Kalispell, Montana

Sagas of the Wild West Kalispell, Montana

Kalispell, Montana

Overview

The Sagas of the Wild West RPG is set in a fictionalized version of the town of Kalispell.

Location and Geography

Latitude/Longitude: 48°11′52″ N, 114°18′58″ W

Elevation: 2,956 feet.

Kalispell is located in the Flathead Valley in the northwestern corner of the Montana Territory, seven miles north of Flathead Lake. The town lies between the region that will one day be Glacier National Park and the lake.

Flathead Lake

Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. The lake is a remnant of the ancient, massive glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula of the of the last interglacial era.

Length: 27.3 miles
Width: 15.5 miles
Surface Area: 197 square miles
Average Depth: 164.7 ft.
Maximum Depth: 370.7 ft.

Climate

Kalispell and Flathead county have a climate that is designated as a humid continental climate. This type of climatic region is typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, cold (sometimes severely cold in the northern areas) and snowy winters. Precipitation is usually distributed throughout the year, but often these regions do have dry seasons.

With the lake to the south and the other three sides protected by mountain ranges, the Flathead’s climate is surprisingly mild for an area this far north. This does not mean that it does not get cold! The winters are long, cold, and snowy while the summers are hot and dry. Spring and autumn are short and cool. Nights are much colder than daytime highs. Snow usually occurs from late October/early November to March.

History

Scottish born Ishmael Thornton accompanied the Lewis and Clark 1804-1806 expedition west. He served as their geologist. In 1808, Thornton and a couple of fur traders returned to the Flathead Valley and established the trading settlement of Kalispell, named for one of the local tribes of Native Americans. Thornton was accompanied by his Nez Perce wife, Kimi. While he and Kimi laid claim to the Chogun Valley and the small Chogun Mountain Range, the region around Kalispell began to grow as the fertile land lured in more settlers.

1867

Despite the fact that some of Whitefish's lawlessness occasionally spilled down the valley into Kalispell, everything was reasonably peaceful in Kalispell until Elias Steelgrave settled his family on his new ranch outside Whitefish. Since then, tensions have been on the rise although both towns maintain a veneer of civility with one another.

1870

Kalispell was officially chartered and incorporated.

Travel Notes

Nearest town: Whitefish - now a ghost town (15.6 miles north)

Nearest city: Missoula Mills (104 miles south)

Currently, the only way to get to Kalispell, Whitefish, or other locations in the northwest region of the Montana territory is by stage, wagon, horseback, and, in some limited areas, boat. The nearest railhead is a fictionalized private railroad that runs from Sacramento to Missoula.

Railroads: We plan on adding the establishment of a railroad as an ongoing story line. At this point in time, characters may not be owners of a railroad.