Aug 4, 20233 min read

Our Secret Huckleberry Spot...

Updated: Aug 12, 2023

Hiking, Huckleberries, and Hole-in-Ones - more summer adventures in Whitefish!

Buried in the corner of the Whitefish Museum sits a secret stash of huckleberry…pickers! This month’s edition of Stumptown stories features more of our favorite summer activities like golf, hiking, and huckleberry picking. Stay to the end to see our secret stash of huckleberry pickers!

Pictured above are the “Caddies” in 1936. From left to right, Doug Smith, Billy Hall, and Rollie Smith stand in front of the original club house. If you look closely at the cars parked in front of the clubhouse, you’ll notice the same three cars in the photo of the club house below.

The Clubhouse at Whitefish Lake Golf Course - ca 1940 (photographer unknown)

The Clubhouse at the Whitefish Lake Golf Course, pictured here ca 1940, played a central role in the development of the golf course. Building the course was a massive community effort involving countless people, the City of Whitefish, federal grants, and the promise to use the fairways as runways. (Photographer unknown)

The cars parked in front of the Clubhouse look like the same ones pictured in the photo of the caddies above. We are offering a Sweet Peaks ice cream to anyone who can match those cars to their owners! Comment below or email info@stumptownhistoricalsociety.org with details.

Golfing under the Shadow of Big Mountain - ca 1955 (photographer unknown)

Fore! Pictured here, three golfers debate the quality of the green during an early season round while a snowy Big Mountain watches from the background, ca 1955 (photographer unknown).

Rumor has it that this fairway was one of the areas designated as emergency landing strips that allowed the golf course to receive federal grant funding for course construction. The Stumptown Historical Society team is hunting for any photo of a plane on these fairways! If you have one, please comment below and email us: info@stumptownhistoricalsociety.org.

Jack Creon going huckleberry picking early 20th century (photographer unknown)

Many things have changed in Whitefish since the early 20th century, but so many things are still the same:

Nothing beats the taste of fresh huckleberries
You can never have too many containers to store them in!
Bears love huckleberries
You better bring bear spray (Jack is pictured here with the early 20th century version of bear spray - a rifle!)

Boy Scouts Cross a Creek in Glacier National Park, ca 1920s (photographer unknown)

What's summer in Whitefish without hiking? This photo of the Scouts in Glacier is a long-time favorite of the Stumptown Historical Society crew. It captures the sense of exploration and adventure we all remember from childhood!

This clipping is from the Pilot on 3/10/1925 where the "Merchants of Whitefish" challenge the Scouts to a basketball game. Read the entire story below to find our why the "Merchants" were so desperate to challenge the Boy Scouts to a game of basketball!

Marion Lacy climbing a peak in Glacier - 1968 (photographer unknown)

Rarely seen in front of the camera, Marion Lacy is pictured here on his way to the summit of a peak in Glacier. Can you help us identify which peak this is? The photo contains the notation, "R20 Sum" but we have not been able to figure out where this photo was taken.

Our Secret Huckleberry Spot...is right here!

Buried in the corner of the Whitefish Museum sits a secret stash of huckleberry…pickers! These hand-made huckleberry pickers were discovered in an abandoned trapper cabin in the Whitefish range by Charlie Rogers.

Picker #1 is the nicest one of the bunch. It boasts welded seams and a design that keeps the berries from rolling out the front. Pickers #2 and #3 are made from oil cans. The spines on Picker #3 are formed by a handful of nails pounded through a piece of wood, which was then secured to the inside of salvaged oil can. Take a look at the pickers for yourself by visiting the Museum!