Lake County
Place Names

Towns, Communities & Post Offices:                                                                      1937 Post Road Map – Lake County

·         Agency - Historical post office: 1872-1874.

·         Allard - Historical place.

·         Allentown - Populated place.

·         Arlee - Post office: opened 1882-1885 as Flat Head, name changed to Arlee, 1885-present. Community began in 1856 with the establishment of the Jocko Agency by the U. S. Government. Served as the trade center for the Jocko Valley and the Flathead Indian Reservation. Named after War Chief Alee.

·         Bear Dance - Community on the east shore of Flathead Lake. Bear Dance Ranch founded by Henry Chapman in 1893.

·         Big Arm - Post office: 1911-1933, 1949-present. Named for "big arm" of Flathead Lake. Located on west shore.

·         Charlo (Tabor) - Post office: 1918-present. First named for E. F. Tabor, a reclamation engineer. Renamed in 1918 for Chief Charlo.

·         D'Aste - Historical post office: 1914-1917. Historical railroad station. Community once had a school. Located near Charlo.

·         Dayton - Post office: 1893-present. First site of town was over 2 miles away. Post office moved in 1893 onto the Flathead Reservation and retained the name in the new location.

·         Dunham - Populated place near Ronan.

·         Dupuis - Railroad station location.

·         Elmo - Post office: 1911-present. Named for David Elmo (Elmier or Elemie), an Indian who lived in the area. First site was about a mile northeast of present location.

·         Eudora - Historical post office: 1912-1919. Small town once located about 6 miles west of Elmo.

·         Ferndale - Community that once had a school.

·         Ferry - Historical trading post near Polson.

·         Flat Head - Historical post office: 1867-1868. Historical railroad station location.

·         Fletcher - Historical railroad station location.

·         Fort Connah - Early Hudson's Bay trading post. Also known as Flathead Post. Located north of St. Ignatius.

·         Garcon Gulch - Community northeast of Hot Springs named after G. "Garcon" DeMers, an early cattle rancher in the area.

·         Gildart - Historical locale near Swan Lake.

·         Glen - Historical post office: 1898-1903, 1910-1914. Community that once had a school.

·         Hog Heaven - Community south of Elmo in the Big Draw. Once had a school.

·         Horte (Round Butte) - Historical post office: opened 1913 as Horte, name changed 1920 to Round Butte, closed 1954. Farming community named after a homesteader and storekeeper named Horte. Name later changed to Round Butte because the post office was located in the Round Butte Merchantile, which was two miles down the road. Round Butte is a prominent hill in the area.

·         Irvine Flats - Community named after Billy Irvine, an early cattle rancher in the area.

·         Jocko - Historical post office: 1890-1914.

·         Lake Mary Ronan - Populated place.

·         Leon - Historical post office: 1912-1916. From 1910-1920 Leon was a small village located between St. Ignatius and Charlo and once had a school.

·         Lindisfarne - Populated place. Also known as Camp Marshall. On Wild Horse Island.

·         Long Beach - Historical locale near Big Fork.

·         Meltons - Populated place.

·         Moiese - Historical post office: 1918-1960. Historical railroad station location. Farming community homesteaded in 1910 and that once had a school.

·         Mountain View - Historical community northeast of Pablo that once had a school.

·         Norrisvale - Historical post office: 1913-1917.

·         Pablo - Post office: 1917-present. Town named for Michel Pablo, cattleman and buffalo herder.

·         Polson - Post office: 1898-present. First settlement on the banks of Flathead Lake. Known variously as Pie de lai, Eneas, Foot of the Lake and Lambert's Landing. Named Polson in 1898 for David Polson, pioneer rancher. Town incorporated in 1910.

·         Post Creek - Community that was once the location of the Post Creek Pavillion.

·         Proctor - Post office: 1910-present. First site of the town of Dayton. When the post office was spirited away, the site took the new name of Proctor after Clarence E. Proctor, who started a new post office. Proctor once had a school.

·         Radio (Seines) - Historical post office: opened 1916-1922 as Seines, reopened 1923, name changed to Radio, 1927-1942. Trading post serving Irvine Flats area. First named Seines for John Seines, a homesteader. Name later changed to Radio. A school was once located here.

·         Ravalli - Historical post office: 1887-1983. First known as Selish. Probably renamed for the Jesuit Anthony Ravalli who built an early mission in the Bitterroot Valley.

·         Reclamation - Historical railroad station location.

·         Rollins - Post office: 1904-present. First known as Bayview. Renamed after Rherault or Thenault Rollins, the first postmaster. A school was once located here.

·         Ronan - Post office: 1894-present. First named Spring Creek in the 1880's. Renamed Ronan Springs in honor of Major Peter Ronan, Indian Agent. Name later shortened to Ronan. Town incorporated in 1912.

·         Round Butte (Horte) - Historical post office: opened 1913 as Horte, name changed to Round Butte, 1920-1954. Farming community named after a homesteader and storekeeper named Horte. Name later changed to Round Butte because the post office was located in the Round Butte Merchantile, two miles down the road. Round Butte is a prominent hill in the area. The community once had a school.

·         Saint Ignatius (aka Mission) - Post office: 1872-present. First known by the Indians as The Rendezvous or Meeting Place. Oldest town, founded in 1854 when Jesuits established the Saint Ignatius Mission. Incorporated in 1938.

·         Salmon Prairie - Populated place.

·         Salomons Spur - Historical railroad station location near East Bay.

·         Seines (Radio) - Historical post office: opened 1916-1922 as Seines, reopened 1923, name changed to Radio, 1927-1942. A trading post serving Irvine Flats area. First named Seines for John Seines, a homesteader. Name later changed to Radio.

·         Sipes - Populated place.

·         Spring Valley - Historical community that once had a school. Located near the Buffalo Bridge.

·         Swan Lake - Historical post office: 1915-1960.

·         Tabor (Charlo) - Post office: 1918-present. First named Tabor after E. F. Tabor, a reclamation engineer. Renamed in 1918 for Chief Charlo.

·         Valley View - Community near Polson.

·         Woods Bay - First settled in 1891 by J. C. Wood. Located on east shore of Flathead Lake.

Sources: The Fabulous Flathead, In the Shadows of the Missions,
Geographic Names Information System, and various maps

Post Route Map of the State of Montana (1937) – at the Montana Memories Project

Go to MTGenWeb Site

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Last updated October 3, 2015

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Lake County Place Names

Towns, Communities & Post Offices: 1937 Post Road Map – Lake County

· Agency - Historical post office: 1872-1874.

· Allard - Historical place.

· Allentown - Populated place.

· Arlee - Post office: opened 1882-1885 as Flat Head, name changed to Arlee, 1885-present. Community began in 1856 with the establishment of the Jocko Agency by the U. S. Government. Served as the trade center for the Jocko Valley and the Flathead Indian Reservation. Named after War Chief Alee.

· Bear Dance - Community on the east shore of Flathead Lake. Bear Dance Ranch founded by Henry Chapman in 1893.

· Big Arm - Post office: 1911-1933, 1949-present. Named for "big arm" of Flathead Lake. Located on west shore.

· Charlo (Tabor) - Post office: 1918-present. First named for E. F. Tabor, a reclamation engineer. Renamed in 1918 for Chief Charlo.

· D'Aste - Historical post office: 1914-1917. Historical railroad station. Community once had a school. Located near Charlo.

· Dayton - Post office: 1893-present. First site of town was over 2 miles away. Post office moved in 1893 onto the Flathead Reservation and retained the name in the new location.

· Dunham - Populated place near Ronan.

· Dupuis - Railroad station location.

· Elmo - Post office: 1911-present. Named for David Elmo (Elmier or Elemie), an Indian who lived in the area. First site was about a mile northeast of present location.

· Eudora - Historical post office: 1912-1919. Small town once located about 6 miles west of Elmo.

· Ferndale - Community that once had a school.

· Ferry - Historical trading post near Polson.

· Flat Head - Historical post office: 1867-1868. Historical railroad station location.

· Fletcher - Historical railroad station location.

· Fort Connah - Early Hudson's Bay trading post. Also known as Flathead Post. Located north of St. Ignatius.

· Garcon Gulch - Community northeast of Hot Springs named after G. "Garcon" DeMers, an early cattle rancher in the area.

· Gildart - Historical locale near Swan Lake.

· Glen - Historical post office: 1898-1903, 1910-1914. Community that once had a school.

· Hog Heaven - Community south of Elmo in the Big Draw. Once had a school.

· Irvine Flats - Community named after Billy Irvine, an early cattle rancher in the area.

· Jocko - Historical post office: 1890-1914.

· Lake Mary Ronan - Populated place.

· Leon - Historical post office: 1912-1916. From 1910-1920 Leon was a small village located between St. Ignatius and Charlo and once had a school.

· Lindisfarne - Populated place. Also known as Camp Marshall. On Wild Horse Island.

· Long Beach - Historical locale near Big Fork.

· Meltons - Populated place.

· Moiese - Historical post office: 1918-1960. Historical railroad station location. Farming community homesteaded in 1910 and that once had a school.

· Mountain View - Historical community northeast of Pablo that once had a school.

· Norrisvale - Historical post office: 1913-1917.

· Pablo - Post office: 1917-present. Town named for Michel Pablo, cattleman and buffalo herder.

· Polson - Post office: 1898-present. First settlement on the banks of Flathead Lake. Known variously as Pie de lai, Eneas, Foot of the Lake and Lambert's Landing. Named Polson in 1898 for David Polson, pioneer rancher. Town incorporated in 1910.

· Post Creek - Community that was once the location of the Post Creek Pavillion.

· Proctor - Post office: 1910-present. First site of the town of Dayton. When the post office was spirited away, the site took the new name of Proctor after Clarence E. Proctor, who started a new post office. Proctor once had a school.

· Radio (Seines) - Historical post office: opened 1916-1922 as Seines, reopened 1923, name changed to Radio, 1927-1942. Trading post serving Irvine Flats area. First named Seines for John Seines, a homesteader. Name later changed to Radio. A school was once located here.

· Ravalli - Historical post office: 1887-1983. First known as Selish. Probably renamed for the Jesuit Anthony Ravalli who built an early mission in the Bitterroot Valley.

· Reclamation - Historical railroad station location.

· Rollins - Post office: 1904-present. First known as Bayview. Renamed after Rherault or Thenault Rollins, the first postmaster. A school was once located here.

· Ronan - Post office: 1894-present. First named Spring Creek in the 1880's. Renamed Ronan Springs in honor of Major Peter Ronan, Indian Agent. Name later shortened to Ronan. Town incorporated in 1912.

· Saint Ignatius (aka Mission) - Post office: 1872-present. First known by the Indians as The Rendezvous or Meeting Place. Oldest town, founded in 1854 when Jesuits established the Saint Ignatius Mission. Incorporated in 1938.

· Salmon Prairie - Populated place.

· Salomons Spur - Historical railroad station location near East Bay.

· Seines (Radio) - Historical post office: opened 1916-1922 as Seines, reopened 1923, name changed to Radio, 1927-1942. A trading post serving Irvine Flats area. First named Seines for John Seines, a homesteader. Name later changed to Radio.

· Sipes - Populated place.

· Spring Valley - Historical community that once had a school. Located near the Buffalo Bridge.

· Swan Lake - Historical post office: 1915-1960.

· Tabor (Charlo) - Post office: 1918-present. First named Tabor after E. F. Tabor, a reclamation engineer. Renamed in 1918 for Chief Charlo.

· Valley View - Community near Polson.

· Woods Bay - First settled in 1891 by J. C. Wood. Located on east shore of Flathead Lake.

Lake County
Place Names