First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell
540 South Main
Kalispell, Montana 59901
Phone (406) 752-7488
Fax (406) 755-8130
email: info@pcusa-kalispell.org
A Brief History of the First Presbyterian Church - Kalispell, Montana
Vision of our Forefathers
In September 1886, Reverend George Fisher, our first pastor, his wife
Mary, and her two younger brothers set out on an adventure vacation trip
north from their home in Missoula. Their covered wagon rolled across the
Flathead Indian Reservation into the Flathead Valley. The area was
sparsely settled, but the Fishers were struck by the unusual natural
beauty and huge lake. They found the land to be rich and fertile,
wildlife abundant and of course, the residents in need of missionary
work. It was during this trip, on September 12, 1886, that George
preached the very first sermon ever heard in the valley from the text:
“Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God” in a tiny log building several miles
south of Kalispell. George, Mary, and the boys stayed for three months on
this initial trip, getting to know the people and the territory while
George preached regularly throughout the area.
After years of dedicated work throughout the Bitteroot and Missoula valleys, George was ready to try something new and immediately proposed his plan to Presbytery. The only way George could afford to make the move to the Flathead was to find the means to support himself and his family independently from his ministry work. The homestead boom was still enticing settlers west with the promise of free land, and George decided to try his hand at farming. Presbytery was initially opposed to a minister laying claim to land, but he finally prevailed and bargained with a man for a claim that included a small 14’ x 20’ two-room log cabin and then bargained some more for chickens, pigs, hay, grain and farming implements to begin a new life.
After the 1887 Thanksgiving holiday, the Fishers moved into “the dirtiest, greasiest shack you could find in a day’s ride.” They brought with them a couple prized possessions – a square Chickering piano and a little portable pump organ that Mary used to begin a music ministry throughout the valley. As they began God’s work together, George blazed the trail to unite everyone into a community church, embracing a simple creed emphasizing the essential teaching of Christ - a vision that has stood the test of time.