Cascade County and Great Falls
By Ken Robison
Great Falls, on the Missouri River, began as a city of sun, water, and future. Long a crossroads for Native Americans, in 1805, Lewis and Clark portaged the great falls of the Missouri. Early development combined electrical power from dams with mineral resources from nearby mountains to power smelters and refineries. Arrival of the railroad stimulated growth as Great Falls grew rapidly into a dynamic “Electric City” at the heart of the mountains and valleys of Cascade County. Today, the mines and smelters have faded. The river, ranching and farming, regional retail and medical facilities remain, to combine with growing cultural and recreational tourism and Montana’s largest military presence. Great Falls features Montana’s greatest ethnic diversity with descendants of immigrant workers and the largest Native American and African American populations. A strong cultural environment is highlighted by a world-class Symphony that attracts quality of Yo-Yo Ma and the renown Charles M. Russell Museum. Great Falls has emerged as Montana’s “All-American City.”
Cascade County and Great Falls weaves photographs and words to present this exciting history. The stories reveal what the land, the rivers, the mountains, and valleys, were like before the city was formed, the early years of growth, shaping the city, the Native American, African American, and other ethnic presence, the role of aviation and the military, development of culture, arts, and sports, the growth and decline in mining, the growth of agricultural ranches and farms, and the development of recreational and cultural tourism. A theme throughout is historic preservation, highlighting successes and losses. The book samples the past of Cascade County and Great Falls—the good and the bad; celebrating the good, learning from the bad, and moving forward together. Many of the images featured in this book have never before been published and come from Ken’s personal collection, The History Museum of Great Falls, and private collections. A portion of the proceeds from sales will go to historic preservation through the Great Falls/Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission.
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