P a g e 5 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r part of the reason he was attracted to the house. “It was built exactly 100 years prior to the new Museum of the Rockies building, and I thought it would illustrate 100 years of change in our region,” Hager said. “It was in incredibly good shape and the personal story of the Tinsley children making a two-day wagon trip alone to get the logs (from the Tobacco Root Mountains) was very compelling.” McKamey said the museum has three main goals for its Living History program. The first is to operate and maintain a historically authentic Montana homestead as typical of those established between 1864 and 1917. The second is to provide an opportunity for visitors and students to experience, participate in and understand the importance of Montana’s agriculture and rural heritage. The third is to enhance the meaningful involvement of the agricultural community and the general public in the organization, support and activities of the Living History Farm. “Even after 25 years of operation, some people don’t know anything about the farm and it’s just too great an experience to have anyone miss it,” McKamey said. “We are in the midst of a long-range plan to chart the future of the Living History program and welcome people’s input.” For more information visit: https://museumoftherockies.org/ Camel Trains If you are stressed out about your Fourth of July preparations, here's a humorous perspective: In the earliest days of the Montana mining camps, transportation was slow, and miners often waited in vain for ox-drawn freight wagons and mule trains to deliver supplies. Bad weather frequently delayed such essential items as mail, flour, and of course, whiskey. Stories abound about freighters caught in winter storms (check out the Winter issue of Montana The Magazine of Western History for an example). Such delays caused the rationing of supplies and brought on the infamous flour riots in Virginia City. Private companies tried to improve the delivery system, and some began to employ camel trains to carry goods over the Mullan Road to remote mining camps. It sounded like a great idea. Camels could carry up to one thousand pounds of flour each, they needed little food and water, and they plodded along at a slow but even pace. They were rather like today’s postal service: neither rain nor sleet nor snow seemed to stop them. But there was one problem. Bullwhackers and muleskinners detested the ungainly critters and dreaded meeting them on the trail. A mule train could smell the peculiar odor of camel from a long way off. Camel stench on the wind made horses and mules impossible to control. A mule train laden with a supply of whiskey earmarked for the Fourth of July met a camel train on a narrow road, and the mules stampeded. When it was over, whiskey soaked the ground, the Fourth of July was dry, and the camel experiment was over. –Ellen Baumler Ellen Baumler was an award-winning author and Montana historian. A master at linking history with modern-day supernatural events, Ellen's true stories have delighted audiences across the state. The legacy she left behind will be felt for generations to come and we are in debt to her for sharing her extensive knowledge of Montana history in such an entertaining manner. To view and purchase Ellen’s books, visit: http:// ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html
6 Publizr Home