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Sept. 16, Day 11, Helena, MT to Great
Falls, MT
In the Montana State capitol building, looking up at cartouches around
the dome |
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Amy's Journal
Day 11, Wednesday, September 16, 2009 – Helena,
MT to Great Falls, MT 125 miles, 2166 total
George Dean, our step on guide gave a commentary at the amazing
Montana state capital or the people’s House. In 1902 the cost to build
the sandstone capital was $540,000 the two wings added 1909 to 1912 are
made of granite. Two years ago in 2007 renovation cost $29 million we
noted that only the Senate is furnished with comfortable La-Z-Boy
executive chairs The Charles Russell oil on canvas titled Lewis and
Clark meeting Indians at Ross's Hole 140" x 296" in the House chamber is
considered Russell's masterpiece the Indians are in the foreground,
major subject with Lewis and Clark Sacajawea and pomp at the right.
Throughout this art enhanced building we were spellbound by the bronze
historic Montanans such as Janet Rankin and Mike and Maureen Mansfield
and Wilbur Fisk Sanders. George gave us the history of the Anaconda
Copper company the largest copper company in the world, and pays fewer
taxes than anyone. The Copper Kings included William A. Clarke.
A centrally placed grand stairway in the capitool
holds the greatest amount of concentrated decoration in all the capitals
of the country. I wonder of any other state can be just tasteful
artistic building, After the capitol we walked next door to the Montana
Historical Society. This wonderful museum had an excellent Native
American exhibit, Charles Russell exhibit and a temporary exhibit of
Plateau Indians beaded bags. They were rich in subject content and
expert beadwork. Big Medicine an extremely rare occurrence one in every
5 million births, white bison, sacred to the Plains Indians is
permanently preserved as a treasured state treasure at the Montana
Historical Society on view on the second floor. We then boarded our bus
to the gates of the mountains boat ride. This gave us a great
appreciation of this long limestone Canyon separated by the Missouri
River, perhaps 1000 feet high. Now and then we spotted Eagles We saw a
picnic site at the base of the Canyon heard the story of the Hilger's
ranch house being carried off when the Hauser Dam broke in 1907. And the
story of Wagner Dodge, the foreman who was the only survivor of the
August 5, 1949 fire at Mann Gulch. He burned as fuel to prevent fire
spreading; others would not follow him so they burned. The book Young
Men and Fire was published on the 60th anniversary about this
tragedy and the Wagner Dodge technique for fire containment was followed
ever since. We Had a sack lunch at the picnic shelter along with hungry
flies and bees. We then drove north on Route 15 toward First People's
Buffalo jump. Along the way we passed through volcanic ash rocks 60
million years old. George said there are no foothills of the Rocky
Mountains. Meriwether Lewis had noted you come out of the mountains
right to the plains. The first People's Buffalo jump was an excellent
site to see how they led Buffalo over the cliff to provide for their
tribes food and buffalo skins. The site ranger gave us a clear
explanation of his ancient Indian tradition. We checked in at the Town
House Motel in Great Falls, MT.
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