Day 53 - Sunday

Today we took a drive into the past.

People have lived in southwest Montana for the past 12,000 years. Some of the native tribes that lived in, hunted in, or traveled through the area include: Shoshoni, Bannock, Cree, Salish, Crow, Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille, Nez Perce, and Blackfeet. Southwestern Montana was designated as common hunting ground for the Blackfeet and other tribes in 1855.

Trappers, miners, homesteaders and ranchers displaced in a few decades the hunting and gathering way of life that had existed here for thousands of years.

The discovery of gold in Alder Gulch gave birth to Virginia City. With a population of over 10,000 in 1864, Virginia City was the largest town in the inland Northwest. The communities strung out along Alder Gulch were known as the "Fourteen-mile City."

The gold rush in Alder Gulch produced the largest amount of placer gold in the Northwest an estimated $120 million. Placer gold mining, or free gold prospecting, should not be confused with hard rock gold mining. Placer mining involves dust, flakes, and nuggets, while hard rock mining involves veins of ore.

Alder Gulch yielded an estimated $30 million in gold just in the three short years between 1863 and 1866, but not everyone got rich here. The typical miner at Alder Gulch struggled, got blisters and a sore back, and barely made living wages. They would often work a few days at one job and soon quit to try another.

Virginia City was one of the main Montana stations of Ben Holladay's Overland Mail & Express Company between 1863 and 1866, later incorporated into the Wells Fargo stage coaching empire.

Camels arrived in Virginia City in 1865 for freighting. Electricity arrived in Virginia City in 1892 for lighting.

The first public school in Montana opened in Virginia City in 1866. The Madison County Courthouse was built in 1876. The first company of the Montana National Guard organized in Virginia City in 1885.

Virginia City was the home of the first newspapers in Montana. The Montana Post, printed its first issue in August of 1864. Today's local newspaper, the Madisonian, began publication in 1873.

Virginia City became the capitol of the Montana Territory in 1865. Thomas Meagher was the acting governor that year. Today, the capitol of Montana is in Helena.

Virginia City was the outfitting point for trips to the Yellowstone area during the 1860's and 1870's, and Virginia City served as the first administrative site for the park when it was designated America's first National Park in 1872.

Notable residents

• Calamity Jane lived here for some time.
• Joseph Millard, later a United States Senator from Nebraska, lived and opened a bank here.
• Wilbur F. Sanders, United States Senator from Montana, lived here.
• George Laird Shoup, Governor of Idaho, moved here after the Civil War.
• Sam V. Stewart, Governor and Supreme Court justice of Montana, practiced law here.
• William Boyce Thompson, founder of Newmont Mining, was born here.

Today Virginia City remains frozen in time with a population of around 140.

Historical Quotes:

June 11, 1865

"There was nothing visible to remind a person in the slightest degree that it was Sunday. Every store, saloon, and dancing hall was in full blast." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

June 16, 1865

"Rained, snowed, and hailed all day. Horrible weather and very cold." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

July 7, 1865

"News arrived this P.M. of the attack of the stagecoach going east- by road agents. Four men killed, one missing- The road agents numbered about twenty. There is a mass meeting of the Vigilantes this evening." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

September 9, 1865

"Up half past six. Snow three feet deep and still snowing." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

September 15, 1865

"After supper, walked to the top of Burying Ground Hill (Boot Hill Cemetery) - I enjoyed a good cigar and watched the sunset, a beautiful spectacle away to the west as far as the eye would distinguish." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

September 27, 1865

"Two men found 'hanging in the air' this morning up the gulch a little bit with a card on their backs on which were the words 'Hung by the Vigilance Committee for being road agents'" from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

October 17, 1865

"having used the fire water rather freely, felt the effects so much that I went to bed accordingly."

"Resolved on October 22, 1865, that from this date I do not spend a cent for foolish expenses such as Billiards, Drinking or Eating, Driving, Riding, Smoking, that I limit my monthly expenses for Dancing and Gifts to $10."

October 24, 1865

"Bought a 5 gallon keg of beer, which I propose to drink for my health. Cost $2 per gallon, resolution intact." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

December 8, 1865

"Into the sleigh and started our ride - very crowded - about 18 inside. Rode all through the streets, Took possession of several saloons. Had a carousing time." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

Sunday, January 7, 1866

"Episcopal services in the morning. Methodist Sunday School at 2 P.M. and intended attending Presbyterian Meeting at night but, happening to be in the Occidental (Bar), I was unable to resist the temptation, losing about $20 in games and drinks." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

February 20, 1866

"At about 8 o'clock, attracted my attention to a beautiful display of 'Aurora Borealis' or Northern Lights - the most beautiful I had ever beheld." from The Road to Virginia City - the Diary of James P. Miller

Virginia City Gardens

Enjoying huckleberry homemade ice cream in Virginia City

Day 52

Today was a relaxing day in camp and a short trip to the old Parker Homestead.

Click to enlarge

Parker Homestead

I thought that I should compare traveling in Montana to Alaska.

	Alaska	Montana
Rains a lot	Yes	Yes
Mosquitoes	Yes	Yes
Many Rivers	Yes	Yes
Many Lakes	Yes	Yes
Muddy Roads	Yes	Yes
Beautiful Scenery	Yes	Yes
Granit Flour that gets into everything	Yes	Yes
Bridge to no where	No	Yes
High Snow Capped Mountains	Yes	Yes

Ah! Montana wins as they actually have a bridge to no where, Alaska did not build their bridge.

Montana’s Bridge To No Where by a road to no where

Day 51

Today we continued our journey south towards Layton, UT where we will visit with our son and his family before they depart to Germany for his next Air Force assignment. As you will recall he has just returned from his yearlong Afghanistan assignment and we want to give him time to be along with his family before we visit. We haven’t seen him for over a year. We arrived at the Lewis & Clark State Park where we will spend the next seven days. It was only 89 mile trip from White Sulphur Springs.

We are now 407 miles from Hill Air Force Base.

Our route took us pass The Wheat Montana Bakery in Three Forks Montana. It looked too good to pass up. 35 dollars later we had two large cinnamon rolls, a loaf of Montana Wheat bread, Montana honey and a large jar of Montana huckleberry pie filling. As you can guess by now, I am bound and determined to have huckleberry pie. We are close to Virginia City, Montana and the last time we were there, there was a vendor that churned ice cream powered by a one cycle very old engine. So while we are here, a trip will have to be made to Virginia City for homemade huckleberry ice cream to go with the huckleberry pie.

LEWIS & CLARK STATE PARK

Day 49

 

We woke today to rain. Skies are overcast and a light rain has been falling off and on all day. The forecast is rain throughout the day with possibility of some severe thunderstorms. It is a nice day to just relax in the coach.

There is a town nearby by the name of Ringling. The town was a station stop on the transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road"); it was also the southern terminus of the White Sulphur Springs and Yellowstone Park Railway, which ran from Ringling to White Sulphur Springs. Ringling served as a community center for ranchers and homesteaders in the vicinity, but the town's population declined throughout most of the twentieth century as the region's agricultural activity dwindled. Both railroad lines through Ringling were abandoned in 1980 and only a handful of people remain in the town today.

Ringling was named for John Ringling of the Ringling Brothers circus family, which once owned considerable ranchland in the area. Ringling was also president of the White Sulphur Springs and Yellowstone Park Railway.

It turns out that we are camped on the very spot that tracks were and that the ranch in front of us was owned by the Ringling Brothers Circus and used to park the circus rail cars and house the animals during the off circus season.

Day 47

Today we took a loop drive north of White Sulphur Springs through the Castle Mountains on a forest road and came back to White Sulphur Springs from the south.

Deer along the way 

The Castle Mountains district is located in the Castle Mountains southwest of White Sulphur Springs. Following the initial discoveries in the mid-1880s, the area boomed. Prospectors located about 1500 claims, of which 15 to 20 became significant producers of primarily lead and silver, with some copper, gold, manganese and iron. The most important, the Cumberland mine, was the state's largest producer of lead in 1891. High transportation costs cut into mine profits, and the financial panic of 1893 dealt the final blow to the isolated district. Most of the mines closed down, never to reopen. Others produced sporadically on a small scale at least through the 1950s (Roby 1950; Winters 1968; Wolle 1963).

   

Near the top of the Castle Mountains

 

 

 

 

 

The drive took us through the old mining town of Castle.

The best-known resident of Castle Town was most likely Calamity Jane. She came to town to

open a restaurant and lead a lady like existence. She eventually return to Deadwood in the Black Hills where she was welcomed back home and continued to be the Calamity Jane everyone had come to know.

 Remaining Castle Town Buildings

Day 46

 

Yesterday’s 4^th of July celebrations started with an ice cream social and yes they did have the elusive huckleberry ice cream plus I was able to purchase several Montana Huckleberry Chocolate bars. Now it is a good thing that the grandchildren do not care for huckleberry chocolate bars so there is no need to carry them all the way to Utah.

The ice cream social was followed by the Conestoga Campground Duck races.

Now Montana being a free state and one that trusts it citizens to do the right thing and take personal responsibility, does not prohibit its citizens from purchasing their own fireworks. The town’s people gathered in the ball park and the people celebrated the Forth with their own fireworks and then at 10:30 the local volunteer fire department joined in with a larger display of fireworks. It was one of the best firework displays that I have ever attended.

Day 45

Big Belt Mountains Across the Valley from the RV Park.

Helena, MT is on the other side of the mountains. The mountains are still snow capped.

An advantage of being retired is that one can stay put during the holidays and not complete with the holiday traffic. I made an exception today and went into town to find a car wash. As you can see, traffic was really heavy.

The car wash was on the very north. After washing the Hummer, I drove south about 10 blocks to the end of town. The old railroad station was at the very south end. No sign of any tracks but there are a few abandoned rail cars with nowhere to go anymore. I then preceded a block east in search of the one grocery store hoping to find huckleberry ice cream. I did manage to find the grocery store but no huckleberry ice cream.

A couple of blocks west of Main Street (US 89) at the western edge of town is the Castle. The Castle' is an imposing mansion built in 1892 by Bryon Roger Sherman, and is now the home of the Meagher County Museum. The mansion has twelve rooms all laid with hardwood floors and covered with Belgian and Oriental rugs. In the bathrooms were washbowls and stands of Italian marble, and the light fixtures were of crystal and brass. The Victorian landmark is made of hand-cut granite blocks hauled by oxen from the nearby Castle Mountains.

Sherman installed a large water tank in the attic, supplied by pump from a windmill in the northeast corner of the yard. In 1894 he enlarged a pond on his ranch that was fed by an abundant spring, and laid a twenty-inch pipe about 150 yards down the hill to a two-story electric light plant that had two dynamos in the basement. The electricity was carried into town on bare wire strung on pine and spruce poles. The plant could run only about six hours before the pressure of the pond became too low. Consumers learned to plan their activities around the 'on' hours, but they could lay claim to living in one of the first towns in the state to have electricity.

Sherman didn't live in his stone castle too many years before retiring and moving to California.

Day 44

We headed south today along scenic route US 89 in Montana to White Sulphur Springs. We traveled just 100 miles through rolling hills and mountains. We also managed to find the rain again so no pictures. I do want to back track along US 89 in the Hummer after the 4th weekend so look for pictures early next week of the route traveled today.

We are staying at the Conestoga Campground in White Sulphur Springs. It is a RPI resort that we are members so the cost per night is only $10 with full hookups.

Tomorrow evening they are having having duck races, huckleberry ice cream and fireworks to celebrate July 4th. No huckleberry pie through as huckleberry season is still a bit off.

White Sulphur Springs is the county seat and was one of the original counties in Montana. White Sulphur Springs was the headquarters for a county that included most of central Montana. The town was named because of the white deposits around the hot sulphur springs that were found there. The hot springs have been frequented by Indians for many years. Crow Chief Plenty Coups recalled pilgrimages by warriors to the medicinal mud baths. In 1886 James Brewer stumbled onto the area as the stagecoaches rumbled through the Carroll Trail. Brewer first called the spot Brewer Springs and developed the hot springs into a stage stop and resort.

The Smith River Valley, with White Sulphur Springs as its trading center, was once the home of buffalo and later of prospectors working the Castle Mountain lead and silver mines. Since the days of Fort Logan, White Sulphur Springs has been famous for its fine cattle. Weathered homes and out-buildings at the nearby ghost town of Castle are all that remain of the 1880s silver mining boom.

Day 43 – Great News

 

Last night we had a call from our daughter-an-in-law,Jane, the Colonel had landed at Baltimore International Airport. He was met by his uncles, aunts and cousins. He will be on his way home to his family today.

Today we continued our journey around the top of our route and turned south towards Great Falls, MT. We will spend the night at the Flying-J in Great Falls. Our route today took us along the Old Whoop-Up Trail.

As you may recalled, we spent last night on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. The Blackfeet know now to celebrate the Forth of July.  Or at least, they get an early start. There were fireworks all night into the early morning. This morning when we woke at 7:30, there was not a sole in sight, not even a Blackfoot dog.

 

Click to enlarge

Day 42

We are on the road again. This morning we departed Marion, MT for Great Falls, MT. We arrived at Browning, MT about 3:00 PM and decided that it was time to call it a day. Browning is the capital of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe. There is a excellent museum that covers the history of the plains Indians and the Blackfeet.

We are staying at the Blackfeet Indian Casino that allows overnight RV parking. There is no charge to spend the night.

We had a great visit with our friends over the past week.

Middle Flathead River

 

 US 2 just south of Glacier National Park

Day 37

Today we received the following message from our son, Col. James Reed II who has been serving in Afghanistan for the past year. He is in charge of all the Airman serving in Afghanistan. His 1 year tour of duty is coming to an end within the coming weeks.

All is going well. The staff held a going away luncheon for me on Wed; the wing commander stopped by and presented me with the Bronze Star medal. Normally, the decoration would be presented at the Change of Command ceremony, but my replacement will arrive here at Bagram after I leave. It bothers me not to have a change of command ceremony, but it is really more for the new guy then the old guy. We have made arrangements for an Assumption of Command ceremony for him on Monday, 6 July.

The going away luncheon was very nice and heart-felt words spoken by all. I will miss the men and women of the 755 AEG, I will miss the mission and the responsibility...but at the same time, I recognize it is time for me to stand down. I am tired, I can not keep up the pace and of course, I miss Jane, Ryan, Chelsea and Ashley.

Col. James Reed II (JR / Smokey)

As you can see, we are very proud of our son.

On a lighter note, yesterday Don & I completed the conversion of his RO system from just drinking water to RO water throughout the coach. Electronically, all checked out well, the next step is to leak test it and see that it actually works. We should get around to the final test tomorrow.

Today was somewhat of a rest day except for cleaning the windows on the coach and H3.

Day 35

 

Four accomplishments today, washed the Hummer, wash the coach, fix a short in the boat and planted trout in the lake. Tomorrows schedule is to stake the road and finish the RO system in Don’s coach right after pancakes with pecans, maple syrup and sausage breakfast.

 Waiting our turn to pickup trout

 

      Picking up a load of trout for planting in the lake

Days 33 & 34

Day 33

We travel from Missoula, MT to Marion, MT just around 140 miles. First we ran into long stretch of road construction and rain. The road was muddy and both the coach and the Hummer were well coated with mud. It looked as we were traveling in Alaska. After clearing the road construction, there was an accident that blocked the highway. The two incidents added over an hour to the trip.

Flathead Lake

We arrived at Don & Karen’s mid afternoon to more rain, wind and forty degree temperature. The northwest is having a wet and cool start to summer.

Lake McGregor

Day 34

Today seems like our first day since leaving Tucson without rain. The sky cleared, light wind and temperature made it up to 63. We even made progress in converting the RO water system in Don’s coach from just RO drinking water to having RO water throughout the entire coach. The re-plumbing was completed today and tomorrow or the next day we should complete wiring the controller.

Day 32

Today we relocated to Bretz RV & Maine in Missoula, MT. Bretz is where we purchased our coach. We will spend the night here, top off the propane tank in the morning and continue our journey to Don & Karen’s home on Lake McGregor.

The rain is still following us. We have had rain almost everyday if not every day since we left Arizona on May 21st. I hope northern Montana needs rain as we are sure to bring it with us.