“The boarders at the Montana hotel say the nearest case of (being) ‘talked to death’ which ever took place” happened at that Missoula hotel in 1897. Herman Hutter got so wound up about his favorite subject (the ice harvesting business), going on and on about it, that one of the boarders, Gustave Ohm, “actually fell on the floor before Hutter’s feet.” Ohm hadn’t literally … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: Missoula’s ‘ice economy’ was hot in the 1800s

The start of September in our household was, like it has been for most of the last 12 years, my cue to ask our sons, “What should Team Wunderkind do for SponCon this year?” And no, it’s not about what we should wear to an obscure local sci-fi/fantasy convention. It’s Spontaneous Construction, the mildly competitive, exhilaratingly fun contest held by Missoula’s own Home … [Read more...] about Sustainable Missoula: A family grows up with the fun (and ‘serious sustainability’) of SponCon

The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (S. 1765) represents the best of Montana politics: collaborative, consensus-based policy intended to benefit everyone who lives and recreates in the Blackfoot River watershed. Diverse stakeholder groups have spent years creating a comprehensive plan for one of the most productive and storied landscapes in all of Montana. I will note … [Read more...] about Backcountry Hunters and Anglers: Urge delegation to pass Blackfoot-Clearwater act

William James (W. J.) Stephens and his wife, the former Miss Emma H. Tebeau, were well known and well respected in the early days of Missoula. W.J. was born in Dublin, Ireland. As a teenager he became a sailor, ending up in Baltimore, then San Francisco, Virginia City, Nevada, and eventually Montana territory. Along the way he was tutored in law and passed the bar. The story … [Read more...] about Harmon’s Histories: Food for thought, the next time you drive down Stephens Avenue

When we think about reducing our community’s carbon emissions, buildings are a huge piece of the puzzle. Buildings comprise 52 percent of our community’s carbon footprint, a higher percentage than the national perspective, where the building sector represents 39 percent of national emissions. The need to think critically about how, where and what we build only becomes more … [Read more...] about Sustainable Missoula: Green building materials can reduce Missoula’s carbon footprint