Ever wish for a place where the tallest structures were the trees and local wildlife still outnumbered local human life? Look no farther than Whitefish, Montana.
Whitefish nestles at the northern edge of the Flathead Valley, which stretches 300 square miles and features numerous lakes, wild-scenic Rivers and is 
adjacent to Glacier National Park. Whitefish's location on the west side of the divide protects it from the extreme weather changes encountered in some other portions of Montana, making it ideal for year-round outdoor recreation.
The people of Whitefish are genuin ely friendly and down to earth. The town's low-key atmosphere tends to make this tight-knit community a happy, warm place to live and visit.
Whitefish has a proud history and a rich timber and railroad heritage.
The Stumptown Historical Society, located in the Whitefish Railway Depot, was founded in 1982 to preserve this history. The museum is home to railroad memorabilia from the turn of the century to the present. The Depot building, built in 1927 by the Great Northern Railway, is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
It is unknown when the first settlers came to this special place we call Whitefish. In the mid 1850’s trappers working the area found Indians catching native Whitefish from the lake, thus the name Whitefish.
It is known that the first permanent settler was John Morton who built a cabin in 1883 on the shore of the lake just west of the river mouth. Morton was joined by loggers, including the Baker and Hutchinson brothers, in the early 1890s. Loggers boomed up the logs behind a dam built by the Boston and Montana Commercial Company at the river mouth, which when opened, created a "splash" of water to help float the logs down Whitefish River to Kalispell.
In 1891 C. E. Ramsey built a hotel just west of the river and opened it in the summer of 1892, calling it The Lake View House. It had hammocks, croquet grounds, boat rentals and fishing for those coming in on horseback, as there were no roads. The Great Northern Railway entered the valley in 1891 and followed a route through Columbia Falls, Kalispell and 
on westward through Pleasant Valley and over the Salish Mountains. It was a difficult and tortuous grade up and down again on the other side. The railroad was looking to British Columbia, just north of the border, for coal to fuel its steam locomotives. It seemed eminently practical to build a rail line from Columbia Falls to Eureka, and thence to Fernie, B.C.; after all, such a route was a water grade all the way. And the Kootenai River flowed directly from Eureka to Libby. So the decision was made in the early 1900’s to reroute the Great Northern Railway from Columbia Falls to Eureka, and down to Libby, eliminating the difficult crossing of the Salish Mountains. A branch line extended northward from Eureka, accessing the desired coal near Fernie.
The new town site of Whitefish was surveyed and dedicated in June of 1903. Land was acquired, the rail yards were constructed, and a town was platted. Timber clearing and building began in earnest with most of the construction material being hauled in on a spur line built from Columbia Falls to the new site. The cut off was completed in August of 1904, and the first official passenger train came on October 4, 1904. In April of 1905, the town was incorporated. The town of Whitefish held its first council meeting in 1905.
Timber, farming and the railroad formed the economic foundation for Whitefish for the next fifty years. Summer cabins, made of logs and slabs, were built along the shores of Whitefish Lake. But as time progressed, the energy of the timber industry began to wane. Modern technology and equipment led to a severe shrinking in the work force of the railroad. The economy was on a skid downward.
A few adventurous folks discovered skiing in 1934, and began to hike to the upper reaches of Hellroaring Mountain, located just north of Whitefish, skiing down an open slope in the Hellroaring Basin. In 1947, they built a ski lift, and today we have Whitefish Mountain Resort, located at Big Mountain, which gives Whitefish an advantage many resort communities don’t have - year around recreational opportunities.
As 
Whitefish has declined as a timber and railroading community, it has risen as a retirement and recreational haven.
The Whitefish community has gained international recognition as a special place to get away from the rat race, a special place to live and raise a family. Whitefish is people, and its natural attractions have carried Whitefish through a number of evolutionary stages. The legend is that Whitefish is naturally inviting and a special place that will stay in your heart forever.
Today, Whitefish is an island of culture in an ocean of mountain recreation. Whitefish provides the unique opportunity to spend your days surroundedby nature on the ski slopes, hitting the trail, or on the rivers and your evenings in town enjoying a live music or live theatre.
Downtown Whitefish offers a unique mountain town experience ranging from rustic to elegant. A stroll downtown is likely to land you in a great bookstore or the local hardware store, where locals discuss their “to-do” lists over morning coffee. Country cafés mingle with gourmet restaurants; western bars saddle up right next to contemporary galleries.
North Valley Hospital recently finished it’s brand new building at Highways 93 and 40 with state-of-the-art technology and systems. The dramatic increase in the local population and tourist industry has created tremendous growth in the areas of surgery, maternity services, and emergencies.
Whitefish, Montana, as a place to get away from it all is an ideal location to find your dream home or property and enjoy a taste of beautiful wilderness in one of Montana's inviting communities. Come and enjoy Whitefish today, and consider making it your new Montana home town.
