Lake County celebrates its first century

What began as a territorial tussle between Missoula and Flathead counties now celebrates 100 years as Lake County – birthed Aug. 10, 1923, and celebrating its Centennial Aug. 19, 2023.

According to a history compiled by commissioner Gale Decker, the first entry into the minutes of the Lake County Commissioners Office on Aug. 10, 1923, includes the following statement: “This is the day on which Lake County begins to function.”

But another history sleuth, former Clerk of Court Kitty Pederson, pointed out that the county didn’t get its official start until Saturday, Aug. 11, after Aug. 10 was declared a national day of mourning to honor former President Warren G. Harding who died August 2, 1923. The next week’s Flathead Courier reported, “Lake County, which has been the dream of the people of this section for many years, became a reality last Saturday when the doors of the county offices were opened and the transaction of county business began.”

The county was carved out of 500 square miles from the north end of Missoula County and 1,200 square miles from the south end of Flathead County, and was the culmination of a process begun in 1911 in the State Legislature by a group of Polson residents.

Despite strong opposition from groups like the “Flathead Anti-County Committee,” commissioners from Flathead and Missoula County agreed to hold an election in April 1923 that allowed voters within the boundaries of the proposed county to decide their fate. That same election also gave voters an opportunity to choose Ronan or Polson as the new county seat.

Voters approved the new county by about 2,000 votes, but competition for the county seat was fierce. Polson argued that, with a lake at its doorstep, it was the most populous and most scenic location, and the business hub of the Mission Valley.

Ronan countered with the fiery slogan, “It’s the Land, not the Water,” and made the argument that as the agricultural center of the area, it should be the county seat.

Polson’s argument proved to be the most convincing and electors gave the city 2,756 votes while Ronan was selected on 1,451 ballots, establishing Polson as the headquarters of the newly formed county.

Commissioners-elect G.T. Farrell, Arthur Schmidt and C.W. Weythman – a hold-over commissioner from Flathead County – began meeting in May. Uppermost on the commissioners’ agenda, prior to the official opening for business, were the leasing of buildings for county offices, purchasing furniture, equipment, and supplies for the offices.

One major issue that needed to be negotiated by the new commission was the amount owed to Flathead and Missoula counties for assets they still owned in Lake County. Following days of negotiations, payments in the amount of $71,387 to Flathead County and $16,446 to Missoula County were agreed upon in July and the stage was set for Lake County to begin operations.

The first elected officials were S.S Marcy, St. Ignatius, Clerk and Recorder; D.A. Cabbage, Valley View, Clerk of District Court; Wilbert R. Kelly, St. Ignatius, Sheriff; Carl Iverson, Pablo, Treasurer; and Mark H. Derr, Ronan, County Attorney.

A century later

Lake County Commissioners Bill Barron, Gale Decker and Steve Stanley officially declared Aug. 19, 2023, as Lake County Founder’s Day, and a committee has been convening for months to plan a celebration.

Festivities kick off at 10:45 a.m. Saturday with a one-mile fun run, beginning at St. Joseph Hospital, and leading into the parade, which travels down Main Street to the Courthouse at 11 a.m.

The Opening Ceremony begins at noon at the Courthouse with the welcome, Centennial Proclamation, and presentation of colors. The Mission Valley Choral Society will sing the National Anthem and Montana’s State Song, former District Court Judge James Manley will deliver the keynote address, and the Flathead Reservation Traditional Dance Troupe and Buckshot Singers will perform.

Vendors offer concessions on the courthouse grounds, with live music beginning at 1 p.m. by the Bannock String Band, Montana ShamRockers and the Singing Sons of Beaches.

The courthouse, built in 1939 and designed by architect Fred A. Brinkman, is open from 2-4 p.m. for self-guided tours. Inside the building, visitors will find decade-by-decade wall displays on the second floor, and a video of Lake County’s first hundred years in the third floor conference room.

Centennial Rifle drawing

To commemorate the event, the Lake County Centennial Committee is offering commemorative Henry rifles – The Standard, Golden Boy and the Big Boy – each engraved with what organizers “hope encompasses all the greatness that is Lake County.”

Fifteen of each model is available, for sale or via a raffle drawing. Raffle tickets are available at Westland See in Ronan, Two Nineteen Main in Polson, or from commissioner Bill Barron at 406-883-7204. A total of 500 raffle tickets are available for models of each rifle and a Glacier Park Centennial Pendleton blanket donated by Two Nineteen Main. The names of four winners will be drawn at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

The remaining rifles are available for purchase from Brian Nesby of Rocky Mountain Firearms at 888-742-4867 or 970-231-3050. He also donated the three rifles for the raffle; proceeds will benefit the Centennial Committee.