This is a series of micro-caches commemorating the lost historical towns in the Flathead Valley. In most cases nothing is left of the original town site, however using anecdotal evidence and a late 1990s U.S. Geological Survey project that pinned down the approximate area where these towns' post offices were located, we have placed these caches in the general vicinity. In cases where the land is privately owned, the cache will be at least within eye-shot.
In order to distinguish between an actual town (like Salish or Demersville) and a general area (like Half Moon or Deer Park) we have taken our definition verbatim from the most valuable resource we found while researching these lost places, the book "Muscle, Grit And Big Dreams Earliest Towns of the Upper Flathead 1872-1891" by Carle F. O'Neil, O'Neil Printers, 1996. A town is, "A collection of houses and other buildings wherein at least minimal human services are formally provided and exchanged, and where a public post office has been established."
The above photograph shows the Mary Ann and the State of Montana docking at Demersville. Steam driven paddle wheel boats were common on Flathead Lake at the time and made regular trips from Polson to Demersville. The cache is located on Lower Valley Road, just slightly north of where Demersville was platted.
Some interesting facts about Demersville Montana:
- In 1886 W.H. Gregg and William Penny started a new ferry service at the Foy's Bend area of the Flathead River.
- Later that same year, Telesphore Jacques DeMers attempted to purchase land in the nearby town of Ashley, however, Ashley merchants conspired to keep him out of the town by setting the then exhorbitant price of $5000 for the land he wished to develop. W.H. Gregg made him a better offer and DeMers set up a mercantile and a warehouse at Foy's Bend.
- John E. Clifford established a post office in 1888. The new town is called Clifford for a total of six months until the town merchants oust Clifford, setting up G.H. Adams as the new postmaster, and officially changing the name of the town to Demersville.
- Don't feel too bad for John Clifford though. He stayed on in Demersville and started a lucrative real estate business with his partner George F. Stannard. He also became the first and only mayor of Demersville in 1891.
- During its heyday Demersville reached a population of about 1500 people and included several general mercantiles, two hotels, several saloons, a jail, a city hall, a bank, graded streets, a school, two photo studios, medical and dental services, and a red light district.
- Many of the Ashley merchants who had conspired against DeMers' initial land purchase, quickly established their own stores in the new community. Among these were: J.H. Foy's saloon, Plume's drugstore, and G.H. Adams general mercantile.
- James J. Hill, the owner of the Great Northern Railroad, with significant help from Charles E. Conrad, established their railroad transfer point several miles northeast of Demersville in 1891. Though it was initially used as a storage site for the Kalispell building materials, Demersville was dead by the end of the next year. Most businesses packed up and moved to Kalispell, and what was left was destroyed in a fire.
- The Demersville cemetary is the only part of the town that still stands today.
- In all Demersville lasted about five years from 1888-1892.