Providing Economic, Community, and Workforce Development Services.

History

It was founded in 1887 as Demmersville but quickly turned into a ghost town as the Great Northern Railroad determined a city sight that it preferred. Kalispell became a city in 1891, just before the first railroad car pulled into Main Street, downtown Kalispell, on New Year's Day, 1892. A huge celebration took place immediately and a silver stake was nailed into the center tie to mark its beginning. Community members had donated silver coins to be melted down to make the stake. The railroad brought Kalispell many tourists, pioneers and businessmen. Over the years the railroad has turned the city into a booming industrial city with farmers, sawmills, and flour mills. As the largest city in northwest Montana, with a population of 20,000, it is also its trade center.