Looking Back: Council approves extending Baker Avenue

A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler 

50 Years Ago 

Feb. 13, 1975

Alpen Holz Ersinnen was the name of the new business located on the Big Mountain Road. It was owned and operated by Gary Mann, who specialized in custom built furniture and cabinet work. Gary's interest in furniture originated from his childhood when he learned to work with wood in his grandfather's furniture store.  

40 Years Ago 

Feb. 14, 1985

The Whitefish School Board agreed to ask voters to approve a special levy request totaling $936,839 to be used to help fund Whitefish Schools. Voters would come out to the polls to decide the fate of their request, and at the same time, select a new trustee to replace board chairman Lyle Phillips, who was retiring. Gordon Ochenrider and Sid Fredrickson filed for the open seat. 

30 Years Ago 

Feb. 6, 1995

The Whitefish City Council approved the plan that would extend Baker Avenue 10 blocks south to Commerce Street between Fun Shine Car Wash and Denny's Restaurant. The council unanimously approved a plan to build the street at an estimated cost of $911,500. The extension will be 44 feet wide, will have curbs and gutters on both sides and a sidewalk on the east side. The council directed Paul Wells of MWM Engineering to design the street, which had been in the works for three years. 

20 Years Ago 

Feb. 10, 2005

After the many complaints Jill Evans received after trying to keep the historic Whitefish depot free from birds by using poison, the Whitefish Historical Society administrator used a professional bird buster to evict the large flock of pigeons that had rooted themselves in the 78-year-old building. The birds arrived when the trains first started carrying grain through the valley, possibly as early as 1904. Three times a month, Evans used a garden hoe to scrape a thick crust of white and gray pigeon droppings from the sidewalk on the north side of the building, the side where Amtrak passengers disembark. 

10 Years Ago 

Feb. 11, 2015

Whitefish wanted to reinstate the disbanded lakeshore protection committee and having, seemingly, no interest from Flathead County to do so wasn’t stopping the city from creating its own group. At a work session, the City Council said it wanted to create a Whitefish Lake lakeshore committee made up of both city and county residents. Councilor Andy Feury pointed out that anything below the low water mark is in the city and should be regulated by Whitefish.