Old Missoula

200 – Mile Power Line Through Missoula Finished, Energized [1937]

The 200 – mile power line of the Montana Power company built from Thompson Falls, via the Polson power site, through Missoula and to Anaconda, has been completed and energized, according to local officials of the company.

The work was completed on schedule time. Construction was started on the $1,600,000 line last summer and it was announced that it would be completed by April 1. That day found the “juice” on and the whole line in good working condition, with electrical energy being carried over the 204 ½ of line from Thompson Falls to Anaconda.

The line was finished into Missoula from the west early in December and had been in operation between here and Thompson Falls since that time. From here into Anaconda, the last gap of the work has just been completed, carrying 100,000 volts.

The new line will give Missoula four-way instead of two-way service, besides the energy from the Milltown plant.

Missoula will now have east and west connections over the new line in addition to the Milwaukee railway lines connections. Power from Thompson Falls had reached Missoula over the Milwaukee lines west from a connection at East Portal[1]. The Thompson Falls-Missoula-East Portal connections now complete one circuit, while the Missoula – Anaconda lines make another circuit by way of Butte and on the Milwaukee line.

Leaving Thompson Falls the line takes off northeast to the damsite at Polson. From there the line cuts through west of Ronan and crosses highway No. 93 between St. Ignatius and Ravalli just north of the Bison range. It goes over the hill north of Ravalli, crosses the highway and the Northern Pacific’s main line near the Jocko river and continues eastward south of the highway. From Evaro hill it follows a direct route into the Rattlesnake valley, passing over the hills north of Missoula.

From the Rattlesnake valley, a branch line connects with the substation plant in Missoula and makes a tieup with the Milwaukee’s line via the substation.

The main line continues on east from the Rattlesnake valley, going over Mount Jumbo and crosses highway No. 10 and the Missoula river at Marshall grade, onto the old Bandmann ranch between Missoula and Bonner. It goes south of the Milltown power plant and follows the Milwaukee railway line east to Bearmouth and turns off to the south to Anaconda.

Copper wire three quarters of an inch thick is being used. The weight of the wire is 6,000 pounds per mile. Ten carloads of insulators and 90 carloads of poles were used. The cross-arms with the insulators attached weigh 1,000 pounds each.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on April 3, 1937.

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