Flathead County was established in 1893 and Kalispell was chosen to be the county seat the next year. Previously, the county was part of Missoula County but as the Flathead area developed residents began to lobby for a county of their own. Also, the county seat was in Missoula, which was difficult to get to as there was yet no railroad linking the two towns. As a result Flathead County was created. However, it did take until 1885 for the county government to form in Kalispell. Initially, county government functions operated from a number of different buildings in town. Finally in June 1902 the county bought the land for the courthouse and construction began in earnest. The work was completed three years later.

The Flathead County Courthouse was built in 1905 and is an excellent example of Chateauesque architecture.

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Built in 1905, the Flathead County Courthouse is one of the most historic landmarks in Kalispell. It is the centerpiece of the Courthouse Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While other modern county government structures have been built, the courthouse still retains important government functions as it houses the offices of the county clerk, the county recorder, and other county departments. It is also significant for its Chateauesque architecture, featuring a steeply pitched roof, a large clock tower, spires topped with finials, decorative belts of orange concrete above and below windows, and a large curved window above the main entrance. The Courthouse Historic District includes many other contributing properties in the surrounding area.

Flathead County Courthouse

This short walk through Kalispell starts at the Conrad Mansion Museum and includes several historic buildings, including the Great Northern Railway Depot. The tour also includes the Northwest Montana History Museum and concludes at the Flathead County Courthouse.  

Kalispell Montana Walking Tour

Charles E. Conrad was born on a plantation in Warren County, Virginia in 1850. He was the second child of thirteen children. Conrad and his older brother, William, were enlisted in a Confederate cavalry regiment known as "Mosby's Rangers" in 1863. After the Civil War, the duo headed out West in search of work around 1868. They settled in Fort Benton and found employment as clerks with a mercantile company based in St. Louis. The mercantile company shipped goods on the Missouri River and on wagons. Charles developed relationships with the Native American tribes in the region during the next several years of occupancy. This skill proved beneficial in the late 1870s when he participated in treaty negotiations between five tribes and the British government in Canada after the Nez Perce War (1877). In 1876, the brothers bought the business and got involved in banking and finance. They prospered in Fort Benton during the next two decades and Charles became a millionaire. In 1890, Charles and his family were making a trip to Spokane in the fall. Charles hoped to expand and gain business opportunities in the area. The family passed by Flathead Lake and were captivated by the beauty of the valley. Around this time, Charles learned through his friend, James J. Hill, who was the chief executive of the Great Northern Railroad, that the railroad was going to pass through the area. In 1891, Charles decided to buy the land that would become Kalispell. Kalispell would go on to become the Great Northern's new division point. He named the town after a local, Native American tribe. Charles started to build the house in 1892. The construction period was nearly three years long. The completion date was noted as November, 1895. The house was fashioned in the Norman style. The large three-story home features 23 rooms, three bathrooms, and eight fireplaces. Native cedar shingles cover the exterior walls and roof and the main entrance features a large archway, a typical feature for any Norman home. Inside, the house features decorative woodwork, original light fixtures, and diamond-paned and tinted glass windows. The house was equipped with modern amenities for the time such as a freight elevator, a dumbwaiter, a radiator warming oven, a built-in fire hoses, two Italian onyx cold water drinking fountains, a wall-mounted 1895 Spaulding exercise machine, and a communication system consisting of an electric call box, an intercom and a speaking tube. Charles was thriving during this period of his life. He had established himself as one of the most notable figures in the state as well as the Northwest. He had amassed a fortune in banking, cattle ranching, real estate, and mining. The family were socialites and used their home to host various gatherings. NAtive American chiefs would come to meet the Conrad family as well as other prominent local and national leaders. Conservationists, George Bird Grinnell and James J. Hill, even gathered at the Conrad house as Charles harbored an interest in conservation. The Conrads were outdoor enthusiasts and often took trips into what is now Glacier National Park. Charles's passion for conservation led him to establish a bison herd that later served as the foundation for the herd in the National Bison Range in the town of Moiese (located south of Flathead). Unfortunately, Charles passed away on November 2, 1892 of diabetes and tuberculosis. The family owned the house until 1974, when it was donated to the city. Over the next two years, volunteers helped to restore the old mansion. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and has been opened to the public since 1976.

The Conrad Mansion was constructed in 1895. The house is now a museum but is still regarded as one of the most historic homes in Kalispell. Kalispell's mansion was named after the city's founding father, Charles E. Conrad, and was designed by architect Kirtland Cutter.  The mansion is available for tours where guests can explore its lavish architecture, historical furniture, and beautiful gardens. 

Conrad Mansion Museum

The former Carnegie Library is named after steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), who donated funds to communities around the country for the purpose of building libraries. The library was designed by a local architect in the Colonial Revival style and is unique in that it features an octagonal entrance topped with a dome on the northeast corner. The library operated until around 1968 and was converted into the museum, which opened February 10, 1969 as the Hockaday Center for the Arts. The museum changed its name to the current one in 1998. It is named after prominent local artist Hugh Hockaday, who died shortly before the museum opened.

The Hockaday Museum of Art opened in 1969 to showcase the art of Glacier National Park and the works of Montana artists. It is housed in the historic Carnegie Library building, which was built in 1903. The museum's collection features a wide range of works of art and related items including photographs and vintage maps. Notable artists represented in the permanent collection include painter Charles M. Russell, painter Adolph Heinze, and photographer Fred H. Kiser. The art depicts Glacier National Park, the Blackfeet Indian Nation, the Empire Builder Railroad, and the pioneers who settled in northwest Montana. The museum offers permanent and changing exhibitions as well as a variety of events and programs. 

Hockaday Museum of Art

Architect William White designed Central School in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. It features arched entryways and windows, a round two-story tower, a square three-story tower, and decorative brick and floral work. It is also notable for being one of the first brick and stone structures in Kalispell. The school offered classes to all grade levels and operated until 1969. It then operated as Flathead Community College until 1990. It appears it was vacant until the museum opened in 1999. In addition to its exhibits, the museum also offers educational programs for children and adults, and a historic film club and history book club.

The Northwest Montana History Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural, economic, and social history of northwestern Montana. It is housed in the historic 1894 Central School Building. The Northwest Montana Historical Society operates the museum, which opened in 1999. The museum features permanent and temporary exhibits that explore the Native American cultures of northwest Montana, the history of Flathead Valley, the timber industry, the history of Central School, and the story of local pioneer Frank Bird Linderman. The old school is a contributing property of the East Side Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Northwest Montana History Museum

The Great Northern Railway built the depot in conjunction with the establishment of Kalispell. The town was founded in 1891 by prominent businessman <a href="https://theclio.com/entry/103946" target="_blank">Charles E. Conrad</a>, who knew the Great Northern's founder James J. Hill. Conrad, who had recently fallen in love with the area, platted the town and Hill agreed to build the depot and make Kalispell a new division point. Great Northern built other structures as well including a repair shop, turntable, and a tool house.The depot and railroad played a large role in the town's growth, prosperity, and eventual designation as the county seat. Unfortunately, a fire started by an oil lamp that was knocked over in the ticket office destroyed the interior in 1899, resulting in the first renovation of the depot. Another round of renovations took place in 1914. By then, the building and grounds were apparently in bad shape. As a result, the depot was renovated once again and Depot Park was created, complete with flowers, trees, and shrubs. The last significant renovation project occurred in 1928. Passenger service continued until 1950. Information regarding the status of the depot in the coming years and when the Chamber of Commerce moved in is not readily available.

The former Great Northern Railway Depot is a historic train station situated in the aptly named Depot Park. It was originally built in 1892 by the the Great Northern Railway, which envisioned Kalispell as a division point for its main train line. While Great Northern relocated the main line to pass through the town of Whitefish in 1904, by then the depot had helped establish Kalispell as an important economic center and remained integral to furthering the town's development in the decades to come. The depot is two-stories tall and was renovated on a few occasions, the last major one taking place in 1928. Today it houses the offices of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. 

Great Northern Railway Depot

According to the city records, Blacksmiths Mort Fuller and Harry Jones were the first to occupy the shop. It is unclear who the next tenants were but, as noted above, Paris Logan Boyd is known to have occupied the building from 1928-1934. He was born in Noble, Illinois in 1871 and married his wife in Indiana in 1898. They later settled in Kalispell in 1908 and had three children. After Paris died in 1936, his son Glen and one of Glen's friends, James, occupied the shop together until James took over in 1947. James remained until the 1980s and by this time had been doing welding work. It is not readily apparent what happened next but it appears that the building was vacant for a time. It seems the current owners opened the restaurant 2015.

This historic building, now home to a restaurant, was built in the early 1910s as Blacksmith shop. It is named after one of its owners, Paris Logan Boyd, who occupied it from 1928 to 1934. It is historically significant for two main reasons. One is that it's among the last wood-frame buildings with a false front still standing in Kalispell. It also represents the period when residents started to use automobiles rather than horses as a primary means of transportation. For these reasons, Boyd's Shop was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Boyd's Shop

Fisher was born in Ohio in 1849 but grew up in Pennsylvania. As a young man, he attended Washington and Jefferson College in 1875 and later from Union Theological Seminary in 1882. He moved to Montana soon after and later married his wife, Mary, in Missoula in 1886. That year he also gave his first sermon in what would become Kalispell. At the time, there were around 700-800 settlers in the area and no church of any kind. Fisher saw an opportunity to do missionary work and he and his family settled in the Flathead Valley in 1887. Fisher also bought a homestead and took up farming. His church superiors didn't approve of his interest in farming and they refused to support him financially. However, Fisher believed that growing crops and raising livestock was the only way to survive.Fortunately, in 1891 the Great Northern Railway, which was planning to pass through the area and help establish Kalispell, offered to buy the homestead. Fisher accepted the money and used it to build the house in 1892 and contribute to the construction of the first Presbyterian church in town. He served as pastor of the church until 1900 when returned to farming and missionary work. It was during these years that he established five other churches in the region. Mary was born in Pennsylvania and worked as a piano and singing teacher. She often accompanied George when he preached, playing the portable organ they had. They also owned the very first piano in the valley. The Fishers had six children. Some of them lived in the house for a time as adults. Interestingly, during the 1890s a Chinese cook worked for the family, making meals not only for the family but also for guests, local Indians, and weddings that took place at the house. George died in 1934 and Mary in 1937. One of their daughters, Ruth, owned the house until another daughter, Mary, and her husband acquired it in 1941. Mary lived in the house until she died in the late 1980s.

The historic 1892 Fisher House is named after Rev. George McVey Fisher, who was one of Kalispell's prominent figures during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Fisher was a pioneer Presbyterian minister known for his interest in farming, providing food and shelter to those who needed help including local Indians, and founding a congregation here in Kalispell and five others in Flathead Valley . As for the house itself, it was designed in the Stick/Eastlake style with features of the Queen Anne style as well, such as bay windows. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. 


Fisher House 

The church was established by an organization called the Norwegian-Danish Conference, which also founded churches in Butte, Great Falls, and Helena. The church served local Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish settlers. It was known as a "language church" (services were conducted in Norwegian) and its members maintained Scandinavian customs and gathered here for many social events on their "Folkekalendar" as well. Beginning in 1939, services were conducted only in English and its name was changed to the Westside Methodist Church. Over time many traditions were forgotten. The Salvation Army bought the church in 1957 and opened a thrift shop. The current store, Kalispell Community Thrift, opened in 1989.

The former Scandinavian Methodist Church is historically significant for its association with the Scandinavian immigrant community, which was instrumental in developing Kalispell and the Flathead Valley in the early 20th century. Built in 1896, it is also one of the first churches built in the city (the congregation itself was founded in early 1895). Several of its original members were tradesmen, carpenters, farmers, and lumberjacks. In fact, a number of them helped build the church. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, the old church has operated as a thrift store since 1957.

Scandinavian Methodist Church

Goyette sold the house in 1907. After a series a of landlords, in 1922 William and Anna Beaman bought and converted it into a single-family home. William worked as a grain elevator manager and Anna was a music teacher and performer. They had two sons, Robert ("Budd") and La Vaughn. The Beamans first arrived in Kalispell in 1906 from Iowa. William and Anna lived in the house until they retired and then Budd and his wife, Anne, lived here until 1955. He and Ann were photographers and operated a successful studio in town. La Vaughn worked for the U.S. Forest Service and moved elsewhere. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, the house seems to have remained a single-family residence.

Despite its ordinary appearance, the historic c.1895 Beaman House has an interesting past. Local resident Alex Goyette built it as a rental property in the working-class section of Kalispell. Interestingly however, Goyette was active the local Populist Party which was critical of capitalism. Apparently he did not have problem collecting rent from the very people he supported politically. Additionally, the house is also significant for its Queen Anne architecture and somewhat unusual design. Goyette built it as a duplex with each residence side-by-side (versus one on each floor). The house is a single-family home today but its original layout wasn't obvious from the outside. 

Beaman House

Ferguson, who was born in England in 1844, worked as a boilermaker for the Great Northern Railway. He immigrated to America with his wife, Esther, in 1875 and they settled in Chicago. It is not clear when Ferguson began to work for Great Northern but he and Esther eventually made their way to Kalispell in 1891 after the company made the town a new division point for its main line. In 1904, Great Northern relocated the division point to Whitefish and the Fergusons moved there as a result. However, instead of selling the house, Ferguson retained ownership and rented it. A number of interesting tenants lived here in the coming years including Civil War veteran Captain James D. Eaton, who occupied the house from 1905-1910. Eaton worked as a brickmason and sold farm equipment. He is notable for organizing Company H of the Montana National Guard, which served during the Spanish-American War in the Philippines. Eaton also held the prominent position of Inspector General of Montana. Tenants continued to rent the house for some time and it remained the in Ferguson family until 1971. It is not clear whether it is currently rented or a private home.

Named after its builder and first owner, Frederick Ferguson, this historic home is a well-preserved example of a typical railroad worker house in Kalispell from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ferguson worked for the Great Northern Railway and built the house around 1897. The house is designed in the Queen Anne style and Ferguson likely chose the design from a pattern book. Notable Queen Anne details of the house include a large porch with turned porch supports and a front gable end with a small arched window and decorative wood shingles. 

Ferguson House

By 1903, Kalispell was the only large city in Montana that did not have a federal building. Despite the efforts of two congressmen who, beginning that year, tried to get funds appropriated for one, the process didn't make headway until 1910 when Congress bought the city lots on which the building now stands. However, construction didn't begin until August of 1916. Nevertheless, the new building was an important development for the city as it symbolized the city's growth and importance in the early 20th centuryAs noted above, the building housed the offices of several government agencies. The post office had already been operating in Kalispell since in 1891 and had been previously housed in four other locations. It was located in the first floor of the new building. The U.S. Weather Bureau was tasked with monitoring the weather and any disturbances heading in from Canada. It operated an observation station on the top of the building. The U.S. Forest Service was in charge of managing the Flathead Valley, which encompasses millions of acres. Most of the federal offices remained in the building until 1966. That year the school district bought it and used it to house administrative offices. The Flathead County Library was also located here. The library that is now in the building is a non-profit foundation called the ImagineIf Library.

Now a library, the former Federal Building in downtown Kalispell is historically significant in the areas of architecture and governance.   It was built in 1917 and is an excellent example of Colonial Revival architecture. It serves as a reminder of the important role the federal government played in the city and the region during the first half of the 20th century. For many years it housed the post office and offices of the U.S. Weather Bureau, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Weather Bureau, and the U.S. Land Office. Interesting architectural features include a brick facade, large arched windows, pilasters (decorative elements that resemble columns), and a balustrade (railing) along the roofline. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. 

Kalispell Montana Walking Tour

Flathead County Courthouse

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