The city of Kalispell, located in scenic northwest Montana, has its roots in the railroad. The town was founded in 1891 along the route of the Great Northern Railroad, as the railway wound its way to the Pacific Northwest. Prior to the arrival of the railroad, the nearby communities of Ashley and Demersville served as local hubs, but Kalispell and its proximity to the railroad changed everything in the area. The town grew along with the railroad, as did many local industries. Settlers from around the world put down roots, and languages from all over were heard: Native, European, Asian. The city itself grew quickly, with stylish private and commercial buildings springing up all over. But Kalispell's time to shine was brief, as the Great Northern began work on a new route. When completed in 1904, this route turned Kalispell's rail line into a dead end spur, with Whitefish becoming the rail hub in the area.

Kalispell endured and continued to grow, if not at the rate of the early railroad years. Nearby attractions such as Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park (established in 1910) drew attention. Flathead Indian Reservation opened to white settlers in 1910, drawing great interest. And as the seat of Flathead County, Kalispell remains an important place of government. 

This exhibit is intended as a companion piece to the Montana History Portal walking tour of Kalispell, through our partnership with Adventure Lab. If you walk the tour, you will be able to compare the historic photos below with the views you see today in the 21st century. The section of Kalispell you will explore is located just south of the original railroad route. Visitors can walk a section of the former route of the railroad on the Kalispell Parkline Trail. For those who don't have the chance to visit these places in person, we have embedded Google Street Views with each photo, which will allow you to compare Kalispell today to the Kalispell of history.

You can take this walking tour for free with the Adventure Lab app using this link:

https://adventurelab.page.link/8AaM

Photo: This circa 1946-1949 photo shows the aftermath of a car accident near Jordet Clothing store at Main Street and Second Street West. The vehicle first hit a lightpole on the corner of the intersection (note the debris on the ground), and finally came to a stop further down Second Street, sticking out into the roadway in this photo. Jordet Clothing occupied that corner from about 1930-1955. Moving down Second Street, Kelley and Reynolds Real Estate, Silver Grill Cafe, Emil's Cigar Store, and Peck's Texaco have been gone for decades. This corner is unrecognizable in the 2022 Google Street View, now taken up by half of the road-spanning Glacier Bank.

Photo: Circa 1905-1907 view of Conlon Mercantile. This large building once occupied the corner of Main Street and Second Street West. This view of the complex is looking southeast, with Main Street just out of the photo at left. Note the huge delivery of goods on the sidewalk ready to be put away, as well as the horse drawn wagon at left. You can see in the 2019 Google Street View that this entire building is gone, destroyed by fire and later replaced by half of the large Glacier Bank complex.

Photo: 1928 view of the complex at the corner Main Street and Second Street West. This large structure housed a number of businesses. Conrad Bank was on the corner, note the word "Bank" carved in stone at the top. Conlon Mercantile had entrances on both Main and Second streets. Bronson and Lighthall City Drug Store is the second storefront on the left. When comparing to the 2022 Google Street View, the entire complex is gone due to a fire, replaced by half of the Glacier Bank complex.

Photo: Circa 1920 photo of the Elk's Temple on the northeast corner of Main Street and First Street. The building was initially a YMCA, and was purchased by the Elks in the 1920s. They occupied the building until the 1960s. Next door were the Bus and Taxi Depot and Listle's Cafe. Google Street View from 2021 shows how much this area has changed, with a parking lot and strip mall now located at this site.

Photo: 1904 photo of the bustling intersection of Second Street looking west from First Avenue East. Traffic here is incredibly varied - automobiles, horse-drawn wagons, bicycles, and pedestrians. On the left is the Missoula Mercantile Co. (later Kalispell Mercantile Co.), and at right is the former Missoula Hotel on the McKnight Block. Missoula Mercantile opened a branch in Demersville in 1888, and uprooted that branch to Kalispell in 1892 when the railroad came to town. This complex was built between 1892 and 1910. Missoula Hotel's original proprietor Robert Benn, who built the hotel with his partner James McKnight in 1910, was murdered in 1915 which left the hotel in the hands of his widow Minnie Mae Sloan. It is now an office complex called The Montana Building. The intersection looks much the same in this 2018 Google Street View.

Photo: Circa 1915 photo of the Kalispell Mercantile Co., also known as the KM Building, at the corner of First Avenue East and Second Street East. The date 1894 is inscribed at the top of the building, the date that the first section of this complex was completed. Originally known as the Missoula Mercantile Co., it became the Kalispell Mercantile in 1911. Among the many tenants of this building were the county court and county offices, which resided on the second floor from 1895-1903. Note that the building exterior is painted white in this photo, in comparison to the earlier view of this intersection. Painted on an upstairs window in the photo is a sign for Alberton B. Cutler, a dentist. This large building was constructed during 7 different phases. Kalispell Mercantile operated until 1980. The building looks almost identical in the 2018 Google Street View over a century later.

Photos: The Kalispell-American Laundry at 121 First Avenue East, built in 1919, looks much the same as it did in this circa 1925 photo. The name Kalispell-American Laundry originated from the merger of two laundry outfits in 1918, the Kalispell Steam Laundry and the American Laundry. This building has served as a laundry and dry cleaning establishment for the entirety of its existence. Originally it also offered bathing services for people without facilities of their own. To the right of the laundry was the office of Evan E. Day, Real Estate, Loans and Insurance, Notary Public. Note the two delivery trucks parked out front in the photo. The 2018 Google Street View shows that the buildings on either side of the laundry are now gone.

Photo:  This circa 1915-1925 photo looking south down Main Street looks very different from the 2022 Google Street view, but a closer inspection shows that many of the buildings remain. The most striking change is the road itself, which was still dirt at the time the photo was taken - note also the period street lights. On the right are two large buildings of significance that remain relatively unchanged: the McIntosh Opera House at the right edge of the photo, and the Kalispell Grand Hotel just beyond it. The most significant change to the hotel is the removal of the large electric flashing sign that was installed on the roof in 1912, which can be seen in the photo. The hotel was remodeled from 1989-1991 and is the last major hotel in operation from the early days of Kalispell. On the left side of the photo is the former Elk's Temple, which is now gone. Other buildings further down the street remain standing, and at the far end of Main Street is the Flathead County Courthouse, visible in both views, but hard to see with the image on Google Street View due to the lens used by that program.

Photo: 1906 photo of the McIntosh Opera House, built in 1896. The northern (shorter) portion of the building was added in 1903. Builder John McIntosh maintained a hardware store on the ground floor. The opera house itself resided on the second floor. It was used not just for opera performances, but as a community gathering space and recreational hall. In 1905 and 1906 the opera floor was transformed into a skating rink. A fire in 1935 rendered the 2nd floor unusable, and that area of the building remains unused today. The building looks very similar in the 2022 Google Street View, with the major changes being the removal of the extensive old-time painted signage, and the addition of a wooden awning over the storefronts.

Photo: Circa 1915 photo of W. C. Whipps Building on the corner of Main Street and Third Street. This building was constructed in 1904 and expanded in 1909 by William C. Whipps, owner of Kalispell Liquor and Tobacco Company. Whipps was also the first mayor of Kalispell (elected in 1893) and served 4 terms. Architect George Shonley designed the building. The 2022 Google Street View shows an area that is little changed in over a century.

Biblilography

Chaix, Jaix. "Kalispell-American Laundry." Flathead Beacon, August 26, 2014. https://flatheadbeacon.com/2014/08/26/kalispell-american-laundry/

Hintze, Lynnette. "Elks Lodge: Part of the fabric of Montana." Daily Inter Lake, December 3, 2006. https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2006/dec/03/elks-lodge-part-of-the-fabric-of-montana-6/

Kalispell Downtown Association. "Historical Walking Tour."  Accessed July 2023. https://www.downtownkalispell.com/historical-walking-tour

Kalispell Grand Hotel. "History of the Kalispell Grand Hotel."  Accessed July 2023. https://kalispellgrand.com/history

McKay, Kathryn L, A Guide to Historic Kalispell, Helena, MT: Montana Historical Society Press, 2001.

Montana Historical Society. "McIntosh Opera House." Accessed July 2023. https://historicmt.org/items/show/470

Montana Historical Society. "Missoula Mercantile / Kalispell Mercantile." Accessed July 2023. https://historicmt.org/items/show/471



Photo Credits

Montana Historical Society Research Center

Northwest Montana History Museum