June 19, 1938 Olympian Train Disaster

It was seventy-five years ago today that a flash flood on Custer Creek in Eastern Montana weakened a trestle and caused the worst train disaster in Montana History. When the Milwaukee Railroad's luxurious Olympian reached the weakened trestle it gave way and several cars were swept away by the swollen creek.

An account of the Olympian Disaster can b found in my book, Montana Disasters, Floods, Fires and Other Catastrophes which is available at bookstores and libraries in many locations throughout the state or online. 

Back in 1938, there wasn't the same kind of warning systems that we have in place today.  When the railroad employee checked the tracks just hours before the disaster there was nothing to indicate that a storm  was brewing upstream, intense enough to turn Custer Creek into a raging wall of water.  We are lucky enough today to have easy access to National Weather Service Flash Flood warnings at our finger tips.  

Ghost Signs

An interesting aspect of some of Montana's historical towns are usually overlooked or I suppose I should say under-looked.  That is to say the if you don't look up, you might miss some interesting ghost signs.  Butte has a bunch of ghost signs and so does my home town of Livingston Montana.  These signs painted on the buildings that once housed the businesses advertised are the only thing that is left of the original occupants. Ghost signs are most commonly found on brick structures but I suppose you might find them on any surface that has withstood the elements.


These are some of the ghost signs found in Livingston:

Last Chance Tour Train, Helena

It summer time again and for many of us that means vacations or long weekends to travel.  For those of you who have never spent any time in Helena Montana, you are missing a great historical destination.  If your visit falls on any day but Sunday, be sure to check out the Last Chance Tour Train.  It departs from in front of the Montana Historical Society Museum for one hour tours that provide an overview of the city.  If you only have a few hours to spend in Helena, the time would be well spent at the Museum and a ride on the Tour Train.  If you are lucky enough to be spending a day or two, the tour will give you an idea of where you might want to spend more time exploring. The "engineer" also serves as the the tour guide and every time we have taken the tour, the guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining.

For more information about the Last Chance Tour Train and other tour information I suggest visiting their website for tour details, schedules and contact information.

http://www.lctours.com

For visitors with disabilities, the museum is handicapped accessible but the tour train is less so.  My husband Frank was able to board the train with his walker and a little help, but special arrangements would be necessary for anyone with mobility issues.

Technology and History

Last night I stayed up late watching the breaking news about the capture of the suspect in the Boston Marathon Bombings.  Along with the live coverage of the manhunt in Watertown, the news teams showed how cellphone photos and surveillance footage was used to identify the men suspected of this horrible deed. Imagine what it would be like if that same technology had been around when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

In the unlikely event that John Wilkes Booth had gotten past modern type secret service agents, and taken his deadly shot, everyone in the theater would have taken out their smart phones, video taped his escape and had them uploaded to U-Tube before he even left the building.  How far would Booth had gotten, if everyone was aware of what had transpired within minutes?

My point is that technology is not only effecting our everyday lives, it is changing the way is history is made and how it is recorded. The Montana Post, published in Virginia City, Montana Territory, carried the news of Lincoln's assassination on the front page of the April 29, 1865 edition. It is hard to imagine that people in Montana Territory did not even know that President Lincoln had been assassinated until two weeks later.  Can you imagine what it would be like to have access to the live coverage of the pursuit of Booth and a press conference in front of the boarding house where Lincoln was taken after being shot.

While I sometimes think that we are slaves to our devices, spending more time than we should tweeting and checking our email, it is times like these, when history is being made, that I am glad that I am alive during a time where we can be witnesses to the events that effect our lives and lives of future generations.

A New Blog and and Additon to This One

One of the things that my husband, Frank, and I have always shared is a love for Montana Travel.  When we were younger, many summer weekends were spent exploring the state and points beyond on a Honda Gold Wing. Unfortunately those days are far behind us and diabetes complications have taken their toll on Frank.  These days his form of transportation is a battery operated scooter.  We have had to cut back on our travel, but that hasn't stopped us. 

You are probably wondering why I am mentioning all of this in a history blog.  Many of the locations that I mention are handicapped accessible.  Some are not.  In future blog posts I will include accessiblily information about any destination that I am recommending.   I would also like to share my new blog, www.MTBarrierFree.blogspot.com with any of my followers who might have mobiltiy issues or other disabilities.  It is dedicated to sharing information about all that Montana has to offer to everyone, regardless of any special needs. 

Glacier National Park Mystery 1924

Wouldn't it be grand to solve a mystery that took place almost  90 years ago. In August of 1924, two brothers from Chicago disappeared during a hike in Glacier National Park. The brothers set off from Granite Park but never arrived at their destination, the Lewis Hotel on Lake McDonald.  An extensive search was conducted, the FBI was called in, yet no evidence ever surfaced to close the case.  It remains to this day unsolved.

I first read about the Whitehead brothers, Joseph and William in the book, Roadside History of Montana, written by Don Spritzer and published Mountain Press. You can read more about the Whitehead mystery on page 110.  If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it highly.  It is full of Montana history, organized to follow highways and roads where the events took place.

I seriously doubt that anyone would be able to piece together what happened to the Whitehead brothers so long after the fact, but wouldn't it be something if someone came upon some missing bit of information that finally solved the mystery of their disappearance.

Photo Mystery, What is This?

For years, every time I drove east on Interstate 90 near Three Forks I would notice this structure on the hillside near the highway and I would tell myself that next time I would stop at the Three Forks Museum and ask if someone could tell me what it is.  By the time I visited the area again I would forget to stop, or I would pass through the town when the museum was closed.  So I am asking anyone out there if they can solve this mystery for me.  

Structure on hillside south of Interstate 90,  just east of  Three Forks,  Montana

I always assumed that the structure had something to do with the limestone business because of the proximity to Trident and its cement plant but I could be way off base.  Any thoughts on the matter?