An Early Day Trip Up the Blackfoot

An Historical Note

In 1911, Arthur L. Stone, a well-known journalist of his day, and the founder of the University of Montana’s School of Journalism, penned an article, Up the Blackfoot for one of his columns that appeared regularly in the Missoulian. What follows is an excerpt from the essay on that long ago trip. And through the silence of time, one can almost imagine the valley today, the same as he witnessed it as much of it still looks the same.

“Up the Blackfoot runs one of the particularly interesting trails of western Montana. Longer than the oldest Indian can remember, this trail was the highway of his people to the Buffalo country on their annual hunting expeditions. Over this trail crept the war parties of the stealthy Blackfeet on the way to give battle to the Salish or to lie in ambush for the western Indians as they journey to the eastern hunting grounds to procure buffalo meat and hides for the winter…These same hills were later invaded by the woodsman and the sound of the axe and the crash of falling trees stirred echoes to a different note…Lewis and Clark traveled this trail (actually only Lewis did as Clark returned via the Yellowstone) and in later years it was widened, and the creaking wagon of the freighter and the lumbering stagecoach travelled its length. There are broad valleys along this trail and the invading farmer easily found his way to the grass- covered slopes. Thousands of cattle fed upon the hills and countless sheep browsed uphill and down. Fences appeared and the whir of the reaper became the autumn music in these vales… The main divide of the continent is the trails crest. The western slope is abundantly watered by thousands of streams and by many beautiful lakes; its valleys are wonderfully fertile, and its mountains are grand. The wealth of timber makes it one of the richest regions of Montana, supplementing the marvelous productivity of the valleys. It’s a beautiful trail to travel and it possesses historical associations that add to the light of the journey.”