Established a bit later than most other towns in the region, Pablo came to life in 1917, with the coming of a branch line of the Northern Pacific Railway. Its location in an agricultural area is betrayed by the presence of a pair of grain elevators which still stand. Both now graffiti covered, they appear to have fallen into disuse. The other two most noticeable structures in the town would be the town water tower and the pedestrian bridge.
The bridge, a very long steel truss bridge, spans the four lane divided highway at the south end of the
Salish Kootenai College, a tribal college with an enrollment of about 1,200 located on the Flathead Indian Reservation, as is Pablo itself. While the college is at the east end of the bridge, the headquarters of the
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation is off the west end.
The
$3.2 million bridge was built in a single span of 265 feet in length, supported by stone faced concrete piers, with 60 foot tall steel tipi structures at each end. Owned by the Montana Department of Transportation, the bridge was designed by MacArthur Means and Wells Architects of Missoula engineered by HDR Engineering, Inc. of Missoula, Mont. and constructed by Quality Construction of Missoula.
Pablo got its start in 1917, when the Northern Pacific Railway completed a branch line between Dixon and Polson. The town takes its name from Salish pioneer cattleman Michel Pablo, who is perhaps best known for his efforts to save the American bison from extinction. The timber industry was an early economic boon. Boosters predicted that Pablo would surpass Spokane, Washington, in size and importance, but by 1923 several disastrous fires had taken their toll and the dream of expansion diminished. Today Pablo is the headquarters of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and home to Salish-Kootenai College and the Sqelix’u/Aqtsmaknik, “The People’s” Cultural Center.
From the Montana Place Names Companion
We noticed that when the American Guide Series writers passed through in the mid '30s the population of Ronan stood at just 510. At just under 2,000 today, it has continued to grow at a steady, if not spectacular, pace. The entry from the American Guide Series book
Montana, A State Guide Book follows.
PABLO, 61.3 m. (3,100 alt, 150 pop.), a trading center for ranchers, was named for Michael Pablo, an Indian stockman, who reared a herd of bison in Flathead Valley. PABLO RESERVOIR (R) is a refuge for migratory waterfowl.
Between Pablo and St. Ignatius the route traverses the irrigated lands of the Flathead Indians. Between Pablo and Ronan, SHEEPSHEAD MOUNTAIN (L), named for its form, is in view.
From Montana, A State Guide Book, Page