Section D Page 1 Missoulian Centennial 1920 – 1940
1920 – 1940
By E. J. Erlandson
Centennial Editor
The Garden City continued to grow and prosper, in spite of a depression felt somewhat more lightly here than in most of the rest of the nation, during the two decades from 1920 to 1940.
As the era opened the city’s tallest office building, eight stories above the street level and two below, was being constructed on the site of the city’s first sawmill beside the Clark Fork River. This was the Smead-Simons Block, now known as the Wilma Building.
These two decades saw the expansion of the Federal Building twice as the Forest Service Region 1 headquarters staff grew with a steadily increasing emphasis on the conservation and replenishing of the region’s vast timber resources.
Aviation became an increasingly important part of the city’s economy with establishment of the Johnson Flying Service, construction and improvement of Hale Field east and south of the fairgrounds and arrival of Northwest Airlines service. And the huge new Missoula County Airport west of the city was under construction as the period came to a close.
Three of the city’s most spectacular and costly fires occurred. Missoula County High School’s newly expanded plant on Higgins avenue was gutted by fire Sept. 15, 1931, the Hammond Block was destroyed by fire Oct. 10, 1932, and Hotel Florence, for the second time in 23 years, was demolished by flames Sept. 24, 1936.
A barrage of initials arrived in the 1930s – the NRA, CCC, NYA, WPA, PWA etc. – with the Civilian Conservation Corps bringing a large number of young men from the east to work in this area.
The number of schools in School District 1 increased by one, but four new buildings were constructed. Missoula County High School continued a steady growth, finding it necessary to add a large south wing in 1931, then rebuild the entire building because of fire. The University during this 20 years grew from a five-building campus to one of 17 permanent buildings, 27 in all, counting the wooden structures.
The city continued to expand its religious facilities with new and beautiful churches constructed. Many congregations got their start during this period in the Garden City area.