Time Capsule: Irrigation action, graduation, retrocession and lightning strike

Flathead Courier, May 26, 1921

Well known woman dies

Mrs. Millie Hull, widow of D.D. Hull died at her home in Ronan Sunday, May 22, of Typhoid fever, aged 53 years 2 months and 7 days.

Mrs. Hull was born in Alberta, Canada, but has been a resident of the Flathead for many years.

Local mail schedule

There have been several requests made lately on the leaving and arriving of mail at Polson post office. Postmistress Fast has prepared a schedule to assist in the dispatch of mail if the patrons will try and get their mail in the office in time.

Miss Fast also suggests that so many small children call for mail at the delivery window where the parents have lock boxes that it would seem that where a child is too small to be trusted to carry a key that they were too small to be entrusted to carry mail.

News from irrigation project

Irrigation operations have become active all over the project on account of dry weather. Delivery of water is being made to over 300 farms this week. The Horte Division and the Post Division lead with over a hundred users on each division.

The break in the Pablo Canal is repaired and water will be turned thru on the 27th.

Water is being raised in McDonald Lake Reservoir and Tabor Reservoir (St. Mary Lake) promises to go over the top about June 5 unless water is drawn off.

Flathead Courier, May 21, 1953

N.P veterans here June 14

Headed by the Elks band of 30 pieces from Missoula, about 600 Northern Pacific veterans are scheduled to arrive in Polson via special train June 14 for a fish fry at the municipal picnic grounds and boat rides on Beautiful Flathead, America’s finest lake.

Polson is asked to supply enough automobiles to transport the veterans from the train to the fish fry and back. The veterans, who are employees of the Northern Pacific railway with 30 or more years of service, are holding their annual convention in the Garden City of Montana. The trip to Polson will be the crowning event of the convention.

Class of 68 students to graduate

Sixty-eight of Polson’s high school students will graduate on Wednesday evening, May 27, in the high school gymnasium.

The processional and recessional will be played by the Polson high school band, under the direction of Jack McGuin. They will also play two numbers for the program, “The Lord’s Prayer,” and “Built on a Rock.”

The guest speaker of the evening will be J. Paul Snyder, director of publicity, Whitworth college, Spokane.

Valedictorian is Merna Dickson and salutatorian is Delphia Hewitt.

Spraying hints to farmers

Lake County farmers should be thinking about spraying their winter wheat for fanweed and mustard control in the very near future. Much of the fanweed is now flowing and unless control measures are started soon considerable damage may be done to the winter wheat crop.

Generally speaking, the Ester form of 2-4-D is recommended for spraying of all grains in this area.

Lake County Leader, May 27, 1993

Pablo couple loses possessions, pets to fire

A Pablo couple lost their pets and most of their belongings to a lightning-caused fire Saturday. Others living nearby lost household goods when voltage from the same strike traveled into their homes, blowing phones and breaker boxes off the walls and leaving smile behind.

Adrian and Jamie Albert lived in the Pablo Christian Church parsonage that was destroyed by fire shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday. Ronan fire chief George Molzhon said Monday it appeared lighting struck a power pole next to Highway 93 and traveled down the line to the house, electrifying other houses along the way.

“My house and the walls were humming – like a big bee,” said Phyllis Houle, who lived nearby.

Adrian Albert picked up his phone, but it was dead. “Then the wall behind me just blew up,” he recalls.

AG gets lowdown on retrocession

Attorney General Joe Mazurek fielded numerous questions about partial retrocession last week and pledged to start working on answers immediately.

On Friday, Mazurek brainstormed with tribal attorneys and later with officials from Lake, Flathead, Missoula and Sanders counties. Mazurek will cull their comments into a working script to use over the next year as the Salish and Kootenai Tribes acquire misdemeanor criminal jurisdiction over members.

Mazurek said his office may monitor both sides as the agreement takes shape. “This one cuts both ways.”

One concern that has clouded retrocession plans since 1991 arose again last week – the legal definition of an Indian, and how to make snap judgements on which law enforcement agency will respond to a call.