Two stop lights on Nucleus a part of city history
Interesting to read discussions concerning stop lights and Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls. This included comment regarding lack of study.
I recalled one of Bob Waltmire's emphatically stated opinions when he was first elected to Columbia Falls City Council. Bob questioned "why it was necessary to spend $20,000 for a study to determine if they should build a $30,000 building." I agreed then and still do.
Bob Waltmire and Linc France had interesting years as councilmen. Seems most current businessmen and residents were not here when we had two important, necessary stop lights on Nucleus Avenue. One was in front of the original Bank of Columbia Falls, and second by Melby's Furniture midway to the Great Northern Depot.
Nucleus Avenue was mainstream for Anaconda Aluminum Co. workers with three shifts - day, swing and graveyard - daily. Truckloads of lumber, aluminum, plus logging trucks, commercial 18-wheelers, farm, passenger, school buses and other vehicles used Nucleus Avenue. We were dubbed "industrial hub of the Flathead."
Westbound and eastbound Great Northern passenger, mail, trains stopped daily. Great Northern employees were busy with freight train loads in and out, including bauxite for the aluminum plant. Gandy dancers (railroad workers) lived in work trains by the depot. It was the mainline, and many recall troop trains.
We had four local mills providing employment, taxes, plus money for schools from timber sales. Superior Buildings, Rocky Mountain, later Louisiana Pacific, Plum Creek Lumber, were in Columbia Falls and Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. in Half Moon.
Three block area on Nucleus Avenue on either side of the first stop light had the bank, two grocery stores, two drug stores, two barber shops, one beauty shop, movie theater, hotel, sports shop, ladies dress shop, six bars, bowling alley, hotel, three cafes, three apartment units, electric appliance shop, and dentist office through the years.
Around the corner from the bank were post office, telephone office, barber shop, entrance to upstairs apartments in the half block area. Third block to the north had fire hall, also used for monthly city water collections, Hungry Horse News, liquor store, clothing store, Gamble's, pool hall, secondhand store, cafe, radio shop, with Davall's, to the west.
Stop light by Melby's and Crouch Jewelry was beneficial for students and adults. Homes were concentrated in north end of town.
Admit I was sorry horse-watering trough was removed from in front of the town square adjacent to Nucleus Avenue.
When I was member of Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board some 40 years ago, we wanted to put a stop light by the Catholic Church and Truck Route intersection. We were unable to do this because of a slight jog in the street. I am enjoying the new one now.
Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News.