fair. I bought some handmade wooden knitting needles (tiger mahogany) and a leather needle pouch and we both got t-shirts. Followed the crowd in the other direction and found a farmer's market. Bought fresh beans, snow peas and sweet peas and KOHLRABI! Found the first Catholic Church in Missoula - founded by Jesuits. Beautiful! I don't think there was a spot on the ceilings or walls that didn't have a picture from the life of Christ or Jesuit missionaries.
Sunday we tried out the laundromat and basically stayed in camp enjoying the weather and watching the parade of RV's pulling in during the afternoon. We planned our sightseeing for Monday and I fixed some of those fresh veggies for dinner Sunday night.
Monday we toured Historic Fort Missoula and learned about the huge 1910 forest fire that ate miles of forest in Idaho and Montana. There were also pictures by Wm. Jackson from the exploration of Yellowstone and some general history of the area. Outside were 13 buildings to see and one of the most interesting was the history of the fort during WWII when it served as an internment camp for Italians, Japanese, and Germans. We were only partially through the outside buildings when we could hear thunder and the rain was coming down the hills, so we headed for the truck. We'll go back on Thursday to complete the site.
Today we drove 47 miles to Hamilton, MT to visit the 50-room Daly Mansion. Mr. Daly was called the Richest Man on God's Green Earth in 1900. His widow built the 1910 version of the mansion -- 25 bedrooms, 15 baths. During his lifetime, he built the town of Anaconda and owned the Anaconda copper mine and smelter in Butte, MT. He also invested in 22000 acres of land and owned and raised race horses. His last heir boarded up the mansion and it sat empty and neglected for 40 years and in 1983 the state got 50 acres and the mansion and began refurbishing it. It was a fun tour.
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