On Jan. 4, 1892, the Great Falls Opera House, located at 113 3rd Street North, opened its doors. The evening was billed as "never-to-be-forgotten".
Postcard image
Photo courtesy of Richard and Carol Ecke as published in Great Falls Memories ~ Volume 1 
4 comments:
Thanks for this very nostalgic moment in our history, and I wonder what Paris Gibson would think now, as he orginally envisioned Great Falls as the Minneapolis of the West, very innovative and progressive.
Gibson was also the developer of a coal mine and several heavy industrial projects. He knew Great Falls needed a strong industrial base to support parks and culture.
Yes Brett he was a visionary utilizing the resources of his day. Why not take a lesson and try doing the same yourself for Great Falls and our state. In case you have not noticed since your arrival, the wind blows here, please take note! Get your head set out of the 20th century and wake up please. You have the opportunity, use it......
We've been working hard to attract investment in wind energy and transmission for the region which has already started to produce results with much more to come. I believe we have our heads in the 21st century and are wide awake, staying abreast of current and future opportunities for the region. We also have to be rooted in market realities because our job is to attract investment to the region.
We are trying to utilize today's assets: our workforce skills, entrepreneurial talent, education and research institutions, existing industry clusters, agricultural products, energy, infrastructure and natural resources. We are active in two leading clean energy trade organizations, the American Wind Energy Association and the American Council on Renewable Energy. We read the latest publications, and network with industry, finance and research leaders. We have commissioned in depth competitive analyses on energy, agriprocessing, entrepreneurial niches and data centers; studies which include interviews with hundreds of entrepreneurs, community leaders, farmers and ranchers in the region.
The point I was trying to make in my earlier posting was that the City of Great Falls needs a diversified industrial tax base and profitable companies in order to support parks and cultural institutions. Look at the companies that make the museums, symphony, ball park, recreation facilities and many other things in our community possible. If we do not build a stronger industrial and commercial tax base, public service budgets will continue to be more and more constrained. I would love to have more resources to do more to revitalize downtown, improve our parks, build more affordable housing and invest in many other things that make a community a special place to live.
If you'd like to learn more about what we're doing, give me a call and we can get together for a cup of coffee.
Brett Doney
Great Falls Development Authority
406/771-9030
bdoney@gfevelopment.org
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