Yesterdays: Engineer killed in head-on train collision
Looking over the fatal train collision in September, 1971. (Mel Ruder photo)
70 years ago
Sept. 21, 1951
The Hungry Horse Dam was expected to start backing up water this week. The diversion tunnel under the dam would be blocked off, then filled with concrete. By October, water behind the dam would be 125 feet deep and extend 10 miles upstream to Riverside. Eventually the dam inundated far more than that, obviously. William Mackin was adding a nine unit double motel in Apgar in addition to his Village Inn and 24 cabins that were already there.
60 years ago
Sept. 22, 1961
Front page spread featured the Glenn Johnston residence and property. “Flathead has Valley Wilderness” the headline read. The property had old-growth Ponderosa pines, abounded with wildlife and Flathead River frontage. Today, it is under conservation easement by the family.
50 years ago
Sept. 24, 1971
Two Burlington Northern freight trains collided head-on one mile west of Belton. Killed was engineer Melvin E. Dortch, 49, of Whitefish on impact. The engineer in the other train, Eldon M. Howard, jumped off his train before the collision. He suffered a broken foot. Flathead County filed a civil suit against a California man for driving his overweight camper and rig over the Polebridge bridge which damaged it, causing the bridge to be closed for the summer.
40 years ago
Sept. 24, 1981
Secretary of Interior James Watt said off-road snowmobiles should be allowed in national parks. Glacier National Park did not allow snowmobiles at all at the time. It still doesn’t today.
30 years ago
Sept. 19, 1991
It appeared the Columbia Falls depot was nearing the end of the proverbial line. The depot was expected to be closed soon and local agent Don Erickson would be moved to another location by the railroad.
20 years ago
Sept. 20, 2001
The Columbia Falls community came together after the attacks of 9/11. Most prominent feature was a huge American flag that workers attached to the Plum Creek MDF plant. There was also a prayer ceremony. Laurie Baldwin, a Columbia Falls native, lost her brother, Donald Freeman Greene, in the Flight 93 crash in Pennsylvania.
10 years ago
Sept. 21, 2011
Glacier Park visitation in August was down sharply compared to the year before. The Park saw about 527,000 visitors in August, which was down almost 16% from the 2010. Leisure travel vans, even back then, were selling for more than $100,000, according to an RV ad.