Editing Kalispell, Montana (section)

==History==
===Early founding===
The first European settler to explore the Flathead Valley was likely surveyor [[Peter Fidler]] of the Hudson's Bay Company in the 18th century. From 1870, permanent settlement and the introduction of livestock brought permanent changes, as did the near-eradication of local bison populations.<ref name="flatheadwatershed">{{cite web | url=http://www.flatheadwatershed.org/cultural_history/exploration.shtml | title=Cultural History-Brief History of the People }}</ref>

In 1884, a short-lived town called Ashley was founded where Kalispell is today. Three years later nearby '''Demersville''' was founded. Demersville quickly grew to be the largest town in the area, but when the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railroad]] bypassed the town it was abandoned just as quickly, with people moving the short distance to the new town of Kalispell.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nwmthistory.org/exhibitions/greetings-from-demersville/ | title=Greetings from Demersville – Northwest Montana History Museum }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/05/19/short-wild-life-demersville/ | title=The Short Wild Life of Demersville | date=May 19, 2021 }}</ref>

===Railroad expansion and incorporation===
[[File:Montana - Kalispell - NARA - 23941947 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of Kalispell, 1925]]
As the Great Northern Railroad built its continent-spanning railroad line in the 19th century, a need for a [[Divisional point]] in the Flathead Valley was identified. Using his own capital, Charles Edward Conrad, a businessman and banker from [[Fort Benton, Montana]], formed the Kalispell Townsite Company with three other men, all from Great Northern board of directors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flathead.mt.gov/courthouse/history.php|title=History of the Courthouse|publisher=County of Flathead|access-date=December 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426022232/http://flathead.mt.gov/courthouse/history.php|archive-date=April 26, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The town took its name from [[Pend d'Oreilles|the local native tribe]], adding an extra "L" for good measure. "Kalispell" is a [[Salishan languages|Salish]] word meaning "flat land above the lake".<ref name="flatheadwatershed"/>

The townsite was quickly [[plat]]ted, and lots began selling by the spring of 1891. Kalispell was officially incorporated as a city in 1892,<ref>{{cite web |title=Brief History of the Flathead Valley |url=http://www.fcvb.org/historyoftheflathead.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060706150927/http://www.fcvb.org/historyoftheflathead.php |archive-date=July 6, 2006 |access-date=November 23, 2011 |publisher=Flathead Convention & Visitor Bureau}}</ref> and Conrad built a large [[Charles E. Conrad Mansion|mansion]] there in 1895.<ref name="Conrad Mansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.conradmansion.com/index.html|title=Conrad Mansion Museum|access-date=October 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005151914/http://www.conradmansion.com/index.html|archive-date=October 5, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since that time, the city has continued to grow in population, reaching 19,927 in 2010. This growth persisted despite the railroad being rerouted from its original route over Haskell Pass, via Kalispell and Marion, Montana, to a more circuitous but flatter route via Whitefish and Eureka already in 1904.

===Growth and formation of county seat===
[[File:Kalispell Main Street Historic District sign on Main St.jpg|thumb|left|Main Street, Kalispell]]
As the largest city in northwest Montana, Kalispell serves as the county seat and commercial center of [[Flathead County, Montana|Flathead County]]. The city is considered a secondary trade center with a trade area of approximately 130,000. The city is home to Logan Health Medical Center, which has a 150-bed hospital facility.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nwhc.org/krmc/content/index.cfm?cm_id=44 |title=About Us : Logan Health Medical Center: Northwest Healthcare |publisher=Nwhc.org |access-date=December 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410191008/http://www.nwhc.org/krmc/content/index.cfm?cm_id=44 |archive-date=April 10, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The railroad history through Kalispell ended in 2018 when the city purchased and tore up the long abandoned track through the city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2018/09/05/the-end-of-the-line/ | title=The End of the Line | date=September 5, 2018 }}</ref> The city of Kalispell removed the remaining downtown trackage, relocating the railroad to ''Glacier Rail Park'', a new industrial park<ref>{{cite web|title=Glacier Rail Park|url=http://www.kalispellcoreandrail.com/glacier-rail-park.html|accessdate=April 3, 2017}}</ref> just north of town and abandoning {{Convert|2.4|mi}} of the original route.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kalispell Saying Goodbye to Original Downtown Railroad Route|url=http://flatheadbeacon.com/2017/01/19/kalispell-saying-goodbye-original-downtown-railroad-route/|website=Flathead Beacon, January 19, 2017|date=January 19, 2017|accessdate=April 3, 2017}}</ref>

Nestled in the Flathead valley, Kalispell is {{convert|31|mi|km}} from [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park]] and {{convert|22|mi|km}} from [[Hungry Horse Dam]]. Skiers have access to [[Whitefish Mountain Resort]] on Big Mountain and [[Blacktail Mountain Ski Area]], each {{convert|17|mi|km}} away. [[Flathead Lake]], the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi river, is {{convert|7|mi|km}} away.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kalispellmontana.com/history.asp |title=Kalispell Montana History |publisher=Kalispellmontana.com |date=December 16, 2013 |access-date=December 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221035936/http://www.kalispellmontana.com/history.asp |archive-date=December 21, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Buffalo Hill Golf Club]], designed by [[Robert Muir Graves]],<ref name="Graves designer">{{cite news|title=Graves one of handful who designs courses|publisher=The Daily Inter Lake|date=June 27, 1976}}</ref> serves golfers in the region.

The tribal schools nearby offer classes in the [[Montana Salish language|Kalispel–Spokane–Flathead language]], a [[language nest]], and intensive language training for adults.<ref>{{cite web| title = Language| work = Kalispel Tribe| access-date = February 18, 2013| url = http://kalispeltribe.com/our-tribe/language| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140502001845/http://kalispeltribe.com/our-tribe/language| archive-date = May 2, 2014| url-status = live}}</ref> There is a Salish language school and training center in nearby Arlee, Montana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salishschool.org/|title=Welcome to the Nk̓ʷusm Website - Nḱwusm Salish School|website=www.salishschool.org|access-date=September 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122232714/http://salishschool.org/|archive-date=November 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Legal assault on homeless population===
In 2023, Kalispell became nationally known for its violent actions against the [[homeless]] population in the town. The city government had previously begun passing [[Local ordinance|ordinances]] in 2022 that punished anyone that helped homeless people in Kalispell, such as giving out food, supplies, or money. They also shut off water and electricity in the local park so it couldn't be utilized by homeless in the area. The county commissioners also released an open letter calling on residents to actively unite against the homeless, which resulted in groups of younger people violently assaulting homeless in the town. The ''[[New York Times]]'' published an article in January 2024 about the homeless population of Kalispell, noting that many were residents who had recently undergone financial trouble that led to them losing their homes, such as having a divorce.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Mike |date=January 9, 2024 |title=A City's Campaign Against Homelessness Brings Stories of Violence |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/09/us/homelessness-violence-kalispell-montana.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=July 19, 2024}}</ref>

The city council revoked the permit of the town's homeless shelter in September 2024,<ref>{{cite news |last=Underhill |first=Jack |date=September 17, 2024 |title=Kalispell City Council revokes overnight homeless shelter's permit |url=https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2024/sep/17/kalispell-city-council-revokes-overnight-homeless-shelters-permit/ |work=[[Daily Inter Lake]] |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref> forcing the closure of its [[warming center]] in October 2024, putting much of the homeless population at risk of death during winter months as noted by the shelter's director.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bolton |first=Aaron |date=October 16, 2024 |title=Kalispell shelter closure puts homeless people in dire risk, director says |url=https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2024-10-16/kalispell-shelter-closure-puts-homeless-people-in-dire-risk-director-says |work=[[Montana Public Radio]] |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref> The shelter filed a lawsuit that same month against the city, arguing that the city council had failed to present any violation of local law or ordinances by the shelter that would support the revocation of the permit. The federal judge overseeing the court case approved a [[preliminary injunction]] in November 2024 that allowed the warming center to remain open for the duration of the case.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Blair |date=November 7, 2024 |title=Judge grants injunction allowing Flathead Warming Center to reopen for overnight services |url=https://dailymontanan.com/2024/11/07/judge-grants-injunction-allowing-flathead-warming-center-to-reopen-for-overnight-services/ |work=[[Daily Montanan]] |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>