Great Northern Route 3: North Central Montana
The Lewis & Clark Expedition disproved the existence of an easy, river-based Northwest Passage through the middle latitudes of North America. In the decades to follow, the Oregon Trail, the Pony Express, and various stagecoach routes allowed for difficult, dangerous, and time consuming travel by land across the continent. Not until after the Civil War was safe, reliable, quick, and relatively inexpensive transcontinental travel available in the form of railroads. The first route through the central part of the country ran well south of the northern area near the Canadian border. Once the final spike was hammered down in the Cascade Range near Scenic, Washington on January 6, 1893, the dream of James J. Hill, “The Empire Builder,” was realized with completion of the Great Northern Railway. The Mississippi River at the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota was now effectively united with the Pacific coast at Everett and Seattle, Washington via the most northerly American rail route. A man-made Northwest Passage was now a reality.
While generally north of the route Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery took, the Great Northern tracks were occasionally in proximity and served as a convenient means for early travelers to visit locations associated with the pioneering 1803-06 Expedition. In 1925 and 1926, the Great Northern Railway conducted tours that unveiled several monuments to commemorate important people, places and events along the route. We are now in the centennial era of these tours.
Starting from the first stop in Shelby, Montana, this leg of the itinerary will continue on US Highway 2, the Hi-Line, which parallels the Great Northern tracks. See Lewis & Clark Expedition sites and Great Northern monuments as you make your way through the Blackfeet Indian Reservation toward Glacier National Park. Use the companion Great Northern Route 4: Western Montana – Idaho itinerary to continue your journey farther west. See the Great Northern Route 2: North Dakota – Eastern Montana itinerary if you intend to travel farther east.
Stay in Shelby. Visit the Marias Museum of History & Art. Take a dip in the pool or enjoy a round of golf. See Champion's Park, where a large crowd filling a temporary stadium witnessed challenger Tommy Gibbons go toe to toe with boxing champ Jack Dempsey for the heavyweight crown on July 4, 1923.
On July 19, 1925, the Upper Missouri Historical Expedition sped through Shelby after a visit to the Bear Paw Battlefield and on its way to East Glacier. In 1926, the Great Northern Columbia River Historical Expedition chugged on a spur line from the south into Shelby after having visited Fort Benton and Great Falls. It then made its line of travel west along the main Great Northern tracks.
West of the town of Cut Bank, turn left to follow MT 385 south toward the Two Medicine River. Along the way on your right, you will find an overlook with interpretation for the Fight Site and the encounter with the Blackfeet. A wonderful view of mountains to the west forms a backdrop for an ancient tipi ring and nearby modern representation of a tipi.
1776 Valier Hwy, Valier, MT 59486, USA
22222 U.S. Rte 2, Browning, MT 59417, USA
499 MT-49, East Glacier Park, MT 59434, USA
Another Great Northern monument was erected on railroad right of way a couple miles from the location where Lewis determined the Marias (Ma-RYE-us) River did not extend any further north. Lewis named the camp when overcast conditions did not allow him to take the measurements he needed to determine the latitude of the site.
The obelisk was dedicated on July 20, 1925 and the closest station was renamed Meriwether in honor of the occasion. Once again, Ralph Budd, the GN Railway president, donated the the land to the State of Montana. Gov. John Erickson graciously accepted it. Olin Dunbar Wheeler, the public relations man for the Northern Pacific who had written the Wonderland series of books and The Trail of Lewis and Clark 1804-1904, the first travelogue of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, composed a speech for the unveiling. Ill health prevented his delivering it and he died on September 10. However, another man delivered Wheeler's speech and Montana lawyer Sidney M. Logan also gave an address. The Great Northern Songsters again sang songs between talks.
On the way back from Camp Disappointment to rendezvous with Expedition members making their way down the Missouri, Lewis and his party encountered four Blackfeet teenage boys. After spending the night in camp together, the braves attempted to make off with rifles and horses. In the ensuing scuffle, two of the boys were killed before Lewis and his men could regain their possessions.
Both the actual Fight Site and Camp Disappointment are on Blackfeet Reservation land and are not open to the general public. A private tour may be arranged well in advance through Larry Epstein, who was a member of the Boy Scout troop that positively identified the Fight Site in 1962. Call 406-949-2277.
23249 US-2, Cut Bank, MT 59427, USA
Museum of the Plains Indian, Museum Loop, Browning, MT, USA
Museum of the Plains Indian, Museum Loop, Browning, MT, USA
View Listing
Spend the night inside Glacier Park or in one of the surrounding towns. Drive Going-to-the-Sun-Road. Take one of many beautiful hikes. Be on the lookout for wildlife.
499 MT-49, East Glacier Park, MT 59434, USA
Sun Tours, Lindhe Avenue, East Glacier Park, Glacier, MT, USA
Glacier Peaks Hotel, Museum Loop, Browning, MT, USA
U.S. 89, Babb, MT 59411, USA
Our bi-weekly newsletter provides news, history, and information for those interested in traveling along along the Lewis & Clark Trail.
