Plumber in Bonner

Bonner at a glance

Bonner is part of the Bonner-West Riverside census area east of Missoula, which also takes in Milltown, West Riverside and Pinegrove. The area had 1,690 people at the 2020 census. Its Salish name means "Place of the Big Bull Trout".

What that means for your plumbing

Bonner grew around its sawmill in the late 1800s, so some homes are old mill-town houses that have been updated many times. Old and new pipe joined together is a common place for leaks. If you see stains or damp spots, see leak detection.

Where the rivers meet

West Riverside took its name from Riverside, now Milltown, which sits where the Blackfoot River joins the Clark Fork. Homes near the rivers can see damp crawl spaces in spring, and cold air settles in the valley bottom on winter nights.

A mill town

Bonner is named for Edward L. Bonner, a partner in the company that supplied lumber for the Northern Pacific Railroad. That company founded the Montana Improvement Company, which built a sawmill here in 1886, and the Blackfoot Milling Company started operating on June 6 of that year. Milltown is named for the mill, and Piltzville for Billy Piltz, an early mill worker. Homes in long-established mill towns often have sewer lines running under mature trees. If drains slow down every year or two, roots in the line are a likely cause, and a camera inspection will show it.