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 tallest, and certainly most obvious from a distance, is Pablo's water tower. Strangely, it is located not near the centre of town, but at the southwest corner, almost out of town. Perhaps the town is intended to expand in that direction.
Fairly tall and supported by round steel columns at each of four corners, the storage tank is a nearly spherical steel enclosure. Painted sky blue (or maybe T-Bird Blue), the tank has the word
PABLO on the north and south sides. As is the norm, the tower doubles as Pablo's cell tower.
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