This is a series of micro-caches commemorating the lost historical towns in the Flathead Valley. In most cases nothing is left of the original town site, however using anecdotal evidence and a late 1990s U.S. Geological Survey project that pinned down the approximate area where these towns' post offices were located, we have placed these caches in the general vicinity. In cases where the land is privately owned, the cache will be at least within eye-shot.
In order to distinguish between an actual town (like Salish or Demersville) and a general area (like Half Moon or Deer Park) we have taken our definition verbatim from the most valuable resource we found while researching these lost places, the book "Muscle, Grit And Big Dreams Earliest Towns of the Upper Flathead 1872-1891" by Carle F. O'Neil, O'Neil Printers, 1996. A town is, "A collection of houses and other buildings wherein at least minimal human services are formally provided and exchanged, and where a public post office has been established."
The above photograph is the front display at Fair-Mont-Egan school. These were the school tower bells taken from the schools at the town of Montford, the town of Egan, and the area of Fairview when the three school districts were combined into one, long after the original schools were torn down.
Some interesting facts about Montford Montana:
- Montford was small but it had a post office, several stores, and a school.
- Arthur Lindsey was Montford's first postmaster.
- The town only lasted until about 1910, however, the Montford school district lasted until 1966 when it was consolidated with the Fairview and Egan districts to make the new Fair-Mont-Egan district.
- The original Montford school bell is on permanent display at Fair-Mont-Egan school, a short distance from the original Montford town site.
- Montford lasted about ten years as a town from 1900-1910.
*Please Note* This is a republish of the original Montford cache. We had to move it as it was unintentionally placed on private property. It's the same container and log, so if you signed the log in the original location, but didn't get to log it on the web site, now's your chance.