Society editors filled the paper 66 years ago

It has been 66 years to the day since Volume 1, No. 1 Hungry Horse News and Columbian was published. Area correspondents provided columns and their pay was seeing their names in print. Excerpts follow.

Back page 8 headline was Martin City Has No Past: Challenges Future. Expectations were for 2,500 residents expected within a year. It was closest community to Hungry Horse damsite, except for the government town.

Martin City Activities column included note Chet and Jerry Graham had received their sinks for the bar and are waiting for water to be connected. Deer Lick was the first bar in Martin City.

Valentine column was written by Mrs. Emma K. Ladenburg. She wrote Mike Berne went up to the home ranch bottom on the North Fork to help build a cabin for grandnephew, Tom Ladenburg. Uncle Mickey was, turning the clock back over 50 years when a group of young men had settled on homesteads in that region.

Sad news from Apgar was death of Susan Colleen Apgar, 4 1/2 years old. She was injured when a pile of lumber fell on her. Survivors are her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Apgar, twin sister, Sharon, baby sister, April Elaine, and brother, Mike. Funeral service was conducted by Rev. Frank Hillis at the Waggener and Campbell Funeral Home, Kalispell.

Belton Briefs reported Mr. nd Mrs. F. A. Paris, Springfield, Ill., are guests of Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Hutchings. Columbia Mt. news was written by Charmaine Daniels. She reported Mary Gendreau, Florence Christman, Montana Fowler and Charmaine Daniels are back from cherry picking near Flathead Lake.

Mrs. Frank Smith sent Half Moon Notes. She wrote Mr. and Mrs. Victor Darling and son, Larry, were guests of Mr. and Mrs. John Johnson. John Walsh from the North Fork was a Half Moon visitor Monday. Ettie Hanson became the bride of Norman Kastella at the Whitefish Holiness Methodist Church. The Rev. Ervin Hanson, brother of the bride, performed the ceremony.

Soldiers Home News column reported Mrs. Richard Knowles and Mrs. Glenn Boyd of Kalispell American Legion Auxiliary exchanged chit chat with members and passed around their bulging baskets with candy, smokes, etc. Heard Around the Town Square was line column for page 5 written by Gladys Van, society editor and reporter.

Pvt. Vic Hoerner, Army Air Corp, spent furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hoerner. Don Blades recently completed basic training at Antioch Aircraft Replacement Training Center, Fort Bliss, Tex. He was assigned to occupation forces and will leave soon for overseas duty. He is the 18 year old son of W. A. Blades.

Coram Boosters Club meeting was announced in Coram Briefs. It was organized at the suggestion of Frank Markovitz. Charlie Green proposed the Great Northern depot have name changed from Citadel to Coram. This was accomplished. A boy scout troop with Ray Wedge, scoutmaster, and a girl scout troop with Mrs. Jack Forsythe in charge, would be started in September.

Canyon View news was submitted by Mrs. Beth Tombrink. Mr. and Mrs. Chris Rasmussen, Mr. and Mrs. John Tombrink and families picnicked at Avalanche Creek. Mr. and Mrs. George Kohl and daughter, Rose Marie, arrived home from visiting in Hamilton.

Editorial page 2 contained news that a party of seven Coast Guard and Geodetic survey men would be visiting Columbia Falls. They will be establishing marks giving elevations above sea level every mile from Columbia Falls up the North Fork to the Canadian line. Later they will run another line from Rexford to Columbia Falls.

Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News.