KALISPELL

Railroad expansion and incorporation

As the Great Northern Railroad built its continent-spanning railroad line in the 19th century, a need for a Divisional point in the Flathead Valley was identified. Using his own capital, Charles Edward Conrad, a businessman and banker from Fort Benton, Montana, formed the Kalispell Townsite Company with three other men, all from Great Northern board of directors. The town took its name from the local native tribe, adding an extra "L". "Kalispell" is a Salish word meaning "flat land above the lake".

The townsite was quickly platted, and lots began selling by the spring of 1891. Kalispell was incorporated as a city in 1892, and Conrad built a large mansion there in 1895. Since then, the city has continued to grow, reaching 19,927 in 2010. This growth persisted despite the railroad being rerouted from its original route over Haskell Pass, via Kalispell and Marion, Montana, to a more circuitous but flatter route via Whitefish and Eureka already in 1904.

Growth and formation of county seat

As the largest city in northwest Montana, Kalispell serves as the county seat and commercial center of Flathead County. The city is considered a secondary trade center with a trade area of approximately 130,000. The city is home to Logan Health Medical Center, which has a 150-bed hospital facility. The railroad history through Kalispell ended in 2018 when the city purchased and tore up the long abandoned track through the city. The city of Kalispell removed the remaining downtown trackage, relocating the railroad to Glacier Rail Park, a new industrial park just north of town and abandoning 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of the original route.

Homeless population

In 2023, Kalispell became nationally known for its combative actions against the homeless population in the town. The city government had previously begun passing ordinances in 2022 that punished anyone that helped homeless people in Kalispell, such as giving out food, supplies, or money. They also shut off water and electricity in the local park so it could not be utilized by homeless in the area. The county commissioners also released an open letter calling on residents to actively unite against the homeless, which resulted in groups of younger people violently assaulting homeless in the town. The New York Times published an article in January 2024 about the homeless population of Kalispell, noting that many were residents who had recently undergone financial trouble that led to them losing their homes, such as having a divorce.

The city council revoked the permit of the town's homeless shelter in September 2024, forcing the closure of its warming center in October 2024, putting much of the homeless population at risk of death during winter months as noted by the shelter's director. The shelter filed a lawsuit that same month against the city, arguing that the city council had failed to present any violation of local law or ordinances by the shelter that would support the revocation of the permit. The federal judge overseeing the court case approved a preliminary injunction in November 2024 that allowed the warming center to remain open for the duration of the case.