Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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EXCERPT FROM BOOK “WILD HORSE PLAINS” BY JOHN RHONE 1969 Introduction - Yes, I know I’m late – about thirty years. This job of writing a history of this section of Montana should have been done about that time, while many of the old timers who were actually here and took part in the early day events were still with us. Part of Rowena (Garber) Lyle’s story reads as follows: “My people came here from Missoula in 1889, and lived in the section house and my youngest brother was born there. They later moved to the ranch by buying the squatter’s...
6 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 3, 1918 SMALL STREAMS GO ON RAMPAGE Creeks Overflow Banks and Take Out Many Bridges RAILROAD SERVICE PARALIZED Power Company’s Transmission Line Also Suffers Damage From High Water The unprecedented rains which fell almost continuously during the past three weeks culminated Saturday night in the highest water in all the creeks in this vicinity that has ever been known. The steady drizzle that had been going on before, turned into a hard rainfall Saturday evening and before morning the already swollen streams ove...
8 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 27, 1943 THE BIG SNOW This section of Montana from all reports has experienced the heaviest snows in a decade for the past ten days. Old timers recount back to days long ago when the snow around here was three feet deep on the level. But very few of these generation here have seen such heavy snows. However, if the snow keeps falling as it is week after week and accumulating layer on layer, we may yet see three feet of snow on the level around here in the valley. We have seen January months when there wasn’t any snow on...
8 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 20, 1943 THE BIG FREEZE The town water system was among the casualties of the blizzard that struck with the breath of the Arctic through the Hell-Gate upon fair Missoula nestling on the west slope of the Rockies and then swept on up the Clarks Fork to strike Thompson Falls and beyond. On the high plains of central Montana reports come that at Havre it was 60 below. Trains were stopped reportedly because the locomotives froze up as they climbed the Great Divide. The blizzard Saturday when it reached Thomson Falls out of t...
OVER 120 YEARS AGO JOTTINGS ABOUT TOWN Excerpt from the Belknap Sun, first newspaper in this area printed in the late 1880s Saddle horses from here to the mines have been reduced to $10. The Windsor House sets a fine table. Mr. Mott is an excellent caterer. Ed Thompson will cut hay on his Hay Creek ranch next week. He expects to gather in about 60 tons. J.J. Verckler has 60 acres of about as fine meadow land as lies out of doors on Mosquito Creek, a mile from Belknap. Western papers have reports of bunko outrages at Belknap and Heron. As far...
4 YEARS AGO DECEMBER 16, 1982 MORE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS SET ON ‘STRIP’ The year 1983 could be a major commercial building year for Thompson Falls on the Strip eat of town, based on plans recently announced. Fresh on the heels of the announcements last week by E.G. and Jackie Akins and Kim and Setsuko Roberts of plans to build new stores on the Strip, the Ledger has been advised of plans to erect two other commercial buildings in the area this year. The building plans announced by the Akins will house Akins Foods and the Roberts structure wil...
4 YEARS AGO DECEMBER 30, 1982 THANKS TO MANY This was an editorial written by Doc Eggensperger during the holidays. Among the attributes of small-town living are the many acts of kindness, help and concern that friends and neighbors perform to enrich the lives of all, Thompson Falls is no exception. There are countless deeds performed during the year that make life enriching and desirable here. And the high quality of that life is attested to by the number of former residents who would like to return and reside again if the economic...
3 YEARS AGO DECEMBER 10, 1992 OVER THE YEARS THE HEATERS TRANSPORTED LOTS OF KIDS Continued from last week… The last 15 years, Doris did her share of driving. “I wasn’t so happy when Rich talked me into driving,” she says. “I was scared the day I made my first run.” Her first pick-up, she remembers as if it were yesterday. The child was off to school for the first time. The youngster was crying. The child didn’t want to go to school. His mother was crying. She didn’t want the child to go to school either. Although most of the bus runs were l...
3 YEARS AGO • DECEMBER 10, 1992 OVER THE YEARS THE HEATERS TRANSPORTED LOTS OF KIDS All school buses are yellow, aren’t they? Fifty-seven years ago, it wasn’t necessarily so. Thompson Falls’ first school bus was red. In 1935 when Thompson Falls Ford dealer Perry Heater and his brother Orie won the bid for the Eddy Flats and Thompson River school bus run, “No one had established yellow as the national bus color,” Perry’s son Richard laughed. Three generations of youngsters rode the Heater family buses. Although Richard and Doris Heater retire...
6 YEARS AGO • DECEMBER 6, 1917 CLOSE CALL FOR SNIDER Careless Hunter Sends Bullet Through Coattail and then Beats It for Cover Dave Snider was the unintentional target for some careless hunter up in the Thompson River country last Friday and had about as narrow an escape from getting a bullet in his back as the most reckless could wish for. He was coming through a little thicket when he heard a shot not far away and heard the zip of the bullet close by. He immediately started to call to warn the hunter of his presence, but instead of c...
9 YEARS AGO • NOVEMBER 23, 1932 NEW KITCHEN AID Homemakers by the thousands are enjoying a new helper in their kitchens – towels for kitchen use are proving a boon because they are so convenient and, at the same time, economical to use. Introduced after fifteen months of use in test markets, the new paper towel has been proved entirely practical. These towels come in a roll of 150 pure, white, generous sized tissue towels. They are highly absorbent and seen to have an especial affinity for greasy stains. They are used for the hundred and one l...
PLAINS AREA’S ONE ROOM SCHOOLS The earliest of the schoolhouses erected in the Plains area seems to be one on Swamp Creek and another that was situated on Clark Creek up Baldy way. Both dated back to the early 1890s and logs furnished the principal building material. The former, approximately 14-foot x 16-foot, took its name from the creek that drains the adjacent timberland. That situated on Clark Creek took the name of Cook School. The Swamp Creek school soon became too cramped to accommodate the students and a new structure was built around...
OVER 100 YEARS AGO Not finding anything of interest in old newspaper files this week, I dug up some old history of the Thompson Falls area in the pioneer days. PETE McCLINCHY June 9, 1882 – Weeksville Items – Fred Smith and Pete McClinchy, Thompson Falls, paid our city a visit and reports business lively at the falls. Mr. McClinchy is an old resident of Montana, and Missoula County. February 1, 1884 – A party composed of Messers P.M. McClinchy, John Russell, J.W. Lee, John Sharp and G.G. Smith have received permission to build a toll road from...
4 YEARS AGO • NOVEMBER 4, 1982 DECISION DUE ON TIE PLANT FUTURE A decision regarding the future of the Burlington Northern’s tie plant, destroyed by fire last week, is expected to be made by the end of this week, Bill Joplin, manager of BN public relations in Billings told The Ledger. He said the decision will be made by the BN engineering department after they have studied all the facts and figures regarding rebuilding the plant. At stake are the jobs of 34 men employed in the tie plant plus the jobs of several woods and mill workers inv...
9 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER, 1932 LARSON’S CASH STORE Advertisement All brands Cigarettes – 15¢, 2 packages 25¢ - CAMELS, LUCKIES, CHESTERFIELD, OLD GOLD Lard, 8 pounds – 77¢ Blue Ribbon Flour, 49 pounds – 83¢ Golden Glo Butter, in cartons – 25¢ Cups & Saucers, white, $1.75 per dozen Glasses, 59¢ per dozen Wash boilers, heavy tin, copper bottom - $2.75 Clothes dryers – 98¢ Clothes Basket – 90¢ Wool Pants - $2.50 to $5.00 Wool Sox – three pair $1.00 Many other bargains which space does not permit us to advertise. 1932 DOLLARS TALK You can actu...
3 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER 22, 1992 THOMPSON FALLS BUSIINESSES EYE UPGRADES, RELOCATIONS Main Street in downtown Thompson Falls is changing face these days. Several changes have already happened, some are currently underway, and more are in the offing. One of the major changes is the purchase of LaRock’s Bar, also known as the Hotel Bar (and further back was the Tourist Bar and before that was established as the Legal Tender Saloon on the corner of South Columbia Street and Main Street), by the Town Pump. Petitions to expedite the transfer of the...
9 YEARS AGO • OCTOBER 20, 1937 SALMON COMING UP Every year the salmon come up the river. As soon as the fall rains commence and the water rises, they start up out of the Columbia, Priest Lake and Pend d’Oreille and strike for the headwaters. Usually about September 15 to October 1 they reach the dam at Thompson Falls where they are checked. Forced back they spawn in the river below the power house. At this time, fishermen by the score harpoon, drag line and with whirling spoon inveigle and catch them by the thousands. When word came last week...
9 YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 28, 1932 TELEPHONE COMPANY INSTALLS CIRCUIT An initial copper telephone circuit has been constructed and is now in operation between Thompson Falls, Montana, and Clarks Fork, Idaho, a distance of approximately 56 miles, according to an announcement made today by Phoebe N. Eplin, local manager of the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Co. The new circuit also will serve toll station in Montana at Heron, Noxon Ranger Station, Noxon, Tuscor, Trout Creek Ranger Station, Trout Creek, White Pine and Belknap. A high grade...
6 YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 1917 ANNOUNCE FINE FAIR PROGRAM Attractions Arranged for This Year are Better Than Ever Aeroplane Flights a Feature Prizes for Races and Contests Arrangements for the seventh annual Sanders County Fair are progressing rapidly and while the exhibitors have shown a disposition to be a little backward in entering products, because of unsatisfactory crop conditions, other features promise to more than make up for any deficiency. The program of races and amusements especially will be far in advance of former years and some...
9 YEARS AGO • SEPTEMBER 1032 Thompson Falls Businesses Following is a list of businesses in Thompson Falls during the Great Depression: Black Bear Tavern, Neat Rooms, Moderate Prices, Night Service. Ray Shannon, Proprietor, Peek Block. (The Peek Block was located between Fulton and Mill Street, downtown). Adams Garage – All Size Tubes - $1.00. Shell solvent for cleaning purposes, 50¢ a gallon. Chevrolet Dealer. Gas, oil, repairs. Corner Jefferson Street & Railroad Avenue. Tourist Hotel and Restaurant – Good Rooms, Good Beds, Good Eats. William...
4 YEARS AGO AUGUST 30, 1917 BURGLARS LOOT STORE AT CAMAS Safe Blown and Small Amount of Cash and Jewelry Taken MAKE GOOD THEIR ESCAPE May Be Same Gang That Has Committed Several Similar Robberies Recently The store of Peeso & Davis at Camas was entered last Wednesday night and the safe blown open, but fortunately only a small amount of cash was on hand. The robbers took about $25 in currency, a number o checks and some jewelry and escaped without raising an alarm. As soon as the robbery was discovered, the sheriff’s office was notified and s...
9 YEARS AGO • AUGUST 31, 1932 ROAD IS COMPLETED The highway between Clarks Fork, Idaho and Noxon on the north side of the river after a year or so of intensive construction, bridge building, etc. is now open for automobile traffic. This road is hard to excel any place in the country, both for the beauty of the scenery, and the fine construction work. Those who have been over the Columbia route contend that the Clarks Fork between Noxon and Clarks Fork, Idaho is equally as beautiful and fascinating to the motorist. It is a high-speed road, w...
4 YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 2, 1982 FAIR OPENS TODAY In the days of Caesar all roads lead to Rome; this weekend all Sanders County roads lead to Plains as the annual Sanders County Fair opens Thursday and continues through Sunday night’s Demolition Derby and the third Youth Dance. The first entertainment feature of the fair will be the queen contest at the Dance Pavilion tonight at 7:30 p.m. The annual luncheon for fair premium book advertisers is scheduled at 1 p.m. Friday at the Pavilion with Williams & Ree and the Whiskey River Band from South D...
6 YEARS AGO • AUGUST 16, 1917 FOREST FIRES STILL MENACE From Belknap to Trout Creek Conditions Are Very Bad Numerous brush fires all the way from Belknap to Trout Creek are causing much uneasiness in the Forest Service and to the ranch owners affected. All that is necessary to make this whole section burst into a mass of flames is a fairly strong wind. By dint of constant watching these fires have thus far been confined to limited areas, but it has been impossible to completely stamp them out, and new fires are being reported almost daily i...
7 YEARS AGO • AUGUST 13, 1952 NEW ROAD BEING BUILT A railroad grade and trucking road, planned for future use by ACM Co. operations up Thompson River, is in its initial stages of construction. About three miles of clearing has already been done on the east side of the river where the road is going in. Construction man, Bud King of Missoula and a crew of men are moving in heavy road equipment and in a few weeks now it is possible that 30 or 40 men will be employed on the project. Many of these men will find accommodations at Snider near the p...
