In 1871, the first actual water system in Missoula, Montana, utilizing log pipes and wooden mains, began operating. In 1885, Worden and Company sold the water system to Missoula Water Works and Milling Company. The Missoula Mercantile bought the system in 1895 and renamed it the Missoula Water Company. In the early 1900s W.A. Clark purchased the Missoula Water Company which he combined with other holdings and in 1906 legally changed the name to the Missoula Light and Water Company. The Missoula Light and Water Company was purchased by the Montana Power Company in 1930.
From the guide to the Missoula Light and Water Company Records, 1885-1909, (University of Montana--Missoula Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections)
