Somers, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Somers, Montana
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Location of Somers, Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Flathead |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.01 sq mi (7.78 km2) |
| • Land | 2.95 sq mi (7.64 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,920 ft (890 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,049 |
| • Density | 355.59/sq mi (137.31/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59932
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-69475 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0790849 |
Somers is a small community in Flathead County, Montana, United States. It is called a census-designated place (CDP) because the government counts its population for the census. In 2020, 1,049 people lived there. This number is almost double the 556 people who lived there in 2000!
Contents
History of Somers
In 1900, a very rich businessman named James J. Hill decided to build a large sawmill at the northern end of Flathead Lake. He owned the Great Northern Railway. A town was then built for the people who would work at the sawmill.
The town was named after George O. Somers. He was a Vice President for the Great Northern Railroad. He was in charge of setting up this new lumber town.
In 1909, a newspaper called Industrial Worker wrote about Somers. This newspaper was published by a workers' group called the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). They said that the owner, Jim Hill, controlled almost everything in Somers. This included the sawmills, roads, and even the post office.
At that time, the IWW group was having disagreements with Jim Hill. This was happening because of worker strikes in the Flathead Valley, especially in Kalispell. Workers at the Somers Lumber Company who were part of the IWW went on strike. The company quickly hired new workers to replace them. They also made lists of union members to avoid hiring them in the future. Things became very tense in July 1909. The IWW warned unemployed workers to stay away from Somers because of the difficult working conditions.
More recently, in 2023, a large area of land (106 acres) was named Somers Beach State Park. Once it is fully ready, it will have places for people to visit during the day. It will also have a spot for launching small boats.
Geography of Somers
Somers is located in the middle-south part of Flathead County. It sits right at the northern end of Flathead Lake. To the south, it borders another community called Lakeside. The Mission Mountains are to the east, and the Salish Mountains are to the west.
The Somers area covers about 7.8 square kilometers (about 3 square miles). Most of this area is land, about 7.6 square kilometers. A small part, about 0.1 square kilometers, is water.
Population in Somers
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 556 | — | |
| 2010 | 1,109 | 99.5% | |
| 2020 | 1,049 | −5.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 556 people living in Somers. The population grew quite a bit by 2010 to 1,109 people. In 2020, the population was 1,049.
Education in Somers
The Somers School District has two schools for younger students:
- Lakeside Elementary School
- Somers Middle School
For the 2021-2022 school year, a total of 568 students were enrolled in these schools.
Older students, from grades 9 to 12, attend Flathead High School. This high school is located in the nearby city of Kalispell.
Media and News
Local news for Somers is covered by the Daily Inter Lake. This is a newspaper based in Kalispell.
There is also an FM radio station called KFLF that is licensed in Somers.
Transportation in Somers
U.S. Route 93 is a main road that goes through Somers. This road goes north about 9 miles to Kalispell. It goes south about 42 miles to Polson, which is at the other end of Flathead Lake.
Another road, Montana Highway 82, connects Somers to Bigfork in the east.
The closest airport for Somers is Glacier Park International Airport.
See also
In Spanish: Somers (Montana) para niños
