Bigfork, Montana
The story of a town far from the common place Grab a map and take a short walk. See life as it was and how the village grew from a place that was "nothing more than cut-over stump land" to the nature, art and culture center it is now.
In 1889, Event Sliter purchased 140 acres here for $1380. With his wife, Lizzie Osborn, he planted 4000 fruit trees, rented out their 14-bedroom house and established a trading post. In 1901, he platted Bigfork into 100 lots and opened the first post office. Some of the streets, Osborn and Blenn, are named for his family members. Descendants of the Sliter family still live in the Bigfork area. Throughout the century, the buildings of Bigfork have come and gone, burned and built, changed and grown. Two of the oldest still standing are the Bank building (operating as a restaurant) and the Bigfork Mercantile (a shop and gallery). Electric Avenue was named for the first street to get electricity from the Power Plant located just across the Steel Bridge.
As for the name Bigfork... that is still a mystery. Some say it originated with an early resident from Bigfork, Minnesota. Others say it is named for two great rivers, the Flathead and the Swan, which meet here. To this day, no one really knows.
From the Sign