Projects

History

In the 1970s the Wilhelm family purchased a tract of land across the Missouri River from Giant Springs State Park and the site of the present day Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. The Wilhelms built a home on the edge of the Missouri River and kept the rest of the land undeveloped. Since that time interest in waterfront properties along the river has grown substantially, both among developers and groups seeking to preserve the natural habitat of such areas. Both sides of the Missouri River, downstream from Black Eagle Falls to the Sulphur Spring, were extensively mentioned in the Lewis and Clark Journals - approximately 18 miles - and remain largely in their natural state. Most of the north side of the river is protected by the Lewis and Clark Greenway, a conservation and trail easement guaranteeing that the land will remain undeveloped indefinitely. The Wilhelm tract was the only piece of private property on the north side of the Missouri River.

In a related development, Great Falls’ Rivers Edge Trail has expanded significantly along the Missouri River throughout the 1990s. Much of the early trail development began in an abandoned railway on the south shore, and today this trail area has largely been completed. Attention in recent years has focused on the north shore of the river.

In 1998, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center was built on the south shore, near Giant Springs State Park. The building was designed to blend with the natural landscape, and was purposely oriented toward the undeveloped portion of the Wilhelm property, with large sweeping windows offering an impressive view of the Missouri River and the north shore. From 1998 through 2006, negotiations for the purchase of the Wilhelm property continued on and off, with no success. Then within the span of a few months in 2006 and 2007, two strategic opportunities to purchase the land surfaced.