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Logo by Vikki Gray
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Yellowstone County – Your Ancestral Past Trail Series
Out in the Boonies Index
By Dave Dodge
& Cleve Kimmel
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Monday, April 12, 2010 Added Trek 19.
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A little history
about Dave Dodge: he is the sixth great grandson on Squire Boone, the younger
brother of the frontiersman Daniel Boone. It was this gene pool that
contributed to his urge to get out and explore. He has been exploring with
Cleve Kimmel and he thought that Dave should share his adventures and
misadventures. He usually goes someplace he had researched many time before,
so he does have some strong knowledge of the region. He retired from the
Postal Service and in researching that venue he found that Montana has had over two thousand Post
Offices and only about three hundred fifty remain. Many of his trips include
finding locations of these abandoned post offices, cemeteries, buildings and
towns.
Please submit any feed back, extra info, and
corrections. Dave’s address is dodger@qwest.net
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Trip Report # 1 - Golden, Weatherman Draw, Bean and
Wade
This trail starts from
Bridger.
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Trip Report #2 – Twin Monuments & Monument Trail
Trail starts from
either Duck Creek or South
Billings Boulevard in Billings. The Bozeman Trail, built by the
US Army Command in 1865, happens to pass through these two monuments. Note:
The large stone monuments were constructed after c1911.
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Trip Report #3 – St. Olaf’s Church, 2nd Crow
Agency, Chance Cemetery, Chance & Tolman
Trail starts from Columbus, and returns to Laurel. However, you can return to the
originating point if so desired. This trip doesn’t require a 4-wheeled
vehicle; but if continuing on to part 3b, it is mandatory. The second leg of
the journey should only be attempted when the roads are dry, and clear of
wetness or snow. The route passes through Absarokee, and then veers off the
highway (78) and onto gravel and dirt roads. There are virtually no road
signs along the way to assist, nor are there local residents near by that
might render aid, so the use of trail Rag Map #36 from the BLM will be
needed. The entire route is expected to take about seven hours to complete.
Separate map sketches are attached for each Trip Section.
The Billings Post, on
March 10, 1883, presented an
article from George Geer a resident of the Park Hotel, about a
recommendation for building a much-needed road from Billings
to Cooke City. He describes where several of
the early trails, including the Nez Perce and miscellaneous wagon roads are
located, and who constructed them. Portions of these trails crisscross the
area noted in this trek, and form a basis for original location.
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Trip Section 3a – St. Olaf’s Church and 2nd
Crow Agency
You depart from Sammy’s
in Columbus
(after having breakfast & obtaining sandwiches etal for the trek), and
head for Absarokee. After heading south from Absarokee for 5.5 miles turn off
onto gravel roads. The trek is 41.8 miles in length, plus another three miles
into Red Lodge. Section 3b starts from Red Lodge. Travel time will be about
2-1/2 hours. You will pass by the J. E. Madson monument marker enroute.
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Trip Section 3b – Mee-Tee-Tse Trail (Chance &
Tolman)
You depart Red Lodge
from 11th & Broadway (Pollard Hotel), and head south. The
trail starts immediately on the left after crossing Rock Creek, and meanders through
the open land leading towards the Wyoming Border. You will pass by the
Mee-Tee-Tse Spires, then into Tolman Flats. The Tolman Cemetery
access is occasionally closed, and is closed during hunting season. Chance Cemetery and the location where Chance
was located are open. The dirt road is not maintained and has grades of 12
degrees. Four-wheeled vehicles are recommended.
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Trip Report #4 – Billings
– As It Was in 1956 or Earlier
This is a tour of
Billing’s local landmarks, as seen from the past. Tour is under construction,
and will establish appropriate original references to the area attractions
where available.
Copyright © 2003,
2004 Yellowstone County-Montana . All Rights Reserved.
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Trip Report #5 – Reverend Thomas Massacre
This is a trip to the
Thomas Marker located alongside of I90 near Greycliff.
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Trip
Report #6 – Crockett Section House – Pryor Gap
This is a trip to an
abandoned station house and its water tower. Used to service the CB&Q
Railroad that used to run between Toluca
and Cody.
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Trip
Report #7 – Pryor Valley Area -- Rock Cairns
on the Monument & Bozeman/Bridger Trails
This tour starts at Twin
Monuments as a staging area, and then has four segments that can be taken
collectively, or individually. It requires pre-tour review of local maps, and
reading of the trail locations as noted. It specifically locates the early
trails. Prepared by Cleve Kimmel & Vernon Drake in 2002.
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Trip
Report #8 – Cowley Rock Cairn – South Entrance to Petroglyph Canyon
Tour starts on HWY 310,
and goes south into Wyoming, then north
towards Montana.
The cairn marks the location for numerous mining claims, all unused.
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Trip Report #9 – General Hazen Road from Fort CF
Smith to Fort Benton
This road was
established in 1866 when General Hazen was assigned as superintendent of the
western plains Indians. He traveled to Fort Benton
from CF Smith and back, attempting to initiate a survey of the conditions.
This was at the time when hostilities with the Sioux were just starting. It
crosses the Yellowstone
River just above
Worden.
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Trip Report #10 – Gypsum Canyon
Rock Cairns & Lime Kiln
This trek passes
through the southern edge of Pryor Mountain, entering from Warren
and going southeast into Wyoming.
The trail has numerous branches, and needs to be studied well in advance, if
you are unfamiliar with the terrain. Trip #11 can be taken at the same time.
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Trip Report #11 – Rock Cairns in Sweet Grass &
Stillwater, Stockade School, Reed Point, Merrill & Stillwater PO’s.
This trek is about a six-hour round trip drive from Billings. The roads are mainly graded dirt
& gravel; and are suitable for rainy weather. A 4-wheel drive vehicle;
however, is recommended. The entire
trek is on public access roads. There are three rock cairns to be seen, plus
the old Reedpoint Siding, Old PO’s at Merrill & Springtime, and the
Stockade School. [Note: the coordinates provided are from the Post Offices of
Montana & GPS sightings. These may vary slightly from NGIS data.] Note
also that the Spring Creek School
is about one mile south of the Stockade School; but isn’t covered in this
trek.
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Trip Report #12 – McGinnis Peak,
Hole in the Wall & Ingomar
This trip, in its
entirety requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle with at least 12” of clearance.
Hole in the wall couldn’t be reached since the area was closed off
(Oct-2007). The others can be viewed with an auto. Plan on a six hour trek if
departing from Billings.
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Trip Report
#13 – Visit the Battle
Sites of General Custer & General Crook in June 1876.
This trip, requires
a 4-wheel drive vehicle when visiting the Rosebud Battlefield; if you desire
to drive about the site. Auto travelers can decide whether or not to drive on
the roadways, or view the site from the entrance. Still very awesome.
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Trip Report
#14 – Visit the vacated sites of long-vanished post offices in
Wheatland County. Most all po’s sit on private
and nil is visible from the road. The scenery is spectacular. Plan on
spending a whole day Enroute & meet new friends. The road is mostly
gravel.
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Trip Report
#15 – Visit the town of Castle,
and stop by the Bair
Museum on the return trip.
This old abandoned town sits on private property within the Lewis & Clark National
Forest; and it has several old buildings still
standing and visible from the road. The scenery is spectacular. Plan on
spending a whole day enroute.
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Trip Report
#16 – Visit the former townsites stretching from Slayton
Junction (home of Pecked Indian Art), and east toward Fort Pease.
This travel route passes alongside of the abandoned Milwaukee Railroad line, which is
immediately south of Highway 12. Only a few townsites still exist, as most
are turned into ranch land. The former locales are noted on a map, and
pictures are provided. History on these abandoned places is quite scarce, and
additional information for posting would be appreciated. This is an
eight-hour trek via 4-wheeled vehicle as portions of the route are on
mud-soaked trailways.
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Trip Report
#17 – Travel through Golden
Valley area and towns. A
four-wheeler is required; unless you are positive there will no wet roads? We
started from Billings on HWY 3 North, stopping at Helm Cemetery south of Comanche, then traveled through portions of
the area to visit towns and post office former locations. Click on pictures to enlarge.
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Trip Report
#18 – Travel to Utica
and Beyond. A four-wheeler is required; unless you are
positive there will no wet roads? We departed from Billings on HWY 3 North and stopped at
Harlowton where we set the odometer to zero. Then we traveled west to the L&C National Park,
up to Utica,
and back via a variety of side roads. Good maps are a must! Travel time is
over 8-hours total.
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Trip Report #19 – Travel to TeePee
Rocks and rock outcroppings. These sites are on private land
and state land. The TeePee Rocks resemble Indian Teepees, and the outcropping
is where the explorers from the 1874 journey camped. Also, there is a nearby
Rock Cairn located at the highest hill top in the local region. Portions of
these sites are now closed to public view; and only the TeePee rocks can be
viewed, and access details are provided. All is by foot traffic only.
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