Slant Street Neighborhood (Missoula, Montana)

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  Susan Flanagin

  From Missoula the Way it Was: "In the 1880's two lawyers named W. J. Stephens and W.M Pickford began planning a town called South Missoula. Up until that time there were few houses on the south side of the river. At the south End of the Higgins Avenue bridge was a wagon road connecting Missoula with the fort and the Bitterrroot Valley. The road was used a great deal. Bickford and Stephens had land on either side of this road. They plotted out their land with the streets running parallel and perpendicular to the wagon road. The section of the wagon road going through South Missoula was widened and called Stephens Avenue. This road was to be the main street in the town. Judge Knowles owned land between the river and the Stephens-Bickford project. He thought he might as well divide his land up and sell lots. He also believed it was ridiculous to lay out streets diagonal to the section lines so he made his parallel and perpendicular to those lines. He wasn't interested in becoming part of South Missoula so he asked the city of Missoula if his land could become part of that city and his request was granted." There is more in the book.

  9 years ago | reply | hide comment