15. Lake County

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On August 11, 1923, the State of Montana formed Lake County by taking the southern part of Flathead County (number 7) and the northern portion of Missoula County (number 4). Named for its primary topographical feature, Flathead Lake, it was the next to last county created in Montana. Only Petroleum County (number 55) is younger. The county covers some 1,654 square miles, of which 160 square miles are water (mostly Flathead Lake). The Flathead Indian Reservation, otherwise known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, makes up over two-thirds of the land area of the county. The Reservation plays such an important role in the county, that it is virtually impossible to talk about one without the other.

Lewis and Clark met the Salish in the Bitterroot Valley (Ravalli County, number 13) as they traveled across western Montana. They named the tribe "Flathead," based on a misunderstanding. Certain tribes practiced head flattening, but the Salish found that custom barbaric, according to some accounts. Lewis and Clark never actually set foot on land that would become Lake County. Historically, neither the Salish nor the Pend d'Oreille (Kalispel) indians lived in Lake County either. One band of Kootenai (the Ksanka) did live on the shores of Flathead Lake, and the US government forcibly moved the other tribes off their ancestral homelands and onto the reservation.

The Lake County Court House
Taken 12/11/2009 in Polson, Montana

In 1845, Frank McArthur of the Hudson Bay Company established Fort Connah as a fur-trading post. This was the first European settlement in what is now Lake County. In 1854, the Jesuits arrived and built St. Ignatius Mission. The Hellgate Treaty of 1855 established the Flathead Reservation, and Fort Connah closed in 1871. The first bison were introduced into the area in the 1870s, and the US established the National Bison Range in 1908.

The Mission Mountains
Taken 6/3/2010 in Ronan, Montana

Aside from Flathead Lake, the most conspicuous topographical feature in Lake County is the Mission Mountain Range, extending from south to north on the eastern side of the Mission Valley which forms the central part of the county. The western side of the range includes a Tribal Wilderness area, and you will need to obtain a tribal recreation permit to hike the numerous trails in the area. The Mission Mountain Wilderness covers much of the eastern slope of the range.

The US government opened the Flathead Reservation to white settlement in 1910, and the Lake County population has increased steadily since its creation in 1923. The 1930 U.S. Census counted 9,541 people living within the county. The 2010 Census showed a population of 28,746, an increase of 8.4% over the 2000 Census count. This makes Lake County the ninth largest in Montana by population. Broken down by racial lines, "white persons" constituted 69.4% of the total, while "American Indian and Alaska Native persons" made up 22%. 7.3% report belonging to two or more races. The largest growth spurts occurred during the 1970s and the 1990s when the county grew 31.9% and 26.0% respectively. Of the twenty cities, towns and "census designated places" in Lake County, whites outnumber native people in all but a handful of communities.

Northeastern Lake County
Taken 5/22/2010, north of Swan Lake, Montana

US Highway 93 bisects the county, running south to north from Missoula to Kalispell. It is one of, if not the most heavily traveled highways in Montana. Should you choose to drive this route, and you really should, here are my suggestions for places to visit along the way. 93 enters Lake County just south of the town of Arlee. Just after passing the Lake County sign, a road takes off to the right connecting with the Jocko Pass road across the Mission Mountains. If you're awfully brave, and have a heavy duty vehicle, you may want to take this side trip as the road is the only road that actually crosses the mountains, having an eastern terminus at Seeley Lake. Note that this drive is not for the faint-of-heart. Continuing on 93, stop at Huckleberry's in Arlee if you like licorice. They sell some fifty or more varieties of the candy from all over the world. North of Arlee, you will cross the Jocko River and shortly thereafter you can take a right turn on White Coyote Road to visit the Garden of 1000 Buddhas. Back on 93, you drive through the Jocko River Canyon, reaching the community of Ravalli a few miles further north. In Ravalli, you have the choice of turning west on Montana Highway 200 which will quickly take you into Sanders County (number 35), or staying on 93 and climbing the steep hill that separates Ravalli from St. Ignatius. Either way, you will be skirting the National Bison Range which you really should visit. So why not stop at the Bison Inn in Ravalli and refresh yourself with one of the best Indian Tacos available in Montana while you decide. If you're not that hungry, have a huckleberry shake. You'll love it. Should you stay on 93, as you reach the crest of the hill, note how the Missions just start appearing in an ever increasing number of peaks. Most of the year, they will be covered in snow and you'll understand why the native people called Montana "the land of shining mountains." In St. Ignatius, visit Doug Allard's Trading Post on the west side of the highway and St. Ignatius Mission on the east side. The former has an attached museum, and the trading post itself has a wealth of native-crafted items from all over the US. The church, built in 1891, is filled with art that will astound you, regardless of your religious beliefs.

Between St. Ignatius and Ronan, you'll pass through the Ninepipe Wildlife Refuge, a good place to count birds, turtles, and other wildlife. Stop at Cowboy Cappuccino in Ronan, a fun place to restore your caffeine levels, and in Pablo visit the Tribal Headquarters, Salish-Kootenai College, and the People's Center, Sqelixw Aqlsmaknik, to get a deeper understanding of the native life of this area.

Finally, as you crest the hill just south of Polson, Flathead Lake will come into view. The largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes, and the largest alpine lake in the US, Flathead Lake stretches 27.3 miles from south to north, and is up to 15.5 miles wide. It is a favorite recreation site for all of western Montana. At Polson, you'll have to decide whether to take the west shore or the east (93 follows the west), but rest assured that on either side, the lake will offer you an endless number of breathtaking views.

Flathead Lake from the west side
Taken 6/19/2010 north of Dayton, Montana

Photo Information:

Unless otherwise noted, all photos were taken using a Nikon D80 DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex camera) and a Nikkor 16-85 mm wide angle/tele/zoom lens. All photos are finished using Photoshop CS4.

Lake County Sign: Taken 5/22/2010. Focal length was 85 mm, ISO 250, f /9.5, 1/250 second.

Lake County Courthouse: Taken 12/11/2009 in Polson, Montana. Focal length was 40 mm, ISO 250, f /8.0, 1/750 second.

The Mission Mountains: Taken 6/3/2010 in Ronan, Montana. Focal length was 85 mm, ISO 125, f /8.0, 1/750 second.

Northeastern Lake County: Taken 5/22/2010 near Swan Lake, Montana. Focal length was 19 mm. ISO 250, f /16.0, 1/250 second.

Saturday Morning on the Lake: Taken 6/19/2010 near Dayton, Montana. Focal length was 24 mm, ISO 125, f /5.6, 1/350 second.

7. Flathead County

As I have noted in earlier posts, at the time Montana Territory was created in 1864, most of the land west of the Continental Divide was in Missoula County, first formed in 1860 as one of the counties of Washington Territory. Montana became a state as part of the Omnibus Statehood Act of 1889, and Missoula County remained undivided. That would change in the 1890s. In 1891, the Great Northern Railroad arrived in the Flathead Valley and established its division point north of Flathead Lake. In 1892, the city of Kalispell was incorporated around that railroad division point, and in 1893, Flathead County was created out of the northern extent of Missoula County. In years to come, Lincoln (number 56) and Lake (number 15) Counties would be formed out of Flathead.

The Flathead County Court House

Flathead County was established in 1893 and the courthouse built in 1903. The county takes its name from Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, which in turn is named for the Salish people native to the area erroneously named the Flathead Indians by early explorers. The county seat is Kalispell.

Flathead Lake and the Mission Mountains

Today, Flathead County is one of Montana’s fastest growing areas. It offers year round recreational opportunities situated as it is between Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake. One of Montana's main destination ski resorts is The Big Mountain, located just north of Whitefish, Flathead County's second largest city. Whitefish is served by Amtrak, as is Essex, at the southern end of Glacier National Park. The Izaac Walton Inn at Essex was originally the Great Northern Station and Hotel. Essex is the point where the railroad puts extra locomotive power on trains to get them over the Continental Divide at Marias Pass, just a few miles east. I always try to schedule my trips through the area so that I can have either lunch or dinner at the Inn. For the really adventurous, the Inn has railcars refurbished as overnight cabins, and they're working on redoing a locomotive to serve as a cabin.

Lake MacDonald, Glacier National Park

In 2000, the US Census showed 74,471 people living in the community. The 2009 estimates indicate a 20.3% growth rate, with an estimated county population of 89,624, making it the fourth most populous county in Montana. Flathead County is unusual in Montana in that there are five communities in the county with a population over 1500. Each city has its own feel and atmosphere. Most have resort-based economies. Some of the best theatre I've ever enjoyed was at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse, at the northeast corner of Flathead Lake.

While no interstate highway comes close to Flathead County, you can drive there on US 93 which stretches from Phoenix Arizona to the Canadian border and, as British Columbia 93 continues on toward Revelstoke, Radium Hot Springs and Kootenai National Park, then as Alberta 93 through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. The main east-west highway is US 2, known in Montana as the Hi-Line, which runs from Everett, Washington to Houlton, Maine, with a section crossing southern Canada between Michigan and New York. As noted above, Amtrak has two stops in Flathead County, the only Montana county with two Amtrak stations, and air travelers can fly into Glacier International Airport (Airport Code FCA), located at a midpoint between Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

Looking North into Glacier National Park

Photo Information:

Flathead County Sign: Composed in Photoshop CS4.

Flathead County Court House: Taken 2/28/2010 in Kalispell, Montana. Nikon D80 DSLR, Nikkor 16-85 mm wide angle/tele/zoom lens set at 26 mm. ISO 125, f /16.0, 1/20 second. Finished in Photoshop CS4.

Home on Flathead Lake: Taken 2/28/2010 near Lakeside, Montana. Nikon D80 DSLR, Nikkor 16-85 mm wide angle/tele/zoom lens set at 85 mm. ISO 125, f /16.0, 1/125 second. Finished in Photoshop CS4.

Lake MacDonald: Taken 7/18/2009 in Glacier National Park. Nikon D80 DSLR, Sigma 18-50 mm tele/zoom lens set at 50 mm. ISO 125, f /8.0, 1/250 second. Finished in Photoshop CS4.

Glacier Park View: Taken 7/18/2009 near Marias Pass on U.S. Highway 2, Flathead County, Montana. Nikon D80 DSLR, Sigma 50 mm lens. ISO 200, f /4.8, three exposures blended to make an HDR image in Photoshop CS4.