Click on the link below to read information posted from the Polson country schools collection including information on Irvine Flats history.


http://www.polson.k12.mt.us/phs/countryschools/irvineflats%20folder/irvineflats/Pages/irvineflats.htm

Some quotes from the compiled information include:


"Irvine Flats was named after William "Billy" Irvine. According to the book, "MONTANA ITS STORY AND BIOGRAPHY", Billy Irvine was "one of the acknowledged ranchers on good livestock, and every condition regarding the breeding, raising, care and marketing of stock in Montana."

and -

"The family were personal friends of Father Anthony Ravalli."

and -

"By 1886 Billy returned to the Flathead. He was staked to his first small herd, about 300 head, by Charles Allard, Sr. and located himself on 5000 acres on the west side of the river, about seventeen miles west of Polson"

and -

"Mrs. Irvine’s son Arthur Larrivee, who Billy raised, would later badly manage the ranch requiring the retired Billy to return and restore it to working condition."

and -

"Francis "Tat" Browne, a relative later managed and owned the ranch until the Swopes purchased 3200 acres of the original property."

To be continued -