A Guide to Historic Kalispell

Montana Mainstreets, Volume 5 by Kathryn McKay

Founded in 1891 as a railroad town for the transcontinental Great Northern Railway, Kalispell, Montana, faced bitter disappointment when the railroad relocated its route to the north in 1904. Most towns suffering similar fates fell into decline, but not Kalispell. Designated the Flathead County seat in 1894, Kalispell—named for the region's Q’lispé tribe—retained its status as regional center of trade and grew to become a gateway to Glacier National Park. Discover the fascinating history and architecture of this leading town of northwest Montana.