HISTORY
HISTORICAL MUSEUM AT FORT MISSOULA. TAYLAR ROBBINS
LOCAL HISTORY Did you know that this drop-dead gorgeous valley used to be a vast glacial lake? Or that the name Missoula comes from the Salish word “Nemissoolatakoo?” That Missoula was a major stop on the Lewis and Clark expedition? Or that the first woman ever elected to the United States Congress hailed from here? Missoula’s history has more tributaries than you can count. And the town proudly showcases its lively and diverse background through historically-devoted places like Holt Heritage Museum and the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. If you’re fascinated by the early days of aviation, take a trip to the Museum of Mountain Flying, home of the famous Miss Montana DC3/C47 and so much more. The city’s cultural past is vibrant and diverse, melding the stories and lives of people—pioneers, homesteaders, fur trappers, gold rushers, and railroaders—who came from around the world to settle with the American Indians who were already inhabiting the valley. Missoula’s past truly does run deep, and its roots are grounded in the lives of the men and women who shaped, and were in turn shaped, by this sublime landscape. FORT MISSOULA Western Montana’s rich history is brought to life on Fort Missoula’s 32 acres, with over 20 well-preserved historic structures. Established in 1877 during the Indian Wars, this once-major military post also served as the starting point for the African American 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps’ 1,900-mile ride to St. Louis, Missouri; a WWI military training center; a 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps headquarters; and a WWII internment camp housing 2,200 Italian and Japanese nationals. Rotating exhibits explore a range of thought-provoking historical topics. Explore the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION Much of the landscape near Missoula that Lewis and Clark crossed remains unchanged. Montana's rivers and highways flow past scores of landmarks touched by the expedition. In 1806 Captain Lewis traveled through the Missoula Valley. Near Missoula, Lewis and Clark camped at present day Lolo in an area called Travelers’ Rest. It’s the only place they camped twice and one of two sites in the country with physical evidence of their journey. They wrote about Lolo Hot Springs and the trek across the Bitterroot Mountains along the Lolo Trail.
SETTLING MISSOULA Hell Gate Village Trading Post was established in 1860 by Christopher P. Higgins (where downtown Missoula’s “main drag” gets its name) and Frank Worden. By 1866, the settlement had moved east, 5 miles upstream, and was renamed Missoula Mills, later shortened to Missoula.
AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE Long before Europeans arrived, the Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille, Blackfeet and Shoshone called Missoula home. The valley acted as a natural corridor through the mountains. American Indian tribes passed through, headed to and from the buffalo-rich eastern plains. Conflict was common, and the eastern canyon entrance was reportedly so strewn with bones that French fur trappers called it Hell’s Gate. Today Hellgate Canyon and a local Missoula high school bear the name. There are seven Indian reservations in Montana, two of which are easily accessible using Missoula as a home base: The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (Séliš, Ksanka, Ql̓ispé) of the Flathead Reservation and the Blackfeet Tribe (Niitsitapi) of the Blackfeet Reservation. American Indian cultural heritage is revered here, and annual gatherings and celebrations like pow wows offer glimpses into the way of life of the American Indian people through traditional dress, art, music, dance and storytelling. The University of Montana is home to The Payne Family Native American Center, the first facility in the nation built to accommodate a Department of Native American Studies and American Indian Student Services. 22
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TAYLAR ROBBINS
