and later bought the land.
There was great excitement; many thought we were to be a second Chicago or St. Paul; outsiders came by the hundreds. The stage line could not haul them all from Ravalli to the lake, so the freight teamsters came to their help and hauled them by four-horse wagon loads.
Early in April…the town site company opened an office in Demersville. They sold lots faster than they could make out deeds…. There were several saw mills brought in, and they were kept busy filling orders for lumber (which was used without seasoning). It was like the proverbial mushroom town that sprang up overnight.
By July 4…we had several hundred inhabitants, and we thought we were on the map. By early fall the graders on the railroad reached Kalispell, and the track layers were close behind them. On December 31, 1891, at 7 o’clock p.m. they reached the center of Main Street and stopped. That night the citizens committee barbecued an ox, and the next day held a big celebration and drove the silver spike. The citizens had contributed silver coins, and they were melted and molded into the spike by George Stanford. The spike was driven by N. P. Moon and Mrs. (J. J.) Mary Kimmerly, the two oldest settlers (in point of residence) in this part of the valley.”
(Sam Johns, The Pioneers, v. 3, Kalispell, Montana, 1943)
History courtesy of Northwest Montana Historical Society in Kalispell, MT. Text and photos are from a newly installed History of the Flathead Valley exhibition at the Museum at Central School, 124 2nd Ave E, Kalispell, MT
“In the fall of 1889 we got word that the Great Northern Railway surveyors had crossed the main range and were coming down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
The outside people had heard it and came in by the scores. As Demersville was the head of navigation it began to grow and began to resemble a mining town boom.
About this time [1891] C. E. Conrad and A. A. White came in to locate the town site of Kalispell…. They took options on six farms telling the owners what they wanted them for and later bought the land.
There was great excitement; many thought we were to be a second Chicago or St. Paul; outsiders came by the hundreds. The stage line could not haul them all from Ravalli to the lake, so the freight teamsters came to their help and hauled them by four-horse wagon loads.
Early in April…the town site company opened an office in Demersville. They sold lots faster than they could make out deeds…. There were several saw mills brought in, and they were kept busy filling orders for lumber (which was used without seasoning). It was like the proverbial mushroom town that sprang up overnight.
By July 4…we had several hundred inhabitants, and we thought we were on the map. By early fall the graders on the railroad reached Kalispell, and the track layers were close behind them. On December 31, 1891, at 7 o’clock p.m. they reached the center of Main Street and stopped. That night the citizens committee barbecued an ox, and the next day held a big celebration and drove the silver spike. The citizens had contributed silver coins, and they were melted and molded into the spike by George Stanford. The spike was driven by N. P. Moon and Mrs. (J. J.) Mary Kimmerly, the two oldest settlers (in point of residence) in this part of the valley.”
(Sam Johns, The Pioneers, v. 3, Kalispell, Montana, 1943)
History courtesy of Northwest Montana Historical Society in Kalispell, MT. Text and photos are from a newly installed History of the Flathead Valley exhibition at the Museum at Central School, 124 2nd Ave E, Kalispell, MT
Business or occupations in Kalispell in 1892- Kalispell Graphic
Adams, G H- General Merchandise
Baldwin- Attorney Bambergor H- Clothing Bannon- Blacksmith Beal, Mrs D A- Photographer Beardsly- Sash & Door Bernard- Liveries Bogart - Stationery, Fruits & Confectionery Bradbury, L S- Blacksmith Bradley, A J- Undertaker Brandenberg-Wholesale & Retail Commission House Brander- Blacksmith Brennen- Attorney Bronson, J E- Groceries Buck- Blacksmith Cannon, H S-Clothing Clinton- Attorney Crull, E J- Attorney Cubbage- Planing Mill Cummings, C D- Physician Depew, C E- Veterinary Surgeon Duffy, J F- Attorney Exline, Frank- Insurance & Attorney Finch, C E- Lumber Fitch, J H C- Drugs Folk, B W S- Insurance Forrey- Planing Mill Gale, Edmund Jr- Flathead Mercantile Co. Ghent, J A- Physician Gibson- Civil Engineer Gray, Frank L- Attorney |
Griffin, W H- Insurance
Griffith- Insurance Handley- Liveries Hawes- Civil Engineer Heavener- Harness & Saddlery Heller,Sam- Wholesale Liquor & Tobacco Henderson, G A- Dentist Herring, W B- Stationery, Fruits and Confectionary Highland, M- Meats Hill- Attorney Hollensteiner- Stationery, Fruits & Confectionery Hubbart, W F- Liveries Jackson, G W- Pianos, Organs, Etc. Jacoby, Philip- Jewelry Jaqueth- Civil Engineer Johnson, A G- Photographer Johnson, J W- Stationery, Fruits & Confectionery Karcher, J- Boots & Shoes Kohle, C- Blacksmith Langerman, Fred- Wholesale Liquor & Tobacco Lebert- Planing Mill Macdonald, A D- Physician Maedel, Otto- Bakery Marsh, L A- Harness & Saddlery & confectionery McCardell- Civil Engineer McCarthy, J J- Plumber McIntire, B J- Attorney |
McIntire, J L- Furniture
McIntosh, John- Hardware McNamany- Planing Mill Miller, A D- Photographer Nathan, A-Clothing Nye, H B- Jewelry O'Donnell, C O- Attorney Oulette- Lumber Parsons, O A- Groceries Pederson, Andrew- Blacksmith Proctor, C E- Insurance Robinson, J A- Jewelry Sanders, J W- Physician Sanford- Attorney Schmitz, J P- Harness & Saddlery Schrader, Wm- Meats Stanford, G D- Gun & Locksmith St Peter- Brick Yard Sullivan- General Merchandise Swaney- Attorney Therriault- Lumber VanGasken- Wholesale & Retail Commission House Walther- Sash & Door Walters, Martin- Liveries Weightman, John- Liveries White, F W- Wall Paper, Paints & Oils Whitesides, Fred- Brick Yard & Lime Kiln Business in Kalispell in 1892- Kalispell Graphic |