DescriptionAshley Lake is named for Flathead Valley pioneer Joe Ashley, an experienced trapper in the employ of Angus McDonald and the Hudson’s Bay Company, who arrived in the valley in 1857. In 1897, area farmers organized the Ashley Lake Irrigating Company and constructed a diversion dam along Ashley Creek, creating the lake. By 1909, the Ashley Irrigation District was irrigating more than 1,600 acres, making dairy farming possible in the western Flathead Valley.Personal NamesAshley, JoeContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation3950 ft.CountyFlathead County
