FH Stoltze Land & Lumber - Timber Roots

By Tim McEntire

The story of F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. is deeply interwoven with the history of Montana, particularly the Flathead Valley. It is a narrative of entrepreneurial vision, resource management, community building, and adaptation in the face of changing times. From its humble beginnings to its present-day operations, the company reflects the evolving landscape of the timber industry and its enduring impact on the region. 

F.H. Stoltze was born on May 15, 1859 in Wisconsin.  Mr. Stoltze was an industrious young man and in his 20’s sold tools along the route of the Great Northern Railway, which was being built across Minnesota and North Dakota.  It was out on the plains that F.H. Stoltze made an interesting discovery: ground-up bison bones made good fertilizer.  Stoltze would end up shipping between 400 and 500 freight carloads of bones east to market between 1885 and 1886.  This made him a big customer on the new railroad and caught the attention of the railroad’s owner, James J. Hill.  James was apparently impressed by the young man’s entrepreneurial spirit so he made him the offer to build towns along the Great Northern. 

Stoltze would spend the next decade building towns in North Dakota.  Shortly after the turn of the century, Stoltze would arrive in Northwest Montana.  As the Flathead Valley was already established, he would end up shifting focus and got into the sawmill business.  In 1909, he teamed up with two others to construct a new mill on the shores of Smith Lake west of Kalispell, replacing one that had burned the year before.  The newly formed Enterprise Lumber Company was a large mill that provided ties, timbers and dimension lumber for the railroad. 

In 1912, Stoltze formed a new company for his ventures, specifically to manage his timberlands, called F.H. Stoltze Land (“and Lumber would be added later).  F.H. Stoltze Land Company had or owned timber leases in most of the Truman Creek area.  Ed Conrad was tasked with the logging contract and would transport the logs to the Enterprise Mill by heavy wagons in the summer and wood sleighs in the winter. 

Over the next few years, Mr. Stoltze would open and operate several additional mills in the area.  Stoltze’s mills were fruitful but their lack of rail access was a major flaw.  To correct this, Stoltze and his partners went searching for a new site.  A plot of land was found at a spot called Half Moon, just west of Columbia Falls.  A small mill had operated there in the past, but Stoltze and his partners had bigger plans.  Using parts and pieces from other mills, they built a brand-new mill over the course of five years.  A contract for construction was awarded in 1920 for $225,000 and the first logs began through the mill in May of 1923.  The mill was a single band and gang saw mill with capacity to saw 100,000 board feet in an eight-hour shift.  Production at the planning mill did not begin until late summer of 1924.   

A new bunkhouse, cookhouse, store and several homes were also built.  Sometime in the 1930’s electricity was supplied to the homes via a steam-powered generator with lights out at 10 p.m.  The company store provided the needs of the workers as well as those of the surrounding community.  During the hard times of the 1930’s the lenient credit policy of the company store was a great help to the survival of many families.  The store, cookhouse and bunkhouse were operated until the early 1940’s. 

Also in 1923, Mr. Stoltze acquired a 32-ton Shay locomotive.  The Shay was a standard gauge engine that ran on 60-pound track.  With the purchase of the Shay, tracks were immediately laid to gain access to the 10,000 acres of timberland owned in Haskill and Trumbull Creek drainages.  There were five camps established in this ownership.  In the early years steam donkeys were used to pull logs to the landing which were located along the tracks.  The Shay would eventually be retired and find a home at Depot Park in Columbia Falls where it still sits today. 

F.H. Stoltze’s health began to fail in the mid 1920’s and his son John came to Halfmoon to help with operations.  John had been in Shreveport, Louisiana where he had been in the oil business.  John was a Princeton University graduate and served in World War I as a second lieutenant seeing action in France.  F.H. Stoltze would pass away on May 21st, 1928 at the age of 62.  John R. Stoltze was married to Grace. B. Bulkley and they had one son and four daughters.  To this day, direct family members are the current owners of the company. 

During the 1930’s the mill and logging operations were not run on a continual basis because of the tough economic conditions at the time.  After a strike by the workers in 1940 and the start of World War II, operations resumed at full capacity.  On August 30,1945 the planning mill and loading facilities were destroyed by fire.  Because of the war, replacement equipment was difficult to procure however, production resumed by early 1947.  A fire on March 22, 1956 destroyed the entire sawmill.  Part of the log slip and green chain were all that was saved.  Construction on a new mill began fairly quickly with operations starting again in mid-1957.  In the ensuing decades, the mill has changed and continually being upgraded to meet demands.  A long list of updates has been made from kilns, sorters, curved gang saws, autograder and a new office in 2007.  Stoltze also has a company mechanical logging operation that also sees upgrades as needed. 

In the very early building of the sawmill at Halfmoon, boilers were installed to generate steam for the mill.  After standing for almost 100 years, the time had long passed to update the steam generation.  The team at F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber took a different direction than just replacing the boilers.  After lots of planning, a new cogeneration plant went online in 2013.  It is capable of utilizing eight tons of bark, sawdust, planer shavings and woods direct hogfuel.  The average Mega Watt production is 2.5 hourly which is enough to power up to 3,000 homes in the Flathead Valley.   

The company's land stewardship practices are a crucial part of its identity. Stoltze manages its timberlands with a long-term perspective, recognizing that the forests are a valuable resource that must be carefully protected. The company's forestry practices are designed to maintain the health and productivity of the forests while also protecting water quality, wildlife habitat, and other environmental values. Stoltze has also been actively involved in forest certification programs, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable forestry standards. 

F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber has proven to be a good neighbor to the communities of the Flathead Valley.  Its Open Lands Policy allows use of its property as a neighborly accommodation so that the public can enjoy company timber grounds.  Stoltze not only allows non-motorized use but also motorized use on most road systems if your vehicle is under 50 inches wide.  They also permanently protected just over 10,000 acres of Stoltze land in the Haskill Basin and Trumbull Canyon area.  The conservation easement allows continued forest management and public recreational access while protecting the land from development.  It also established a permanent water system easement for the city of Whitefish. 

Today, F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. stands as a testament to the vision and hard work of its founder. It is a company that has not only survived but thrived in a challenging and ever-changing industry. Its success is a result of its commitment to quality, community, and sustainable forestry. The company's history is deeply intertwined with the history of the Flathead Valley, and its legacy will continue to shape the region for generations to come. From its pioneering roots to its modern-day operations, F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. represents a powerful example of how a company can be both successful and responsible, contributing to the economic and environmental well-being of the community it serves.