1960 Map of Kalispell

About this map

Kalispell and the Flathead River valley serve as the southern anchor for this mid-century view of Northwest Montana. The landscape is dominated by the Continental Divide and the massive protected lands of Glacier National Park, where Lake McDonald and Bowman Lake are situated among the peaks. To the west, the Kootenai National Forest spans the Purcell Mountains and the Cabinet Mountains, holding industrial landmarks like the Snowshoe Mine. The region's mid-century transit network is clearly defined by the Great Northern Railway and U S Highway 2, which connect a string of settlements from Libby and Troy in the west through Whitefish and Columbia Falls toward the mountain passes. The map captures the era when the Kootenai River and Flathead Lake remained the primary hydrological features before significant later reservoir developments, reflecting a wilderness-and-timber economy on the verge of modern expansion.