Downtown Missoula
| Downtown Missoula | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | |
 |
|
| Country | United States |
| Government | |
| Area | |
| • Neighborhood | 2.05 sq mi (5.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,205 ft (975 m) |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Neighborhood | 2,138 |
| • Urban | 68,876 |
| • Metro | 108,623 |
| Time zone | North American Mountain Time Zone |
| Website | missouladowntown.com |
Downtown Missoula is the central business district in Missoula, Montana, and West-Central Montana. Downtown Missoula's rough boundaries are the Clark Fork River to its south, Madison St. to its east, the old U.S 93 highway/ North Orange St. to its west, and West Alder St. to its north, though parts south of the Clark Fork River are also at times mentioned. It is home to Ogren Park at Allegiance Field which is the venue for the Missoula Osprey. Downtown is also home to several parks, and historic buildings such as the Wilma Building.
Missoula never "boomed" as many western Montana towns did as a consequence of the gold rush, though the town did grow rapidly, and by 1872 the town had 66 new buildings. Higgins and Worden established the town's first stores and banks, but by 1876 the pair faced its largest competition and rivalry from Eddy, Hammond and company, who established the Missoula Mercantile Company. By the 1880s growth had slowed, but the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883 caused growth to accelerate again and Territorial Governor Benjamin F. Potts approved a charter for the Town of Missoula. The need for lumber for the railway and its bridges spurred the opening of multiple saw mills in the area and, in turn, the beginning of Missoula's lumber industry. The economic frenzy led to the construction of many of the historic buildings in downtown today. In particular, architect A. J. Gibson arrived in the late 1880s and designed many of Missoula's most recognizable buildings, including the Missoula County Courthouse and the University of Montana's Main Hall. Ole Bakke created and constructed the Wilma Building, the first steel-framed structure in Missoula (second in Montana) at its completion in 1921.
Some significant events in the 20th century in Downtown Missoula included: Street cars being introduced in 1910 (but were replaced by buses in 1932). In 1969 the current city hall was completed. The last passenger train left from Missoula in 1979. A carousel for Missoula opened in May 1995. The Modern era began when all the logging yards in Missoula, once the basis of Missoula's economy, had totally vanished. After logging vanished the Missoula Downtown association was formed. Some of Missoula's largest modern buildings include: the First Interstate Center (Missoula), the First Security Bank, the new St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, and the tallest Building in downtown, the Millennium Building. The Garlington Building (Missoula, Montana) was completed in Fall of 2010; adding another building to the skyline of Missoula. Currently under construction is the East Front Parking structure. It was scheduled to be completed in Fall of 2012.
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Wikipedia