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1960 - 1969

The 1960 census ranked Great Falls as the most populous city in the state. With 55,244 people at the beginning of the decade, we lost out to Billings by 1970, taking the No.2 spot with only 60,091. The beginning of the Sixties found 31,700 farms in the state, with 66.7 million acres in production and by 1970 that number had dwindled to 26,400 farms with 5 million fewer growing acres. The size of an average farm increased from 2,100 acres in 1960 to over 2,400 ten years later. Prices per hundredweight 1960 1970 Cattle $19.60 $27.00 Calves $24.50 $35.50 Hogs $15.00 $22.40 Sheep $5.10 $6.80 Lambs $16.10 $26.10 Prices per Bushel Wheat $1.66 $1.31 Oats $0.57 $0.53 Barley $0.66 $0.78 Rye $0.58 $0.72 Corn $1.19 $1.40 Hay (per ton) $32.20 $24.60 For the first time since Gibson Dam was built on Sun River (1929), water came pouring over its top the night of Sunday, June 7, 1964. " The huge reservoir, swollen by heavy snow melt and pounding rains, spilled its overflow down the face of the 200-foot-high barrier into the Sun. The floodwater tumbled downstream, chewing at roads, ripping out a campground and gathering more water from smaller streams at flood stage. [Early Victims] This was the start of the flood that enveloped all of the Sun River Valley and a large area in West Great Falls, where the Sun empties into the Missouri River.[The "Big Picture"] This was not the only flood story in Montana in June, 1964. Elsewhere in north central, northwestern and central Montana, streams became rivers and rivers rampaged far beyond their courses as the water rushed down out of the high country. [Udall visits Browning] The second week of June, 1964, was Flood Week with a terrible toll of life and property, and immeasurable amount of human anguish and suffering." [Getting a hand up] From Great Falls Tribune-Leader pub., Montana Flood, 1964 Montana's Mike Mansfield elected U.S. Senate majority leader. Story by Peter Johnson, Tribune Staff Writer. More about Mike

1960 Census: State Population: 674,767 Male: 343,743 Female: 331,024 Great Falls Pop: 55,244 Top Cities 1. Great Falls - 55,244 2. Billings - 52,851 3. Butte - 27,877 4. Missoula - 27,090 5. Helena - 20,227 Governors: J.Hugo Aronson(R) (1950-61) Donald Nutter(R) (1961-62) Tim Babcock(R) (1962-69) Forrest Anderson (D) (1969-72) U.S. Senators: James E. Murray (D) (1934-61) Mike Mansfield (D) (1952-76) Lee Metcalf (D) (1961-78) U.S. Representatives: Lee Metcalf (D) (1953-61) Leroy Anderson (D) (1957-61) Arnold Olsen (D) (1961-71) John Melcher (D) (1969-76) James Battin (R) (1962-69) 1960 - The nation's first intercontinental ballistic missile site is operational under control of Malmstrom Air Force Base. 1961 - Mike Mansfield accepts role as U.S. Senate majority leader. 1961 - Second powerhouse is built at Fort Peck. 1962 - Governor Nutter killed in plane crash, January 25th, in the mountains near Wolf Creek. Two aids and three Montana Air National Guard crewmen also perished. 1963 - President John F. Kennedy visited Great Falls September 26th. 100,000 people lined streets and jammed Memorial Stadium to hear him speak. That same day a roof-top gunfight occurred along 2nd Avenue North. 1963 - Lawrence Welk and the Lennon Sisters were a smash hit at the State Fair 1963 - September 12, Retired federal judge Charles Pray died at his home at 1401 4th Ave No at age 95. He has served 33 years on the federal bench; longer than any other federal judge in the U.S. 1963 - Chief Joseph and Sacajawea Elementary Schools open. 1964 - Wilderness Act is passed. 1964 - Montana experienced devastating floods accounting for 35 deaths. 1964 - State celebrates its Territorial Centennial. 1964 - John Kennedy bought The Electric City Conservatory from widow Marguerite Burrell. She and her husband, Charlie, had started the business in 1907. 1965 - Reapportionment of Montana Legislature ordered by federal court. 1966 - The Valeria Library was torn down at 2nd Avenue North and 3rd Street. 1967 - Longest copper strike in Montana's history. 1967 - Clean Air Act enacted by Montana Legislature. 1967 - New Great Falls Public Library is completed at the location of the old Valeria Library. 1967 - July: California Governor Ronald Reagan drops in for a visit with Norma Ashby and Montana Governor Tim Babcock. 1968 - Libby Dam begun on Kootenai River. Yellowtail Dam on Bighorn River completed. 1969 - Large-scale strip mining began at Colstrip. 1969 - Constitutional Revision Committee established to review 1889 Constitution. 1969 - Northern Pacific, Great Northern and Burlington Railroads merge as Burlington-Northern. 1969 - The Great Falls Vocational & Technical Center (now MSU Great Falls College of Technology) opened its doors.

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Credits:
Great Falls - A Pictorial History
by William J. Furdell
and Elizabeth Lane Furdell

Great Falls Tribune-Leader
for the publication "Montana Flood 1964"

The Great Falls Tribune
Montana Parade, Jul 25, 1999

The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center

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