Thompson Falls area (Missoula, Lewistown, Townsend: real estate, violent crime, how much)

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Hello,
It looks like there are some very knowledgable Montanans out there. I was looking for some information on the Thompson Falls area. If any of these questions have been already answered I apologize in advance.

I have lived in the Phoenix metropolitan area my entire adult life (30 years) and am looking for a big change. Tired of the heat, the eight months of 100 plus temps and into the 120's, ten months of 90 plus degrees and almost no rain. A few years ago we had a low, yes low, temp of 96. It gets old when you dread the eight month summer in mid January already. Tired of the sprawl, moved out here in 1978 when there was about 1 to 1.5 million people, now there are 3.5 million. And yes hate to say it, but tired of the illegal immigrants taking over everything, many areas you can't find somebody to speak English to. Tired of the pollution. Tired of the traffic. Tired of the crime. Tired of the ugly, ugly area I live in, flat desert with some scrub brush but mostly just miles and miles of homes and more homes (made a commitment to my wife and son to stay where we are until he finishes school) And just tired of big metropolitan area living in general.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, here are the questions I have:

1.) Is it possible to make a living in the Thompson Falls? Any opportunities in real estate or actually anything?
2.) How is the crime there?
3.) Is the crime that is there more violent crime or property crime?
4.) Is it a pretty conservative area?
5.) How much snow does Thmopson Falls get?
6.) How long does it stay on the ground (from what month to what month)?
7.) Do most people go into MIssoula for services or some place closer in Idaho?
8.) Are there any grizzly bears in the immediate area?
9.) Does it have the basics or more than the basics as far as stores?
10.) Any idea on the schools? Any private schools?
11.) How does Thompson Falls compare in these ares as compared to Philipsburg, Lewistown, Townsend, or Lincoln,?

Thanks for any help on any of the above information. Any additional information on the Thmospon Falls area also would be great.

[bigtrees]

Will you need to work in Montana? That's a good place to start.

I don't know of much work in THF. I think Montana already has it's fair share of real estate agents and right now is not a great time to be in that biz.

[Rickers]

Many of your questions can be answered by looking at the Thompson Falls page on the main City-Data site. As far as grizzly bears go, T.F. is between the Coeur D' Alene Mountains and The Cabinet Mountains. I don't know how many if any the Coeur D' Alene Mountains have (probably none or a few transient ones) but there are supposed to be about 40 in the Cabinet Range and I know there are some in The Purcell Mountains. They have a large range and may go back and forth a bit. I have seen one huge Griz in the Salish Mountains real close to Blacktail Mountain. I have also seen a skinny young Griz in the Mission Mountains. There is a picture on this album of one of the Thompson Falls Dams and there is another picture of the part of the Thompson Falls herd of Bighorn Sheep, Ooo baby, boing, ya gotta love them sheep if ya wanta live in Montucky !

Picasa Web Albums - Rick - 2003 pics

[JoeyJoeJoe]

What do most people do for a living in Thompson Falls? Do they work out of town? Actually we are appraisers not agents. Is it pretty conservative there?

[Rickers]

You Betcha it's conservitave. There is a sawmill and up Prospect Creek there is mining also and a few diddly jobs in town.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Do any of the Liberals from Missoula make it out that way and try and change it?
Do most people go into Missoula for their major purchases or into Idaho somewhere?

[Rickers]

The liberals are too stupid to even know about the place and if they did happen to find out about it they would be shot at the county line ! Anymore questions ?

[TypicalCalifornian]

Rickers since I go to TF to see family and friends a few times a year can I boast of being neither liberal or stupid? A truly magnificent place to live except the winter gloom gets me.

[Rickers]

We are Nomadic to a certain degree now. We like to winter in Pondera county (pronounced pon der ay) and we plan on spending much of the summer in Sanders county. You are right about the dreariness of the winter sky, it kinda bugs me too and I spent ten years in TACOMA ! That is one of the reasons we like it east of the mountains for the winter. When summer hits we spend a LOT of time in little boats on the Clark Fork and The Flathead (The Flathead is really four distinctly different rivers in a sense).
Sanders county is just beginning to get discovered. Anyone who can make it accross the county line without being shot or beat up is safe ! Olly Olly Oxenfree !

[TypicalCalifornian]

Can I eat the fish out of the Clark fork above the falls? My people swear I'll get something dread but it really upsets me to think the water is that polluted.