Missouri River History
by Leland D Howard
Title
Missouri River History
Artist
Leland D Howard
Medium
Photograph - Fine Art Nature Photography
Description
Montana, east, Historical cabins along the Missouri River in the Charles M Russell Wildlife Refuge area.
There are many pioneer cabin and homestead sites along the Missouri River in what is now the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge and Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument. These deteriorating remnants are what's left of an era rich in history, with the ghost town of Rocky Point possibly being the most famed and deservedly so. A rocky bottom with low water allowed migrating buffalo to cross the river at Rocky Point and they used this route for thousands of years.
With the discovery of gold in the 1860's it became a steamboat landing and as cattle replaced the buffalo, ranchers took advantage of this crossing where the river flows over a shale reef, although quicksand just above the reef made the crossing notorious and sometimes deadly for the herds.
In later decades, the settlement of Rocky Point became a hangout for buffalo hunters and then outlaws and rustlers. Tales abound of vigilante justice, escapes across the river, outlaws masquerading as buffalo hunters, Indian battles and general lawlessness. When it rained the horrendous gumbo mud made things even more fun. I experienced the mud phenomenon myself while hiking, you can gain several pounds with each step and just walking can become a chore. I had to stop about every twenty feet and kick some of the sticky goo off my feet.
Uploaded
June 13th, 2013
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Viewed 765 Times - Last Visitor from Toronto, ON - Canada on 04/22/2024 at 2:31 PM
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