Frenchwoman’s Road

U.S. 12, MP 27, McDonald Pass, west of Helena

Constant Guyot built a toll road across the continental divide near here in 1867. Because it provided the most direct way over the mountains between Deer Lodge and Helena, it was a popular route for travelers. Guyot’s wife ran a two-room “hotel” and restaurant in a log cabin on Dog Creek near present Elliston. Madame Guyot was famous for her hospitality and the hearty meals she served to hungry travelers. Within a short time, the operation was known as The Frenchwoman’s. In 1868, she was found murdered in the cabin. Her killer was never caught, but evidence pointed to her husband, who had fled the territory shortly after her death. According to local folklore, her ghost haunted the cabin for many years afterwards. Elijah M. “Lige” Dunphy took over the toll road in 1870 and hired Alexander “Red” MacDonald to manage it. Because of his long association with the road, it became known as MacDonald Pass.

In September 1911, Cromwell Dixon, the “Boy Bird,” earned a $10,000 prize when he became the first aviator in America to fly over the Continental Divide not too far from this spot. He died two days later when his biplane crashed at the Inland Empire Fair in Spokane.