We go to the Independence Day celebrations every year here in Great Falls.
The parade is usually a pretty big hit and everyone attends it seems.
I’ll take tons of pictures and videos of the event every year and this year I noticed that the parade was missing some things.
KRTV who once was pretty much a given for the parade was absent again this year, as they have been for a number of years now.
KFBB with their Bee mascot has been absent from the parade since 2005-06? KFBB doesn’t live in Great Falls any more so I can understand their not showing for a parade.
The frontiersmen with their 50 caliber long guns were missing this year, along with the clown car.
The GFPS Patriot Marching Band was the only marching band this year.
I’ve noticed that the military contingent seems to be getting larger every year, and we also have our assorted fire departments and law enforcement representations.
Though there were a lot of military, we didn’t have our C130 MANG flyover like usual. We also didn’t have the USAF helicopter or Benefis flyovers either.
The political representation during the parade was somewhat toned down as well — I guess that might be because no one is looking to get elected this year.
Matt Rosendale made an appearance — It was just him and some other guy walking down the street together.
I remember back in years gone by when Denny Rehberg would show up and there were literally throngs of folks walking with him during the parade.
I’m not so sure that our Republican friends like Rosendale as much as they liked Rehberg … but that’s just me … I could be mistaken.
The parades in Great Falls are usually pretty stellar. We go to as many as we can throughout the year and though the Parade of Lights, St. Patrick’s Day, and Homecoming parades are smaller, they seemed to be much more creative than our just recent Independence Day Parade was this year.
I don’t know if it’s the economy, politics, or that folks are just tired — it could even be a combination of all of these things that caused this years Independence Day Parade to fall sort of flat. I hope that our other parades can keep up with the originality and the creativity that our parades have been so known for over the years.
At the end of the day there’s always the fireworks. There are so many fireworks that it’s hard to take them all in at once it seems.
Having been a part of the original Great Falls town site, I’m pretty sure that this old house has seen some days.
(tap or click image to enlarge)
The house was built back in 1890 and I guess that makes it 133 years old this year. This house was pretty small according to 1890 standards, so it’s history may not be as exciting as the original rectory that was the first house built on the same block back in 1889. Even still, it’s a great little house.
According to some of the neighborhood old-timers, this house nearly fell into the alley because it’s original foundation was failing. Somewhere back in the mid 00’s or late 90’s someone came along and put a brand new basement foundation under it and it saved the house from tipping over.
As far as houses go, this thing is a structural rock. Rough cut 2×4’s and 6×8’s, along with lath and plaster, were the order of the day back then that defined the quality and workmanship that we’ve somehow managed to lose over the years. I’ve worked on houses in Fox Farm that were built in the 70’s and none of them could even remotely come close to how well this house was built.
We put the roof on and painted the exterior per the owners direction, and now it’s back to the interior.
Old living area with original wall/door entries (tap or click image to enlarge)
This thing has a staircase complete with the original banister/railing that is fully in tact with the exception of just one spindle and I’m hoping that for the sake of antiquity, we can save it by getting it grandfathered in.
I guess that back in the day they had a doorway for every room in the house. A doorway for the kitchen, a doorway for the living room, a doorway to the family room and so on and so forth.
We were able to eliminate some doorways in the house in order to open up the living space by way of installing Glulam beams.
Glulam installation for interior living area (tap or click image to enlarge)
A Glulam is a stress-rated engineered wood beam composed of wood laminations, or “lams”, that are bonded together with durable, moisture-resistant adhesives.
Even though the house was built like a brick, at the end of the day, the Glulam installation will add even more strength to the existing build.
When I first saw this place last year, it was a mess. Someone had gone in and tried to fix it up by doing interior demo while at the same time trying to install new drywall. Some rooms had drywall over the top of plaster and some rooms didn’t.
This might have been fine on it’s own of course, but the way it was done would have greatly hampered interior door installation. As an added bonus, all of the drywall that had been installed had 4 corner joints. Installing drywall properly means that the joints need to be staggered.
Old living room windows with plaster and drywall removal (tap or click image to enlarge)
Long story short, we removed all of the installed drywall and then removed what was left of the plaster, and then reinstalled a small portion of the previous drywall correctly and added our own new undamaged drywall.
As a result, the walls and ceilings are straight and interior door installation will be a breeze. We also installed new gas filled double-paned windows to go along with the existing 10 in thick walls.
New living room windows with new drywall install (tap or click image to enlarge)
Opening up the main living spaces allows the light to come in and gives it the appearance of having more square footage than it all actually has. It will all probably save a ton of money on the light bill too — who knows?
As far as windows go, trying to stay with the original window sizes can be a bit of a challenge. Though most were able to be replaced along some original specs, there were a few that we found ourselves getting somewhat creative with. I think we came up with some of the best solutions involving some of the windows that didn’t directly interfere with the original lines of the house itself. If anything at all, what we came up with probably did more to add to the original character of the house than anything.
Staircase windows (tap or click image to enlarge)
I love working on these old houses. Keeping things the same is a part of what makes this whole thing so much fun. You can streamline a structure without having to compromise any of the intended core build.
Being since this place has sat empty for years, aside from the occasional hobo and flocks of pigeons, nothing has really been done to it and the neighbors are just thrilled that something is finally being done to bring this place back to life.
I can’t count how many people have stopped by wondering if this place is for sale. Unfortunately for some, the house isn’t for sale and I’m not real sure just what plans the owner has for it. All I can say is that the chances are very good that it won’t be a rental, and if the owner decides at some point in the future to sell, well, then whoever does buy it will be getting a brand new house that was built clear back in 1890.
Over all of the years of my doing this kind of work I’ve somehow managed to come up with some fairly creative names for some of the projects I’ve been on. If a house is extraordinary enough in some fashion so as to leave an impression, I’ll give it a name so that my peers in the industry will know just which house I’m talking about.
For instance — There’s a house out at Big Bend that I might ‘infectionately’ refer to as the Missoula house (the back story on that one is hilarious but I don’t have time to get in to all of that in this post). Then of course, we’ve got the Optimus Prime house over in Belt.
This house is my Halloween house. In the future, a few years from now, whenever I mention the Halloween house, all of my peers in the industry will know exactly just which house I’m talking about.
It’s really a beautiful house and I’m pretty stoked about being involved with it. Houses like this don’t come along every day so I’m pretty grateful to be in on this one.
” … these bear being so hard to die reather intimedates us all; I must confess that I do not like the gentlemen and had reather fight two Indians than one bear.”
Captain Lewis May 11th 1805 (Corps of Discovery)
Seems that there have been quite a few bear sightings around Cascade County of late. People have been collecting video and trail cams are taking pictures of Grizzly bears roaming about in places as close as Ulm and as far away as the west side of Cascade , and reports of the Grizzly roaming the fields between Simms and Fort Shaw.
I’m not sure if folks know this or not, but we happen to be living right in the middle of bear country. The northern plains have been the natural habitat for the Grizzly bear for hundreds of years.
These bears just didn’t suddenly appear — they’ve always been here — traversing the river bottoms and coulees for years.
Grizzly Bear encounters by the Corps of Discovery (tap or click image to enlarge)
The Lewis and Clark expedition first encountered the (white bear) Grizzly as far east as eastern South Dakota back in the day.
On 7 October 1804, at the Moreau River, about 15 river-miles below present Mobridge, South Dakota, the men noticed the first evidence of the presence of a grizzly. Clark wrote: “at the mouth of this river we saw the tracks of white bear which was verry large.”
Meriwether Lewis had his own close call with a grizzly right here in Great Falls back in the day — “In the first moment I drew up my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she was not loaded and that he was too near for me to hope to perform this opperation before he reached me, as he was then briskly advancing on me.”
Lewis went on to write: “In this situation I thought of retreating in a brisk walk as fast as he was advancing untill I could reach a tree about 300 yards below me, but I had no sooner terned myself about but he pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed. I ran about 80 yards and found he gained on me fast. . . . The idea struk me to get into the water to such debth that I could stand and he would be obliged to swim, and that I could in that situation defend myself with my espontoon. Accordingly I ran haistily into the water about waist deep, and faced about and presented the point of my espontoon. At this instant he arrived at the edge of the water within about 20 feet of me. The moment I put myself in this attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, ? retreated with quite as great precipitation as he had just before pursued me.”
Grizzly Bears – Trail Cam Pic west of Cascade 5-20-23 (tap or click image to enlarge)
According to Lewis, the bear had done what we might now refer to as a bluff charge.
Grizzly bears are the masters of the river bottoms — River bottoms are the main transportation corridors for bears and many other animals around the area. It’s seldom that they would intentionally venture off of their path unless they are disturbed in some fashion. Most often times it’s another bear or some other form of wildlife that causes them to change their course.
As far as bears go, just because we don’t see them, doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.
We might also note that the mating period extends from May to July for the Grizzly and other bears, so it’s likely that we’ll see more bear activity during these months.
According to FWP, avoiding a conflict with a bear is easier than dealing with one.
Since we are living in bear country, the FWP gives some pretty good tips on how to stay safe when you are out and about.
Amanda Steckler, known professionally as Blonde Maze, is an electronic musician based in New York City.
A multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist, her music details themes of yearning emotion and passion for the bittersweet.
Since 2015, she has garnered support from the likes of DJMag and Pigeons & Planes in the process.
A vibrant live show has lead to performances at SXSW as well as support slots for Sultan + Shepard, Autograf, Elderbrook, Tritonal, and HALIENE.
After teaming up with labels Monstercat and Lowly, and with self-released single ‘Antarctica’ reaching Spotify’s U.S. Viral 50 and seeing spins on BBC Radio 1, she released her debut album on Enhanced Chill in 2021 that consisted of glistening tracks and dreamy soundscapes, which received strong support from Sirius XM Chill.
Her music generally falls into the genre of indie electronic, characterized by its atmospheric and introspective qualities.
Amanda Steckler’s work as Blonde Maze not only showcases her musical talent but also her ability to weave personal narratives into her compositions, making her music resonate with themes of nostalgia, change, and growth.
For live shows, Amanda prepares by programming sounds into mini-controllers, allowing for live improvisation and a dynamic performance experience.
The early 1860s witnessed a remarkable influx of migrants to the Idaho Territory.
The discovery of precious metal at Grasshopper Creek (Bannack) in 1862 and Alder Gulch (Virginia City) in 1863 ignited significant gold rushes, triggering a surge of settlers.
Bridge Street – Helena, Montana 1865 — Courtesy of the Helena/Lewis & Clark County Heritage Tourism Council (tap or click image to enlarge)
The sheer magnitude of this migration prompted the federal government to establish a new territory known as Montana in May 1864. Subsequently, on July 14, 1864, a group of prospectors known as the “Four Georgians” stumbled upon a gold deposit in a gulch off the Prickly Pear Creek. Their fortunate find led to the establishment a mining camp along a modest creek, which they christened “Last Chance Gulch.”
In 1876, an intrepid prospector with Irish heritage, Thomas Cruse, uncovered a colossal gold deposit in the mountains northwest of Helena. Swiftly securing a mining patent for 20.25 acres, he established the renowned Drumlummon Mine. This remarkable mine yielded a prodigious bounty of gold and silver valued in the millions of dollars.
As autumn descended upon 1864, the population had burgeoned to over 200 inhabitants, and the name “Last Chance” appeared crude to some. On October 30, 1864, at least seven self-appointed individuals convened to bestow a name upon the burgeoning town, establish street layouts, and elect commissioners.
The initial proposal was “Tomah,” a term the committee believed to have connections with the local Native American tribes. Other suggestions included Pumpkinville and Squashtown, given the meeting’s proximity to Halloween.
There were also propositions to name the settlement after various towns in Minnesota, such as Winona and Rochester, owing to the considerable number of settlers hailing from that region.
Eventually, a Scotsman named John Summerville recommended the name Helena, pronounced /həˈliːnə/ hə-LEE-nə, in tribute to Helena Township, Scott County, Minnesota. This suggestion immediately sparked a lively debate among former Confederates present, who insisted on the pronunciation /ˈhɛlɪnə/ HEL-i-nə, after Helena, Arkansas—a town situated on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Reeders Alley, Helena, Montana 2021 — Helena’s earliest Territorial-period neighborhood. (tap or click image to enlarge)
Despite the disagreement, the name “Helena” emerged victorious, though its pronunciation remained subject to variation until approximately 1882 when the /ˈhɛlɪnə/ HEL-i-nə pronunciation ultimately prevailed.
An interesting note here would be that though the Confederates won out on the name, Helena in the south even today is pronounced as hə-LEE-nə, lending to the once referenced Scott County, Minnesota pronunciation.
In 1865, Captain John Wood undertook the first survey of Helena, determining its layout. Reflecting the paths forged by the diligent miners, the original streets of Helena assumed diverse sizes and shapes, giving rise to a mosaic of city blocks in Early Helena.
By 1888, an impressive cohort of 50 millionaires had established their residence in Helena, surpassing the per capita millionaire count of any other city in the world. These individuals had amassed their fortunes from the abundant gold in the area.
Hikers atop Mount Helena, 1910 from the Charles J. Tipton Collection — Courtesy HelenaHistory.org (tap or click image to enlarge)
An astonishing $3.6 billion in today’s currency was estimated to be extracted from Helena during this prosperous era. The Last Chance Placer, one of the most renowned placer deposits in the western United States, witnessed its peak production before 1868. Much of this placer deposit now lies beneath the streets and structures of Helena.
This concentration of wealth catalyzed the development of exquisite residences and ambitious architecture, leaving an indelible mark on the city’s Victorian neighborhoods.
Helena has held the distinction of being the capital of Montana Territory since 1875 and became the seat of the state of Montana upon its establishment in 1889.
