We spent September 11 at the Battle of the Little Big Horn near Hardin, MT. We had been here before, but felt it deserved a closer look now that we had read quite a number of books about the battle and about the Indian version of the battle. Our first stop was the Introductory film at the Visitor's Center and went back through the museum which meant so much more to us this second time. A ranger gave a talk on the patio about the strategy Custer used and the reasons for the fight. At 12 we took the Crow bus tour to the Benteen battle site. Our guide was Lakota Sioux, and she emphasized the idea that there were about 2000 Indians vs only about 650 soldiers, Indian guides, and civilians who were in the group. We appreciated the guide's attention to detail and her ability to describe and point out the various areas of the battle to us. We hiked one of the battlefield trails and visited the National cemetery which is at the site before leaving. It was a very moving 6 hour visit and only made us want to dig even further into the events of that fateful day.
Sheridan, Wyoming - Sept. 12 - 14.
Sheridan is a true western town and has an extensive historic area. We drove 11 miles out of town to the Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum. Bradford Brinton was from Chicago and bought the Quarter Circle A ranch in 1923. He used this ranch for a vacation home and as a repository for the bulk of his collection of Western art including works by Russelll, Remington, Borein and F. T. Johnson. At his death his sister inherited the rance and kept her brother's collection in tact. The house with it's original furnishings and artworks, the barns, and the bunkhouse were available for tour. It was a very interesting tour!
After lunch we toured the Trail End home of John B Kendrick, former Wyoming Governor and US Senator. He came to Wyoming territory in 1879 as a trail rider on a cattle drive. He married in 1891 and for 18 years lived in SE Montana where he started what became the Kendrick Cattle Company, a 210,000 acre collection of cattle ranches in northern Wyoming and southern Montana.
The house was finished in 1913 and was lived in by the family until 1961. The house was empty for seven years until the Sheridan County Historical Society purchased it. The furnishings in the house are all original to the family. It's an outstanding home museum.
On September 14 we drove about 25 miles south of Sheridan to the Fort Phil Kearny Historic Site. We made a wrong turn and ended up at the Fetterman Battle Site, part of the Phil Kearny site, but about 5 miles from the fort site. It is here that on 12/21/1866 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors engaged a military force commanded by captain William J. Fetterman. Fetterman's group was sent to rescue a wagon train. The warriors attacked the soldiers, overwhelming the separated cavalry and infantry units. All 81 men were killed within thirty minutes. Only the Battle of the Little Big Horn stands as a worse defeat for the US Army and a greater vistory for the Plains Indians.
We found our way to the Fort and stopped at the Visitor's Center to see the introductory movie and go through the museum before going out to see the outline of where the various buildings had been. The fort was only occupied from 1866 - 1868 and then was decommissioned when train travel made protection of wagon trains no longer necessary. The fort was abandoned in early August 1868, and was burned soon afterwards by the Cheyenne. In 1963 the fort was designated a National Historic Landmark.
We left September 15 to travel 225 miles to Rapid City, SD.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Butte, Montana - Sept. 5-10, 2012
Butte, MT is called the "Richest Hill on Earth". At one time the town had miles of tunnels and many copper mines. The population of Butte at one time was 100,000 people! Most of the miners were immigrants from various countries who were hoping for a better life. When the copper ran out, the population of the town dropped to about 35,000 people, which is the approximate population at this time.
The Butte, MT KOA is really a convenient campground. The Visitor Center and a walking trail are both next door, so we walked over after getting the trailer set up. We also took a walk on the hiking trail - very nice. We picked up many brochures of possible things to do. However, I was frustrated when I tried calling the two house museums I was hoping to visit -- no answer at either. The lady at the Visitor's Center indicated that since Labor day, many of the facilities were likely either closing for the season, or cutting their hours.
Thursday we tried stopping at both the house museums, but neither was open, although their web sites indicated that they SHOULD be open. We ended up walking through the historic "uptown" and reading signs on the historic buildings. Hmmmm, not exactly what we had in mind, although exercise is good!
Friday we stopped at the Mai Wah museum, a Chinese museum in the heart of the area that had been China town. The historic Wah Chong Tai Company and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor building were the cornerstone of Butte's once vibrant Chinatown. They are now Montana's only museum devoted to the history of Chinese immigrants in the mining west. They were particularly excited about obtaining the return of an extensive collection of Chinese material. The items were the remaining inventory and personal items of the Wah Chong Tai Company and the Mai Wah noodle parlor. They represent a range of items from clothing, spices, herbal medicines and household religious items.
We stopped at the Mall and inquired about the Our Lady of the Rockies statue which overlooks the city of Butte from the Continental Divide at 8510 ft. The statue is 90 feet tall and is the end result of a dream and six years of work. The statue is lighted and visible at night. The project was the result of volunteers of all faiths working together to construct a road to the top of the mountain and the fund raising projects to make the statue possible. It was started on 12/29/1979 and was completed on 12/17/1985. The statue is reached by school bus and tours occur twice a day. The next project is to build a gondola to take the visitors to the top in 5 minutes, rather than the 1 hour bus ride each way that is currently occurring.
We took the Trolley Tour from the Visitor's Center that afternoon. IT was the best thing we did in Butte, as the guide was extremely knowledgeable about the town and it's history. We shared the trolley with the Red Hats who had come to Butte from 5 states for their annual convention.
Since the Red Hats were in town, I figured that women like house museums and sure enough, on Saturday both the Copper King Mansion belonging to William A. Clark and the Clark Chateau which belonged to his son were both open for tours. Unfortunately the Copper King's Mansion only had a few original pieces, but was furnished with period furniture of the era. The Chateau had been turned into an art gallery, but the house was interesting. Again, very little furniture was in the house, and again it was period, not anything that had belonged to Wm. Clark's son.
Sunday we completed our sightseeing of Butte with a trip to the World Museum of Mining at the Orphan Girl silver mine. The other mines were copper mines, but the Orphan Girl was a silver mine. We enjoyed the DVD about the history of mining and the town, and the exhibits were interesting. There is generally an optional tour of the mine, but on Sunday there was no tour. OK with me, I don't like going underground -- mines, caves, etc.
The Butte, MT KOA is really a convenient campground. The Visitor Center and a walking trail are both next door, so we walked over after getting the trailer set up. We also took a walk on the hiking trail - very nice. We picked up many brochures of possible things to do. However, I was frustrated when I tried calling the two house museums I was hoping to visit -- no answer at either. The lady at the Visitor's Center indicated that since Labor day, many of the facilities were likely either closing for the season, or cutting their hours.
Thursday we tried stopping at both the house museums, but neither was open, although their web sites indicated that they SHOULD be open. We ended up walking through the historic "uptown" and reading signs on the historic buildings. Hmmmm, not exactly what we had in mind, although exercise is good!
Friday we stopped at the Mai Wah museum, a Chinese museum in the heart of the area that had been China town. The historic Wah Chong Tai Company and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor building were the cornerstone of Butte's once vibrant Chinatown. They are now Montana's only museum devoted to the history of Chinese immigrants in the mining west. They were particularly excited about obtaining the return of an extensive collection of Chinese material. The items were the remaining inventory and personal items of the Wah Chong Tai Company and the Mai Wah noodle parlor. They represent a range of items from clothing, spices, herbal medicines and household religious items.
We stopped at the Mall and inquired about the Our Lady of the Rockies statue which overlooks the city of Butte from the Continental Divide at 8510 ft. The statue is 90 feet tall and is the end result of a dream and six years of work. The statue is lighted and visible at night. The project was the result of volunteers of all faiths working together to construct a road to the top of the mountain and the fund raising projects to make the statue possible. It was started on 12/29/1979 and was completed on 12/17/1985. The statue is reached by school bus and tours occur twice a day. The next project is to build a gondola to take the visitors to the top in 5 minutes, rather than the 1 hour bus ride each way that is currently occurring.
We took the Trolley Tour from the Visitor's Center that afternoon. IT was the best thing we did in Butte, as the guide was extremely knowledgeable about the town and it's history. We shared the trolley with the Red Hats who had come to Butte from 5 states for their annual convention.
Since the Red Hats were in town, I figured that women like house museums and sure enough, on Saturday both the Copper King Mansion belonging to William A. Clark and the Clark Chateau which belonged to his son were both open for tours. Unfortunately the Copper King's Mansion only had a few original pieces, but was furnished with period furniture of the era. The Chateau had been turned into an art gallery, but the house was interesting. Again, very little furniture was in the house, and again it was period, not anything that had belonged to Wm. Clark's son.
Sunday we completed our sightseeing of Butte with a trip to the World Museum of Mining at the Orphan Girl silver mine. The other mines were copper mines, but the Orphan Girl was a silver mine. We enjoyed the DVD about the history of mining and the town, and the exhibits were interesting. There is generally an optional tour of the mine, but on Sunday there was no tour. OK with me, I don't like going underground -- mines, caves, etc.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Idaho Falls Aug. 30 - Sept. 5
Idaho Falls is only about 3 hours from Twin Falls, and we arrived at the Snake River RV Resort and Campground around 1:30. A classy name for an ordinary campground :-) After lunch our first stop was the Visitor's Center to get information on things to do and see in the area.
Our first excursion was to Craters of the Moon National Monument which is about 70 miles NW of Idaho Falls. Not much to see between Idaho Falls and the Monument. We went through the little town of Arco, which was the first town in the US to have electricity powered by nuclear energy....even if it was only for about 30 minutes! The lava flows and features of the Craters are thousands of years old and are easily damaged by off-trail travel. The site has a 7-mile driving loop with several stops where various features of the lava can be witnessed. They have put down a tar trail over the lava, to protect visitors and the lava. It's very rough terrain, and long pants and sturdy shoes are strongly recommended. I'm glad we were there on a cool day (75 degrees), as during the heat of the summer, the black lava can reach 150 degrees! NASA's Apollo Astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, Eugene Cernan and Joe Engle learned basic volcanic geology at Craters in 1969 as they prepared for their moon mission.
On our way back to Idaho Falls we stopped at EBR-1 National Historic Landmark. EBR stands for Experimental Breeder Reactor-1. It generated the world's first usable amount of electricity from nuclear energy in December 1951. Here we saw nuclear reactors, a control room, remote handling devices for radioactive materials, radiation detection equipment and 2 aircraft nuclear propulsion prototypes. Since 1951, the National Reactor Testing Station (now known as Dept. of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory has designed and built more than 50 other pioneering nuclear reactors.
Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market, and I bought more cherries....the last of the season. After lunch we went to the Museum of Idaho and spent the afternoon learning about the history of the area, and marveling at the King Tut exhibition that was also going on there.
Sunday we drove 60 miles to Pocatello to visit the Bannock County Historical Museum and the Fort Hall Replica, a 19th century fort. The museum was very well done and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The Fort was not open, as the person in charge was in the hospital, and since it was Labor Day weekend, no one was available to take his place. We stopped at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum in the town of Fort Hall, but that was also closed, and appeared to have been closed for a long time.
Labor Day we stayed in camp and labored. Jack cleaned the inside of the truck, washed the windows of the trailer and I cleaned mirrors, counters, vacuumed the bedroom and kitchen.
On Tuesday the price of diesel jumped from $4.269 to $4.369. Ouch! We drove to Blackfoot, ID and visited the Potato Museum where we learned all about growing and grading potatoes. The SE State Fair was also going on, so we walked to the fairgrounds and enjoyed our second Idaho fair. This one was much bigger than the one in Boise. We explored every building with the exception of the animal barns! Great fun!
Wednesday, Sept. 5 was a long travel day to Butte, MT.
Our first excursion was to Craters of the Moon National Monument which is about 70 miles NW of Idaho Falls. Not much to see between Idaho Falls and the Monument. We went through the little town of Arco, which was the first town in the US to have electricity powered by nuclear energy....even if it was only for about 30 minutes! The lava flows and features of the Craters are thousands of years old and are easily damaged by off-trail travel. The site has a 7-mile driving loop with several stops where various features of the lava can be witnessed. They have put down a tar trail over the lava, to protect visitors and the lava. It's very rough terrain, and long pants and sturdy shoes are strongly recommended. I'm glad we were there on a cool day (75 degrees), as during the heat of the summer, the black lava can reach 150 degrees! NASA's Apollo Astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, Eugene Cernan and Joe Engle learned basic volcanic geology at Craters in 1969 as they prepared for their moon mission.
On our way back to Idaho Falls we stopped at EBR-1 National Historic Landmark. EBR stands for Experimental Breeder Reactor-1. It generated the world's first usable amount of electricity from nuclear energy in December 1951. Here we saw nuclear reactors, a control room, remote handling devices for radioactive materials, radiation detection equipment and 2 aircraft nuclear propulsion prototypes. Since 1951, the National Reactor Testing Station (now known as Dept. of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory has designed and built more than 50 other pioneering nuclear reactors.
Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market, and I bought more cherries....the last of the season. After lunch we went to the Museum of Idaho and spent the afternoon learning about the history of the area, and marveling at the King Tut exhibition that was also going on there.
Sunday we drove 60 miles to Pocatello to visit the Bannock County Historical Museum and the Fort Hall Replica, a 19th century fort. The museum was very well done and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The Fort was not open, as the person in charge was in the hospital, and since it was Labor Day weekend, no one was available to take his place. We stopped at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum in the town of Fort Hall, but that was also closed, and appeared to have been closed for a long time.
Labor Day we stayed in camp and labored. Jack cleaned the inside of the truck, washed the windows of the trailer and I cleaned mirrors, counters, vacuumed the bedroom and kitchen.
On Tuesday the price of diesel jumped from $4.269 to $4.369. Ouch! We drove to Blackfoot, ID and visited the Potato Museum where we learned all about growing and grading potatoes. The SE State Fair was also going on, so we walked to the fairgrounds and enjoyed our second Idaho fair. This one was much bigger than the one in Boise. We explored every building with the exception of the animal barns! Great fun!
Wednesday, Sept. 5 was a long travel day to Butte, MT.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Twin Falls, ID area Aug. 26 - 30, 2012
We drove I-84 E from Boise to Twin Falls and on our way we noticed a sign indicting that there was an Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Glenns Ferry. Since we were in no hurry to arrive at camp, we decided to take a side trip and visit the center. We found it about 2 miles south of Glenns Ferry in a very nice State Park called Three Islands State Park. The center was partially funded by the H.J. Heinz company and very well done. The site is at the point where wagon trains had to ford the Snake River. This was a dangerous place to ford, as the current was extremely swift. The Indians in the area were very helpful and assisted the pioneers across the river.
As we were leaving Glenns Ferry we noticed that it was clouding up and by the time we reached the KOA in Twin Falls we were in a downpour! It stormed all evening, and while we were in town at a restaurant, the power went out for a short time. The truck got a good rinse!
Monday dawned sunny and crisp. After breakfast we went to the Perrine Bridge visitor's center to learn about the huge canyon the bridge spans and to find out what we should see in Twin Falls. The bridge is 1500 feet in length and is 486 feet above the canyon floor. We noticed several young men and women on the lawn (I thought they were packing sleeping bags) and the visitor center said they were packing their parachutes and were going to jump off the bridge into the canyon. We watched five of the jumpers and then left in search of Twin Falls and Shoshone Falls. Twin Falls has been compromised by the city as they have built a dam and a power plant at that site. Instead of two falls, there is only one now. From there we went to Shoshone Falls called The Niagara of the West, as it tumbles 212 feet to the canyon floor, and is 50 ft. higher than Niagara. The Frederick Adams family donated the falls and surrounding area to the city of Twin Falls in 1932 with the stipulation that the land be maintained as a public park for park purposes only and for the enjoyment of all people. Smart!
We were looking for a museum or house to visit, and it was suggested we stop at the public library. Odd. There was a young lady there, however, who directed us to a real gem: Rock Creek Station and Stricker Homesite, about 10 miles outside of Twin Falls in a little town of Hansen. In 1865 James Bscom and John Corder built the Rock Creek Store. The small log building is still intact. In 1876 German immigrants and gold seekers Herman Stricker and John Botzet bought the store, and Stricker and his family ran the store until 1897. An addition on the back of the building housed a saloon. The Strickers six room log cabin burned in 1900, and so they built the house that is on the site and which we were able to visit. The furniture in the house is Mrs. Stricker's, and much of it dates back to 1900.
In addition to the store and saloon, Ben Holladay built a freight station at Rock Creek where off-duty stage drivers and attendants lived and where passengers could buy a meal or night's lodging. Emmigrants on wagon trains also stopped at Rock Creek as it was a popular camping spot as there was water and shade, and they could buy provisions. Down by the stream wagon ruts can still be seen.
We spent one morning at the Centennial Park down in the Snake River canyon. It's a beautiful park and is especially good for fishing, with easy access to the Snake River. However, by noon, it was getting very warm, so we exited the park and headed for the Twin Falls Museum. It is a small museum and is currently under renovation, so the sound of drills made me think of a dentist office. The exhibits were well done, but in a bit of disarray due to the work being done.
We left the next day for Idaho Falls.
As we were leaving Glenns Ferry we noticed that it was clouding up and by the time we reached the KOA in Twin Falls we were in a downpour! It stormed all evening, and while we were in town at a restaurant, the power went out for a short time. The truck got a good rinse!
Monday dawned sunny and crisp. After breakfast we went to the Perrine Bridge visitor's center to learn about the huge canyon the bridge spans and to find out what we should see in Twin Falls. The bridge is 1500 feet in length and is 486 feet above the canyon floor. We noticed several young men and women on the lawn (I thought they were packing sleeping bags) and the visitor center said they were packing their parachutes and were going to jump off the bridge into the canyon. We watched five of the jumpers and then left in search of Twin Falls and Shoshone Falls. Twin Falls has been compromised by the city as they have built a dam and a power plant at that site. Instead of two falls, there is only one now. From there we went to Shoshone Falls called The Niagara of the West, as it tumbles 212 feet to the canyon floor, and is 50 ft. higher than Niagara. The Frederick Adams family donated the falls and surrounding area to the city of Twin Falls in 1932 with the stipulation that the land be maintained as a public park for park purposes only and for the enjoyment of all people. Smart!
We were looking for a museum or house to visit, and it was suggested we stop at the public library. Odd. There was a young lady there, however, who directed us to a real gem: Rock Creek Station and Stricker Homesite, about 10 miles outside of Twin Falls in a little town of Hansen. In 1865 James Bscom and John Corder built the Rock Creek Store. The small log building is still intact. In 1876 German immigrants and gold seekers Herman Stricker and John Botzet bought the store, and Stricker and his family ran the store until 1897. An addition on the back of the building housed a saloon. The Strickers six room log cabin burned in 1900, and so they built the house that is on the site and which we were able to visit. The furniture in the house is Mrs. Stricker's, and much of it dates back to 1900.
In addition to the store and saloon, Ben Holladay built a freight station at Rock Creek where off-duty stage drivers and attendants lived and where passengers could buy a meal or night's lodging. Emmigrants on wagon trains also stopped at Rock Creek as it was a popular camping spot as there was water and shade, and they could buy provisions. Down by the stream wagon ruts can still be seen.
We spent one morning at the Centennial Park down in the Snake River canyon. It's a beautiful park and is especially good for fishing, with easy access to the Snake River. However, by noon, it was getting very warm, so we exited the park and headed for the Twin Falls Museum. It is a small museum and is currently under renovation, so the sound of drills made me think of a dentist office. The exhibits were well done, but in a bit of disarray due to the work being done.
We left the next day for Idaho Falls.
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