Other newspapers in Missoula include the alternative weekly ''[[Missoula Independent]]'', a member of the [[Association of Alternative Newsweeklies]] founded in 1991, the ''[[Montana Kaimin|The Montana Kaimin]]'' from the [[University of Montana]] founded in 1898. In 2005, the electronic-only ''New West'' ([http://www.newwest.net website]) was founded as a left-leaning "next-generation media company" that focused on culture, environment, economy, and politics in the [[Rocky Mountains|Rocky Mountain West]]. The paper has further developed editions in [[Bozeman, Montana]] and [[Boise, Idaho]].<ref>http://www.newwest.net/</ref>
Other newspapers in Missoula include the alternative weekly ''[[Missoula Independent]]'', a member of the [[Association of Alternative Newsweeklies]] founded in 1991, the ''[[Montana Kaimin|The Montana Kaimin]]'' from the [[University of Montana]] founded in 1898. In 2005, the electronic-only ''New West'' ([http://www.newwest.net website]) was founded as a left-leaning "next-generation media company" that focused on culture, environment, economy, and politics in the [[Rocky Mountains|Rocky Mountain West]]. The paper has further developed editions in [[Bozeman, Montana]] and [[Boise, Idaho]].<ref>http://www.newwest.net/</ref>
=== AM radio ===
===Broadcast Media===
==== AM radio ====
* [[KMPT]] 930, [[GapWest Broadcasting]]
* [[KMPT]] 930, [[GapWest Broadcasting]]
* [[KGVO]] 1290, GapWest Broadcasting
* [[KGVO]] 1290, GapWest Broadcasting
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* [[KGRZ]] 1450, Cherry Creek Radio
* [[KGRZ]] 1450, Cherry Creek Radio
=== FM radio ===
==== FM radio ====
* [[KUFM-FM]] 89.1, [[University of Montana-Missoula]]
* [[KUFM-FM]] 89.1, [[University of Montana-Missoula]]
* [[KBGA]] 89.9, University of Montana, Missoula College Radio
* [[KBGA]] 89.9, University of Montana, Missoula College Radio
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* [[KHDV]] 107.9, Mountain Broadcasting
* [[KHDV]] 107.9, Mountain Broadcasting
=== Television ===
==== Television ====
* [[KPAX-TV]] Ch. 8 [[CBS]]
* [[KPAX-TV]] Ch. 8 [[CBS]]
* [[KPAX-TV2]] ch. 7 [[CW Television Network]] [[Image:KPAX Missoula.jpg|thumb|Logo for KPAX Missoula headquarters-Missoula,MT]]
* [[KPAX-TV2]] ch. 7 [[CW Television Network]] [[Image:KPAX Missoula.jpg|thumb|Logo for KPAX Missoula headquarters-Missoula,MT]]
Revision as of 21:30, 6 February 2011
"Missoula" redirects here. For a ship in the United States Navy, see USS Missoula.
This article is about the city. For the glacial age lake, see Glacial Lake Missoula.
Missoula (pronounced/mɨˈzuːlə/) is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 estimate of Missoula's population was 68,876;[1] making the city the second-largest in Montana. The 2009 census estimate put the population of Missoula County at 108,623.[2] Missoula is rapidly growing; it had the second largest actual growth of any city in Montana with an increase in population of 11,823 since 2000.[3] Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area. Downtown Missoula is considered the centre of the city.
Missoula was founded in 1860 as Hellgate Trading Post before being renamed Missoula Mills ("Missoula" from the Salish name for the area, "Nemissoolatakoo", and "Mills" after the prosperous flour mill and sawmill that served as Missoula's first industry). "Mills" was dropped from the name and in 1877, the establishment of Fort Missoula ensured the survival of the city.[4]
Missoula is nicknamed the "Garden City", in reference to the large number of orchard homes that once lined its periphery and an extensive vegetable and flower garden owned by Cyrus and William McWhirk that formed the eastern entrance to the city.[5][6]
Though founded as a lumber and agricultural center as well as a trading post, the basis of Missoula's modern economy is the University of Montana, government, healthcare, tourism, and professional services.[7]
In addition to the University of Montana, Missoula is perhaps best known for being the most politically liberal city in Montana, the birthplace of first woman elected to the U.S. Congress, Jeannette Rankin, and the home of Montana's largest brewery. Missoula is also the headquarters of Montana Rail Link.
History
Earliest Missoula
Teepees set up in modern-day Missoula south of the Clark Fork River, facing east
The oldest artifacts date from the end of the glacial lake period around 12,000 years ago with the first-known settlements dating from 3,500 BCE. From the 1700s until European settlement, the region was used by Salish, Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille, Blackfoot, and Shoshone tribes.
As a natural corridor through the mountains, the valley was the scene of great conflict between local Native American tribes and those traversing the region to and from Montana's eastern plains, which were rich with buffalo. The narrow valley at Missoula's eastern entrance was so strewn with human bones from repeated ambushes that French fur trappers would later refer to this area as "Porte d' Enfer," translated as "Hell's Gate". Hell Gate would remain the name of the area until it was renamed "Missoula" in 1866.[9]
Early explorers
The first European Americans to visit what would become Missoula were members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The expedition stopped twice just south of Missoula at Traveler's Rest; first from September 9–11, 1805, and again from June 30-July 3, 1806.[10] From here, the Lewis and Clark Expedition split up on the return from the Pacific, with Clark taking the southern route along the Bitterroot River and Lewis travelling north through Hellgate Canyon on July 4.[11]
Missoula Barracks in 1887.
The region was first surveyed by Washington Territory governor Isaac Stevens in the 1850s by Congressional request as a means of developing a transcontinental rail route. Stevens would also negotiate the Treaty of Hellgate through which the Native American tribes of western Montana relinquished their territories to the U.S. government. Stevens was assisted by Lieutenant John Mullan who would build the Mullan Road in 1853. The wagon road was the first to cross the Rocky Mountains to the inland of the Pacific Northwest, and would enable the establishment of Fort Missoula in 1877.[9]
Settlement in Missoula began five miles to the west near modern Frenchtown in 1860 as a trading post founded by Christopher P. Higgins, who had been present at the Treaty of Hellgate, and business partner Francis L. Worden, with the expectation that the Mullan Road and any future railroad would necessarily pass through the valley. Their gamble was correct and Hell Gate became the Missoula County seat in 1860; the first post office was established on November 25, 1862, with Worden as the first postmaster.[12] The settlement moved upstream to its modern location in 1864 as Higgins and Worden's desire to build a lumber and flour mill required a more convenient water supply to power the gristmill.[13]
The Missoula Mills replaced Hell Gate Village as the economic power of the valley and replaced it as the county seat in 1866. The name "Missoula" comes from the Salish name for the Clark Fork River, which runs through the city. The name ‘’nmesuletkʷ’’, though often mistakenly believed to translate as "River of Ambush" as a reflection of the inter-tribal fighting common to the area, actually has the approximate meaning of "place of freezing/cold liquid", or more roughly "cold water" (cf. Interior Salishan locative marker n-, Southern Interior Salishan sul, 'cold/frozen', and -etkʷ, 'liquid'). This name is thought by some Salish tribal members to refer to Glacial Lake Missoula.
Missoula never "boomed" as many western Montana towns did as a consequence of the gold rush, though the town did grow rapidly, and by 1872 the town had 66 new buildings. Higgins and Worden established the town's first stores and banks, but by 1876 the pair faced its largest competition and rivalry from Eddy, Hammond and company, who established the Missoula Mercantile Company.[14]
By the 1880s growth had slowed, but the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883 caused growth to accelerate again and Territorial Governor Benjamin F. Potts approved a charter for the Town of Missoula. The need for lumber for the railway and its bridges spurred the opening of multiple saw mills in the area and, in turn, the beginning of Missoula's lumber industry. The economic frenzy led to the construction of many of the historic buildings in downtown today. In particular, architect A. J. Gibson arrived in the late 1880s and designed many of Missoula's most recognizable buildings, including the Missoula County Courthouse and the University of Montana's Main Hall.[15]
In an agreement with Helena that Missoula would not enter a bid to become the new state of Montana's capital and not openly support nearer by Anaconda, Missoula was able to win the vote to be the home of the state's university in 1893. Land south of the Clark Fork River (Downtown had established itself north of the river) was donated for the construction of the campus.[16]
20th century to present
The continued economic windfall from railroad construction and lumber mills led to a further boom in Missoula's population. A.B. Hammond and Copper KingsMarcus Daly and William A. Clark competed fiercely in the region over lumber share and Missoula investments, and in 1908 Missoula became the district, and later a regional, headquarters for the United States Forest Service, which also began training smokejumpers in 1942.
In the 1930s, Missoula was able to obtain fourteen Civil Works Administration projects that helped build the airport, Orange Street Bridge, several schools, and four major buildings at the university.[17]
Logging remained a mainstay of industry in Missoula with the groundbreaking of the Hoerner-Waldorf pulp mill in 1956, which led to subsequent protests over the resultant air pollution.[18] In 1979, almost 40% of the county's labor income came from the wood and paper products sector.[19] By the early 1990s, however, many of the region's log yards, along with legislation, had cleaned the skies, though the valley's topography still makes the city susceptible to lingering smoke from forest fires and winter smog.[20]
Modern era
The start of the modern era began when all the logging yards in Missoula, which had once completely driven the city's economy, vanished. Once logging vanished, the Missoula Downtown Association was born and downtown Missoula became what it is today. With the completion of the First Interstate Bank, the First Security Bank, the new St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, and the Millenium Building, the second tallest building in Missoula, downtown finally started to look modern. Recently, the brand new Garlington Building completed its construction; further increasing the number of modern buildings in Missoula.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.9 km²), of which 23.8 square miles (61.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) (0.46%) is water. Missoula is located in a deep valley in the western part of the state, near where the Clark Fork River is joined by the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers.
Ancient wave-cut shorelines can still be seen on the edge of Mount Sentinel. Where the University of Montana now stands, the lake was once 950 feet deep
During the last Ice Age, the Purcell lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet blocked the Clark Fork river near what is now Clark Fork, Idaho creating Glacial Lake Missoula which extended approximately 320 kilometers (200 mi) eastward, filling the Missoula Valley and connecting today's Flathead and Pend Oreille Lakes. The ice dam holding back waters periodically thawed and refroze causing the Missoula Floods that swept across Eastern Washington and down the Columbia River Gorge approximately 40 times during from 15,000 to 13,000 years ago leaving behind giant ripple marks across the valley.[22] These 15–30 foot ripple marks were first noted as evidence of the rapid draining of Glacial Lake Missoula by USGS employee Joseph Pardee in his 1942 publication Unusual Currents in Glacial Lake Missoula and supporting J Harlen Bretz's popularly dismissed 1923 theory of the Missoula Floods forming the Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington.[23]
Evidence of the city of Missoula's lake bottom past can be seen in the form of ancient wave-cut shorelines that can now be seen as horizontal lines on nearby mountains Mount Sentinel and Mount Jumbo.[24] At the location of present-day University of Montana, the lake once had a depth of 950 feet.[25]
Terrain
As could be expected for a former lake bottom, the layout of Missoula is relatively flat and surrounded by steep hills. The Clark Fork River enters the Missoula Valley from the east just after it joins with the Blackfoot River at the site of the former Milltown Dam. The Bitterroot River and multiple smaller tributaries join the Clark Fork after the river enters Missoula.
The surrounding terrain also gives Missoula its moniker of being the "Hub of Five Valleys" in reference to the five mountain ranges and valleys that converge in the valley: TheBitterroot Mountains, Sapphire Range, Garnet Range, Rattlesnake Mountains, and the Reservation Divide.
Missoula has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSk), with cold and moderately snowy winters, hot and dry summers, and spring and autumn are short and crisp in between. Winter conditions are usually far milder than much of the rest of the state due to its western position within the state. However the mildness is also induced by the dampness, as unlike much of the rest of the state, precipitation is not at a strong minimum during winter. Winter snowfall averages 43 inches (109 cm), with most years seeing very little of it from April to October. Summers see very sunny conditions, with highs peaking at 84 °F (28.9 °C) in July. However, temperature differences between day and night are large during this time and from April to October, due to the relative aridity.
In the mid-1860s C.P. Higgins and Francis Worden began plotting what would become the town of Missoula along the Mullan military road along the northern bank of the Clark Fork River. This road, which today in downtown Missoula is known as Front St. was then intersected by Higgins Ave. which continued as a bridge to the southern side of the river. From this intersection of Higgins and Front, which continues as the numerical center of the city, development spread along the road with homes to the north toward the surrounding hills. The arrival of the railroad in 1883 brought with it a rapid increase in population which settled along the track. When the university was founded in 1893, the land donated for its cause south of the Clark Fork was still little more than farm land.[31] Development continued east along Mullan Road and south along the road to Lolo, Montana which today is known as Brooks St.
The city primarily follows a standard north-south grid pattern, though newer subdivisions and residential areas located on hills often do not follow the established pattern. Notable exceptions to the grid pattern are Downtown where the grid follows the contour of the river and a section of the Rose Park Neighborhood where the grid instead aligns with Brooks St. (Highway 12), one of only two arterials (the other being Stephens Ave.) to traverse the city diagonally. The Bitterroot Branch of Montana Rail Link also traverses Missoula diagonally south of the river while the main branch as well as Interstate-90 move with the river and hill's terrain north of the Clark Fork.
Neighborhoods
The city of Missoula is divided into eighteen neighborhood councils of which all Missoula residents are a member.[32] The city further contains ten historical districts.[33]
Missoula is the primary city of the Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area with all other communities within Missoula County also being part of said area.
Missoula is home to over 60 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places beginning with the A.J. Gibson designed County Courthouse constructed in 1908 and added to the list in 1976. The Post Office, Wilma Theatre and Higgin's Block were all added a couple years later. In the early 1990s both the Gleim Building, a former brothel, was added to the list along with the University District.[34][35]
The Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area is the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Montana. Located in the West-central portion of the state, its population was 95,802 at the 2000 census. As of July 1, 2009 the estimate of Missoula Metropolitan area was 108,623.[2]
It is one of the largest metropolitan area between Boise, Idaho, and Calgary, Alberta Canada, and Spokane, Washington, and Billings, Montana. It is also the second largest media market in the state of Montana, and also has one of the best Health care facility programs in its surrounding area.
The 2009 Census population estimates put Missoula's population at 68,876. There currently are 57,053 people, 24,141 households, and 12,336 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,397.1 people per square mile (925.6/km²) in 2000. There were 25,225 housing units at an average density of 1,059.8/sq mi (409.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.57% White, 2.35% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.36% African American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.76% of the population.
There were 24,141 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,366, and the median income for a family was $42,103. Males had a median income of $30,686 versus $21,559 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,166. About 11.7% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. 40.3% of Missoula residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.
Economy
Missoula began in the 1860s as a trading post on the Mullan Military Road to take advantage of the road's purpose of being the first route across the Bitterroot Mountains to the plains of Easter Washington. The arrival of Fort Missoula (1877), the Northern Pacific Railroad (1883), and U.S. Forest Service offices (1877) solidified Missoula's economy with a steady stream of employment.
Timber demand for the railroad lead to the setting up of numerous saw mills, which were gradually consolidated, and the lumber industry remained important to the Missoula economy for much of the 20th century.
Today, Missoula's economy has diversified with Education, health care, retail, government, and professional services all playing an important part in the economy at large.[38] In particular, the University of Montana is the region's largest employer, while St. Patrick Hospital and the Community Medical Center follow making Missoula the regional medical center.[39]
Fastest Growing Occupations and Industries
According to the Montana Department of Labor, the fastest growing occupations for the state as a whole are Forensic Science Technicians, Medical Assistants, Industrial Engineers, Food Prep and Service, and Physical Therapist Assistants. The fastest growing industries are Administrative & Support Services, Administrative & Waste Services, Arts Entertainment & Recreation, Professional & Business Services, Professional & Technical Services, and Health Care & Social Assistance.[40]
Missoula is home to the Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau, which was founded in 2003. The Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau has been formed exclusively for the promotion of tourism, the development of effective methods of attracting and hosting conventions and events for Missoula and the surrounding area, and to educate the local community of the significance of the tourism as an economic driver. The promotion and development was a huge part in the making of this organization.
Southgate Mall
One of the most popular shopping destinations in the state, and servicing over 7 million customers each year, Southgate Mall is currently the largest enclosed regional shopping center of its kind in all of Western Montana.
Culture
Arts
Missoula has a thriving arts scene. The International Wildlife Film Festival,[42] the largest animal-themed film festival in the world, is held annually at the historic Wilma Theatre. The Missoula Children's Theater[1] is an international touring program that visits nearly 1,000 communities per year. The Children's Theater routinely has residencies in all fifty states, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. The Missoula Art Museum[2], exhibits a variety of contemporary art. The museum was founded in 1975, and in 2005 the facilities were renovated and expanded. The museum offers art classes, tours, gallery talks, and has free admission.
Missoula is located near the Rattlesnake Wilderness and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, two areas that protect Missoula's municipal watershed and serve as wildlife habitat and recreational areas. The Forest Service'ssmokejumper base, the largest of its kind, is located near the Missoula airport. Free tours of the base are popular with tourists during the summer wildfire season. A walking bridge over the downtown yards of the Montana RailLink railroad is a popular destination for railfans.
University of Montana
The University of Montana is a state university located in Missoula, Montana, U.S. The school was founded in 1893. It is the largest campus in the five-campus University of Montana System.
Park in Missoula that is loctaed in the Rattlesnake neighborhood.
Wilma Building
The first steel-framed building in Montana, and at 8 stories is one of the tallest in Missoula.
Sports
Missoula is Home to the Missoula Osprey, Missoula Phoenix, the Missoula Maulers, and the Hellgate Rollergirls. The Missoula Osprey has won two League Championships in 11 years at Missoula, and 4 division titles. The Missoula Phoenix have won 1 championship, and the Missoula Maulers have won 1 division title since starting its franchise in 2005.
Professional sports teams in Missoula include
The Missoula Phoenix, a AAA semi-pro football team in the Rocky Mountain Football League.
The Missoula Osprey, a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Caras Park Pavilion, located in the heart of Downtown Missoula on the Clark Fork River, is the epicenter of Downtown Missoula. With the help of the Missoula Downtown Association, Caras Park has been the main venue to these yearly events:[44]
Caras Park in the center of Downtown Missoula
Out to Lunch
Downtown ToNight
Garden City River Rod
International Wildlife Film Festival
WildFest
Parks & Recreation Kids Fest
YMCA Riverbank Run
First Night Missoula
Garden City BrewFest
Hemp Fest
GermanFest
Concerts by Jewel
Chris Isaak
Los Lobos
Santana
Ziggy Marley and
B.B. King
Adjacent to Caras Park is A Carousel for Missoula, a wooden, hand-carved and volunteer-built carousel.
Outdoor activities
Missoula is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise throughout the entire year. Throughout the year, activities like skiing, hiking, biking, golf and fly fishing are available.
Missoula biking system
Missoula is a focal point of bicycle travel, because of the presence of Adventure Cycling Association,[45] North America's largest cycling membership organization. Thousands of bike travelers come through Missoula and stop at Adventure Cycling's downtown headquarters (in a former church at 150 E. Pine Street) for free ice cream, advice, and the chance to be photographed.
Government and politics
Missoula is governed via the mayor-council system. There are twelve members of the city council who are elected from one of six wards. Each ward elects two council members. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote.[46]
Missoula is known as a more liberal area than the rest of the state, having 14 Democrats and one Republican in its state legislative delegation.[47] Missoula's Mayor has been John Engen since 2006 and is currently the 50th mayor of Missoula, Montana[48]
In 2010, the City Council proposed and approved a non-discrimination ordinance, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Although the ordinance, proposed by councilmembers Stacy Rye and Dave Strohmaier, received some opposition from members of the Missoula community and surrounding areas, it passed by a 10-2 margin, making Missoula the first city in the state with such non-discrimination protection.
Currently the City of Missoula is undergoing a rewrite of the zoning and subdivision regulations, is undertaking a study of the Urban Fringe Development Area (UFDA), is working in partnership on the Downtown Master Plan, and is finalizing a long-range transportation plan.
In 2006, voters in Missoula County passed Initiative 2, which made marijuana possession the lowest priority for law enforcement. However, in 2008 a volunteer citizen committee[50] established to oversee progress on the initiative found that marijuana arrests rose in the 2 years since its passage. It also concluded, "In short, the lowest priority recommendation issued to public officials by voters in 2006 continues to be
mostly disregarded."[51]
City police chief Mark Muir defended criticism of the rising number of arrests, saying the rise could be attributed to "some people [being] more flagrant in their pot smoking because they wrongly believe the initiative protects them within the city."[52]
Most of the legislative districts that approved of medical marijuana overwhelmingly include the city of Missoula within their boundaries.[53]
A statewide chapter[54] of NORML was founded in 1998 and is based out of Missoula.
Missoula is also home to Missoula Correctional Services a non-profit company that runs a Pre-Release Center for the Montana Department of Corrections and coordinates various city and county programs such as Community Service, Misdemeanor Probation, Pretrial Supervision and the Alternative Jail Program.
The Lifelong Learning Center (Dickinson Adult Education Program)[63]
Media
Missoula is the second largest media market in Montana.[64]
Newspapers
History
Missoula's newspaper history dates back to 1870 when The Missoula and Cedar Creek Pioneer was first published by Magee Brothers & and Morrison. Originally called simply the Cedar Creek Pioneer after the gold rush settlement where it was founded before moving to Missoula, the newspaper's name when through several variations after the Cedar Creek mines in Mineral County appeared to be completely exploited. In a little more than two years the name changed from The Missoula & Cedar Creek Pioneer (Sept. 1870 - Jan. 1871) to the Missoula Pioneer (Jan. - Nov. 1871) to The Pioneer (Nov. 1871 - Nov. 1872) to The Montana Pioneer (Dec. 1872 - Feb. 1873) before finally becoming the Weekly Missoulian in February of 1873. By 1894 the Missoulian had both a daily and even an evening edition. Today, The Missoulian remains as Missoula's only daily newspaper.[65]
In the late 19th and early 20th century, numerous newspapers sprang up in Missoula ranging from The Baptist Mountaineer to The Montana Fruit Grower to The Missoula Socialist, but few newspapers lasted longer than a couple years or even several issues before going out of business, changing their names, or being absorbed by other newspapers. Two notable exceptions were the Missoula Sentinel (1911-1967) and the Missoula County Times (1931-1968).[66]
The Missoula Sentinel was a Democratic daily newspaper that rivaled the Republican Missoulian owned by progressive Republican Senator Joseph M. Dixon. Founded in 1911, the newspaper was soon purchased by Richard Kilroy (1912), a former editor of Butte Reveille and a fervent Democrat with his own political ambitions. The Sentinel launched a smear campaign against Dixon (who was up for reelection), and the two engaged in tit-for-tat hyperbole which ended with Dixon winning both Missoula and Ravalli Counties but ultimately losing the election in a 1912 Democratic sweep.[67]
Shortly after losing the 1912 election, Dixon purchased the Sentinel, not so much for political reasons but because he did not believe there were enough advertising dollars in Missoula to support two daily newspapers. Indeed, he kept the Sentinel as a Democratic newspaper. However, Dixon soon faced the wrath of the powerful Anaconda Copper Mining Company (known simply as "The Company") that controlled much of Montana's politics and media at the time. Both papers were sold to Chicago newspapermen in 1917 and new editor Martin J. Hutchens came under The Company's influence. In 1926, both papers were purchased by the previous editor of the Anaconda Standard (The Company's newspaper) and would remain under the Company's control until they were sold to Lee Enterprises in 1959.[68] The Sentinel was ultimately discontinued in 1967.
The Missoula County Times was a weekly newspaper founded by Charles Doherty in 1931. It bared no relation to a newspaper of the same name published from 1883-1888 that was later absorbed into the Missoulian. The name was later changed to the Missoula Times in 1947. Doherty operated the newspaper until his death in 1958. The newspaper was then purchased, along with the Sentinel and Missoulian by Lee Enterprises. The paper ended publication in 1968.[69]
The Missoulian's roots are based in Missoula's first newspaper, the Missoula & Cedar Creek Pioneer, founded in 1870 and was devoted to reporting on the development of Western Montana. In 1873, Judge Frank Woody, who would later become Missoula's first mayor, purchased the paper and changed its name to the Missoulian. The newspaper would offer only a weekend edition until 1891 when new owner A.B. Hammond converted it to a daily newspaper as Missoula's population passed 3,000. In December of 1906 Wilhelm's Magazine The Coast described the newspaper as "one of the best papers in the state of Montana and has the credit of being a strong paper in all matters pertaining to public and state affairs. It is large, well edited and a credit to Missoula."[70]
In 1900, Hammond began selling stock in the Missoulian to political rival Joseph M. Dixon who would later become a US Congressman, US Congressman, and the state of Montana's seventh governor. Dixon gained control over the paper in 1907 and brought in Arthur Stone, a former Anaconda Standard reporter and managing editor as well as former Democratic state legislator, as editor. His experience would help modernize the paper and expand its reach.[71][72] The Republican Daily Missoulian (as it would be called until 1961) was soon rivaled by the Democrat-leaning Missoula Herald published by the Hassler Brothers and it's successor the Missoula Sentinel that was purchased in 1912 (one year after its founding) by Richard Kilroy for the purpose of politically wounding Dixon as he ran for re-election in the first year Senators were popularly elected. (*note. Though the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was not ratified until 1913, the Montana legislature provided for the direct election of US Senators in 1911 in anticipation of the amendments ratification.)[73] Dixon would lose the election in a Democratic sweep and would lose the paper for financial reasons five years later.
Montana's press in 1912 was almost entirely under the influence and control of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, then known as "Amalgamated Copper Company" or, in a nod to its incredible clout in Montana politics and journalism, simply "The Company". The Missoulian was not a "Company paper"; according to Jerre Murphy, a former Amalgamated employee turned muckracker it was the only major newspaper in Montana that was not.[74] After his election defeat Dixon turned the Missoulian against Amalgamated with scathing editorials and "objectionable" news. With Dixon refusing to sell the paper, the Company chose bribery by offering Dixon the Missoula Sentinel that Dixon felt was splitting the city's advertising dollars. Dixon accepted, but only on the condition that he would be "fair" to Amalgamated in the press. Pressure on advertisers for new anti-Dixon competition and Amalgamated itself pulling its advertising dollars as well as having the Milwaukee Road cancel complimentary papers that it had given to passengers, however, forced Dixon to sell. In two newspapermen from the Chicago Journal, Martin Hutchens and Lester L. Jones purchased the Missoulian and was soon part of the "copper press" (i.e. a "Company paper" known for using its pages to promote the Company's views and for suppressing news it didn’t want reported) and would remain as such until Anaconda Copper sold all its Montana newspapers to Lee Enterprises in 1959.[75]
The worst traffic is usually centered around U.S highway 93/Reserve St., which is a 4 (at times 5 lane) major street considered a mini-highway at times. The trafic is worst on weekday evenings where it is the most used street to get around in most of Missoula. The traffic along Orange st. intersections, and Downtown Missoula intersections also cause traffic problems in Missoula. In the Winter season, traffic can also be a problem due to Missoula's snowy and icy winter's.[citation needed]
Reported crashes
The Missoula Police Department (MPD) responds to approximately 1,800 reported crashes per year, which is the most in a Montana city. The highest and most severe crash rates taking place are along U.S. 93 / Reserve St., which is the epicenter for traffic for Missoula.[citation needed]
14% of all reported crashes are alcohol related, which is about average with the state and national average. Since 2003, the department has made DUI enforcement and traffic enforcement a major priority, increasing the DUI arrests from 358 to a high of 873 in five years.[citation needed]
There is a network of bicycle and pedestrian trails throughout the community, and there is a large population that walks and bike for pleasure and commuting.
Greyhound bus that transit(s) Missoula
A number of transportation-oriented organizations are located in Missoula as well. The Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula[77] aims to enhance biking and walking in Missoula. Missoula in Motion[78] operates an incentive-based program for commuters who choose not to drive alone, and the Missoula Ravalli Transportation Management Association provides vanpool and other transportation demand management services. Missoula is also home to Greyhound Lines, and Rimrock Trailways provide intercity bus transportation to and from Missoula.
The Missoula International Airport (Johnson-Bell Field) is a vital part of the western Montana regional airport system and an integral part of the transportation infrastructure of the region. The airport and surrounding area provide visitors arriving by air, with a favorable first impression of Montana.
The Missoula International Airport is a commercial service airport serving a diverse aviation community. Scheduled airline and air taxi service, military, U.S. Forest Service, general aviation, cargo operations, and recreational flying are the major aviation activities.
Delta Airlines, Horizon, Northwest Airlines, United Express, and Allegiant Airlines serve the Missoula International Airport.
Other services
There is no passenger rail service in Missoula, but there is an ongoing effort to restore such service along the former North Coast Hiawatha route. This route, operated by Amtrak until 1979, passed through Missoula and several other Montana cities.
The following major highways pass through Missoula:
St. Patrick Hospital opened in 1873 under the sponsorship of the Sisters of Providence. The present facility opened in 1984, the fourth St. Pat's on this site above the Clark Fork River. In May 2000, they changed the name from "St. Patrick Hospital" to "St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center" to reflect an increasing involvement with national medical research and education. The hospital has 195 acute-care beds, and 18 transitional-care beds. In 2003, St. Pat's admitted over 9,705 patients and provided more than 49,986 days of patient care. Approximately 95% of patients come from our 17-county service area.
In November 1999, after imploding the old hospital called the Broadway Building, construction began for a new outpatient services building next to our present hospital building. The Broadway Building opened in March 2002, with two underground floors of parking and six stories of physician offices and outpatient services. Physicians include those from the Western Montana Clinic, the Montana Neuroscience Institute, and the Montana Cancer Center, among others. Outpatient services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy, diabetes services, and cardiac rehabilitation.
Sponsorship
St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center is a not-for-profit medical center under the sponsorship of the Sisters of Providence. The Sisters share sponsorship responsibilities with community leaders in the form of a governing board, which helps direct the hospital in its endeavors. This governing board, in turn, reports to and is directed by Providence Health and Services. Providence Health and Services is a holding company that represents the Sisters of Providence in leading their sponsored healthcare, higher education, and human services ministries in eastern Washington and western Montana. Sponsorship is a special type of not-for-profit ownership. As sponsors, the Sisters of Providence and Providence Health and Services are accountable to the community, the Catholic Church, and state and federal governments for fulfilling the missions of each sponsored organization.[79]
Community Hospital
History
The Community Medical Center (Montana) and its adjacent medical facilities stand as a gleaming monument to the dedication and vision of hundreds of Montanans and, in particular, two doctors who came west in the early 1900s.
Situated on a grassy plain near historic Fort Missoula, Community Hospital is part of a modern complex that includes a nursing home, the Missoula Crippled Children's Center and private offices.
The story of Community Hospital begins with two brothers who were prominent in the early history of Western Montana medicine.
Dr. Charles Thornton (known affectionately as "Dr. Charles") came west in 1905 to begin a practice in Corvallis, Montana. At that time the mortality rate of spotted or "tick" fever was 80 to 90 per cent. Of the first 11 cases Dr. Charles treated, only one patient died. He subsequently became known throughout the Bitterroot Valley for his ability to treat the dreaded Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
An ardent sportsman, Dr. Charles was among the first to introduce Chinese and Hungarian pheasants to Western Montana. He also imported and bred German shorthaired pointers to hunt the wily pheasants. At one time, he had more than 30 German pointers in his kennels. Dr. Charles also imported Belgian horses and brown Swiss dairy cattle.
Dr. Charles' brother, Dr. Will Thornton ("Dr. Will") came west in 1907 and started a practice in Stevensville, Montana. He had been a professor of anatomy and had worked with Dr. J. H. Kellogg, the surgeon who established the Battle Creek sanitarium in Michigan. Dr. Kellogg was the older brother of W. K. Kellogg, who developed the corn flake into a multi-million-dollar industry.
Dr. Will performed more than 15,000 major operations in 36 years of active practice, and he participated in the construction and operation of three private hospitals in Western Montana.
In 1910 he built the first hospital in the Bitterroot Valley and ran it until 1917, when he moved to Missoula. At that time, he built the Thornton Hospital, now the Thornton Apartments at the corner of Third and Orange Streets.[80]
Utilities
In Missoula the following utilities of Power, water, sewer and garbage disposal are: Electricity is provided by Missoula Electric Cooperative or NorthWestern Energy, which also supplies natural gas service. Allied Waste services and Grant Creek Water Systems handles trash pickup. Telephone service in the area is proved by Qwest Communications and Blackfoot Telecommunications Group. Sewer services is handled by the City of Missoula Wastewater Division, and Alltel, Verizon, and Cellular One is the most used cell phone services in Missoula.
^Lutz, Dennis J. (1986). Montana Post Offices & Postmasters, p. 26, p. 35. Minot, North Daokta: published by the author & Montana Chapter No. 1, National Association of Postmasters of the United States.
^Allen, John Eliot (c1986). Cataclysms on the Columbia : a layman's guide to the features produced by the catastrophic Bretz floods in the Pacific Northwest. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 104. ISBN0881920673. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Neckargemünd, Germany
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Beaune, France
The Wilma Theater in Missoula Montana, built in 1921.
Downtown Missoula Winter- 1996
Missoula
Historic Building in Downtown Missoula
Missoula Sunset in Downtown Missoula
Sunset over Missoula area
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