Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area ⓘ

The Bad Pass Trail, marked by rock cairns, weaves its way along the rugged western edge of Bighorn Canyon, from the mouth of the Shoshone River to the mouth of Grapevine Creek. One may guess from its name that the Bad Pass trail was not an easy trail. It was better than the alternatives of crossing the mountains or the dangers of possibly drowning in the untamed waters of the Bighorn River coursing through the canyon. The Crow told stories of evil spirits that resided in the canyon, serving as an additional deterrent to river travel.

High Traffic Area Native people walked and camped along this trail for 10,000 to 12,000 years while traveling to the buffalo plains. Early trappers and traders such as Jim Bridger and Jedediah Smith used it to transport furs to St. Louis, avoiding the dangers of floating the Bighorn River. Later ranchers and settlers used the trail to get to their property on the Dry Head. As the settlers started to use the Bad Pass Trail, foot and horse traffic turned to freight wagons and then to vehicles. This was still not an easy trip. It was a well known fact by those that drove along the trail, that they should always carry a tire repair kit with them as they were almost guaranteed at least one flat tire along the way.

Historic Trail to Park Road Today the park road follows closely the original path of the Bad Pass, some times following over the top of it. If this trail could talk it would have years of stories to share. The stories of adventure have now turned to stories of wildlife viewing and recreation and as the years go by more stories will be added.

Archaeology Work On Bad Pass Trail To learn about current archaeological work click on the following link:

During the legendary days of the Rocky Mountain fur trade, the list of mountain men crossing the Bad Pass Trail and floating furs from the mouth of Bighorn Canyon to the Yellowstone River read like a who's who of the mountains: Jedediah Smith, Alexander Henry, William Ashley, Milton Sublette, Jim Bridger, and Jim Beckwourth.

The Bad Pass Trail There are at least three known instances - 1824,1815, and 1833 - where the Bad Pass Trail was used as the primary route to bring back furs from the rich beaver trapping grounds in the Green River Basin of western Wyoming. There were other crossings during this time where couriers for the fur trade companies brought messages back to their superiors asking for supplies or trade goods to be transported to their men in the field or at a rendezvous.

Crossing the trail brought considerable risks. There were maulings by grizzly bears and attacks by hostile tribes. Conversely, the trail was much easier to cross than overland routes further south or a trek across the high country of the Bighorn Mountains. With one notable exception, no one wanted to chance the dangerous rapids down the Bighorn Canyon.

Bullboats At the end of the Bad Pass Trail was Grapevine Creek, at the mouth of Bighorn Canyon. It was here that the mountain men would construct bullboats. These simple yet effective watercraft were made from tanned buffalo hides, stretched over a green willow frame, and waterproofed with elk tallow.

The trappers would then run the bullboats down the Bighorn to the Yellowstone River. From there they would head downriver to forts either on the Yellowstone itself or near its confluence on the Missouri. The fur packs would then be placed on keelboats, headed for St. Louis. The furs were exceedingly valuable. In 1825, William Ashley and his Rocky Mountain Fur Company's men brought in $50,000 worth of furs. This would be literally millions of dollars in today's terms.

Back To the Mountains Meanwhile, other groups of trappers would not make the long journey downriver. They would head from the mouth of the Canyon back over the Bad Pass Trail and reenter the Green River basin or head to other areas further south and west to continue their hunts.

The era of the beaver fur trade lasted from approximately 1805 to 1840. The whims of fashion then changed, silk replacing beaver fur on hats worn by the masses in the eastern United States and Europe.

The Path To Leadership Robert Summers Yellowtail Sr., was born in Lodge Grass, Montana on August 4, 1889. It was a tragic and difficult time for the Crow people. The traditional way of life was not allowed by the U.S. government. Even if it had been, there were no more buffalo left to hunt, the reservation was being partitioned by treaty after treaty, practicing traditional religion or the Crow language was not allowed. At the age of four Yellowtail was boarded at a reservation school away from tribal influences. Harsh punishments awaited any child who attempted to practice their native culture.

At age 13, Yellowtail, who was known for both his intelligence and stubbornness was sent to Sherman Institute in Riverside, California where he excelled, graduating in 1907. He became interested in Indian law and wanted to help his people, which lead him to spend time at the Extension Law School in Los Angeles. He would gain a law degree via correspondence courses from the prestigious University of Chicago. Yellowtail had decided to make defending the Crow tribe his mission.

Saving The Reservation Yellowtail was just the right man at exactly the right moment. His arch-rival became Montana senator Thomas Walsh who in 1910 introduced a bill to open up the final 1.8 million acres (down from the original 38 million acres) to homesteaders. Crow chief Plenty Coups called on Yellowtail to fight the legal battle against Congress.

In this battle, Yellowtail’s stubbornness came in quite handy. Over seven long years Yellowtail countered Walsh’s ferocious attacks. Finally in 1917, Yellowtail and the Crow were victorious as the reservation lands were kept under tribal control.

Fighting For The Bighorn Just after the end of World War II a new challenge arose, the potential damming of the Bighorn River. Yellowtail became consumed with stopping the dam. The Bighorn Canyon was considered sacred to the Crow. This land, this place was at the very core of their existence. The tribal council rallied around Yellowtail, voting eight to one against construction of the dam.

The pressure mounted on Yellowtail and cracks in tribal unity began to materialize. Government agents spread rumors that Yellowtail was willing to sell out the tribe for his own interests. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The government had offered $1.5 million dollars for 7,000 acres needed for construction of the dam. The tribe had valued it at $5 million dollars. Yellowtail. When forced to negotiate by the government’s take it or leave it policy, Yellowtail played hardball. He said the dam’s construction would be allowed if the government paid $1 million a year for 50 years to lease the land. When the 50 years expired the Crow would get the dam and the land. Complicated politicking ensued.

In the end, the government got everything - the dam, land, and all future proceeds - for only $5 million dollars. This meant only $600 dollars for each tribal member. A harsh irony took place when the dam was named in Yellowtail‘s honor. Yellowtail was heartbroken, this was a battle he could not win.

Yet Yellowtail never gave up. In the 1970’s he fought for Crow mineral rights on their reservation land. Twenty percent of all the coal in the western United States was under Crow land. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was attempting to sell off the rights to private interests for a vastly undervalued sum. The tribe united once again under Yellowtail’s leadership. This time the Crow’s were victorious.

The Ultimate Battle By the 1980’s Yellowtail was enjoying the latter years of his life, taking part in Crow events and celebrations, such as the annual Crow fair which he had revived. Today the Crow fair is one of the largest cultural festivals in the nation. He also collaborated on a documentary in 1986 called “Contrary Warriors: A Film of the Crow Tribe.”

In June of 1988, Robert Yellowtail died. He was 98. The Crow people mourned the loss of a man who had led them through some of their most difficult moments. The reservation remained intact, the Crow’s now governed themselves, they had their mineral rights. All of this was due to Yellowtail’s untiring efforts. Yellowtail’s legacy would be that of a warrior, who fought and won the ultimate battle for his people - personal, tribal, and economic freedom.

The Bozeman Trail Of all the overland trails blazed during the westward movement, the Bozeman Trail ranks as one of the most violent, contentious and ultimately failed experiments in American frontier history.

Though the trail is named for John Bozeman, an emigrant from Georgia, who was said to have blazed the route, in actuality Native Americans had been using the route as a travel corridor for centuries. In 1863, Bozeman and partner John Jacobs widened this corridor for use as a wagon road. They were following in much the same footsteps as Captain William Raynolds had four years earlier in a mapping and exploration expedition for the Army Corps of Topographic Engineers.

The impetus for the trail was as a shortcut to goldfields, in and around Virginia City, Montana territory. The Bozeman route left the Oregon Trail in central Wyoming, skirted the Bighorn Mountains, crossed several rivers including the Bighorn, then traversed mountainous terrain into western Montana.

The trail had several advantages, including an abundant supply of water along with the most direct route to the goldfields.

The Powder River Country It also had one major drawback, it cut through the heart of territory that had been promised to several Indian tribes by the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1848. This included the rich hunting grounds of the Powder River Country, claimed by the Sioux and other tribes.

The first emigrant trains began traveling up the trail not long after Bozeman and Jacobs had finished marking the route. In 1864, a large train of 2,000 settlers successfully made the trek. This was the high water mark of travel along the corridor. Though some wagon trains, were successful, they were under constant threat of attack. Over the next two years, travel along the corridor came to a complete halt because of numerous raids by a coalition of tribes.

Pressure was then placed upon the U.S. government to protect travelers. In 1866, U.S. Army troops were dispatched to construct three forts along the trail, which would supposedly offer protection to wagon trains. These posts, running from south to north, were Forts Reno, Phil Kearney and C.F. Smith. Ominously, each of these forts was named after a general that had deceased during the just completed Civil War.

Red Cloud’s War In effect the Bozeman Trail had become a military road. The protection afforded by the U.S. Army presence enraged the tribes and began a two year conflict, known as Red Cloud’s War. Under the leadership of Oglalla Lakota chief Red Cloud, raids and ambushes were carried out against soldiers, civilians, supply trains and anyone else brazen enough to attempt the trail.

These attacks culminated in three famous incidents. The Fetterman Fight, in December 1866, which saw an army detachment of 79 soldiers and 2 civilians led by Captain William Fetterman lured from Fort Phil Kearney and utterly destroyed within a few miles of the fort. On August 1, 1867, the Hayfield Fight, where 19 soldiers and 6 civilians detailed for guard and hay cutting duty were attacked. Under siege for over 8 hours they managed to hold off 500 hundred warriors until help arrived. The Wagon Box Fight, where a detachment of 31 soldiers sent out to guard a team of wood cutters, was encircled, yet fought off numerous attacks over a five hour period from hundreds of warriors.

Abandonment and Failure Continued raids and skirmishes were the rule that proved peace was a rare and evasive exception. Life guarding the trail was a combination of tension, monotony, and loneliness. Low morale led to numerous desertions, soldiers on the verge of mutiny and even cases of insanity , at the most isolated outpost, Fort C.F. Smith .

With few if any emigrants using the trail, the army sequestered behind fortress walls and tribes showing few signs of easing up on attacks, the United States government decided to pursue a peace policy. The 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty recognized the Powder River Country once again as the hunting territory of the Lakota and their allies. A presidential proclamation was issued to abandon the forts. The Bozeman Trail was history. For the first time, the United States government had lost a war.

By the time Henry Lovell came to the Bighorn Basin in 1879, he had lived a life filled with adventure. At the age of 14 he left home and headed for the southwest where he led government mail trains on runs from Fort Dodge, Kansas to Mexico City. During this time he acquired three bullet wounds and a knife wound fighting off hostile Indians and outlaws.

Not long thereafter he went into the cattle business where he met Kansas City capitalist Anthony Mason. They soon formed a partnership in the ranching business where Lovell provided the expertise and Mason the financial backing.

In 1879 and 1880 Lovell trailed his first three herds north. Leaving southern Kansas his operation brought the cattle into the basin, just west of the Bighorn River, further south from where you now stand. In 1882 Lovell’s outfit brought in 12,000 cattle from Oregon. As the herd grew in size Lovell decided to relocate his home ranch in 1884 further north on the property where you now stand, east of the Bighorn River, on Willow Creek. The move was influenced by the land’s proximity to the nearest cattle shipping point on the Northern Pacific Railroad, 95 miles north at Billings, Montana. The Open Range Looking west across the Bighorn basin, the land stretches across a seemingly endless horizon. Now imagine that this area is filled with cattle for as far as the eye can see. This is what it was like in the 1880’s and 1890’s all across this land, this was the open range.

The open range is a foreign concept in much of the west today. That’s because barbed wire partitions thousands of square miles of range land. This fencing sections even the most gigantic parcels of land into manageable sizes. Yet during the open range era there was no barbed wire, the sage and water were free, allowing vast cattle herds to graze for free on public land.

Outfits such as the M-L ranch would partition a small piece of deeded land, such as the one you are now standing on and set it up as their headquarters. From this base, they would graze cattle across the seemingly endless basin.

Click Here to read Mason-Lovell Ranch Part Two - A Cruel Winter To The End Of An Era MP3 Audio for waysides at the Mason-Lovell Ranch

Prospector turned Rancher In 1896, just five years after the Crow cession of 1,800,000 acres from the western end of their reservation, Erastus T. Ewing entered the Dryhead searching for gold. Born in Tennessee in 1846, Erastus was brought to the region by the gold strike on Bald Mountain in the Bighorn Mountains.

When that strike had played out, some prospectors believed, or hoped, the rugged Bighorn Canyon might contain the mother lode. Ewing and his partners had up to 7, 160 acre discovery claims staked out and filed. While some gold was found, no big strikes were ever made in the Dryhead.

From Gold To Ranching Finding little gold, Erastus decided to try his hand at ranching. He knew that to make it in this arid land he would need water. On April 8, 1897, he filed with Carbon County in Red Lodge, Montana to appropriate 200 inches of water per year from Layout Creek for irrigation, mining and milling. Over the years more water was appropriated from the creek and irrigation ditching systems were created including holding ponds. The water was used to water grain and hayfields, orchards, and gardens.

Post Office By 1898, there were enough prospectors and squatters in the Dryhead to justify a post office and mail route. The post office was out of the Ewing home with Erastus as post master. On maps from the turn of the century this site was known as Ewing, Montana. Bessie Tillett remembers carrying the mail to Ewing in 1903 from Lovell, Wyoming. She remembered Erastus as a tall, slender man with a pronounced limp, having broken his leg while hunting mountain sheep. In 1904, Erastus T. Ewing died, and his son Erastus R. Ewing was appointed postmaster. In 1906, George A. Berky became postmaster, and the post office was moved five miles north of his ranch on Davis Creek, better known today as the Lockhart Ranch.

The Name After changing hands a couple times Philip and Alma Snell purchased theranch in 1920. The ranch is named after Erastus Ewing, the man that established it and theSnells, the family that lived there the longest. MP3 Audio files for the Ewing/Snell Ranch waysides

Grosvener W. Barry was drawn to the Bighorn Canyon area by gold in 1903. After startingthree different gold mining companies, he found that he was not going to extract a fortunein gold from the Bighorn Canyon placer deposits. Being a promoter at heart, Barry and his family turned to dude ranching. He advertised his Cedarvale Ranch as a sportsman’s paradise in brochures and a vacation guide published by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.

The Sportsman’s Paradise “The ranch lies in a beautiful valley between the Bighorn and Pryor Mountains, this valley being divided by the canyon of the Bighorn River. The ranch house is far removed from the environments of civilization, but it is thoroughly modernized, being electrically lighted throughout. The bountiful and well prepared table is supplied from our extensive gardens, and fresh meat is available at all times due to the large ice plant we operate.

We have the typical stock ranch of the west. The hunting and fishing is remarkable. Parents can send their children here where there are no bad influences. The ranch is easy to access by our powered motor boats, the only power boats on the Bighorn River. Those who have made the boat trip through the entire canyon pronounce it to be the finest and the only trip of its kind. Ascending the river is sublime and coming down is positively thrilling. Camping trips in the fine mountain scenery of a few days or as long as one cares to stay brings rest, peace and comfort.”

Trip Of A Lifetime The boats used at Barry’s Landing were built by Barry and Eddy Hulbert. To publicize Cedarvale and the Barry Boats, Doc Barry, Claude St. John, and a neighbor, Bert Smith, started downstream on May 31, 1913, in the sixteen foot, motorized Edith. On June 3 rd they entered the Yellowstone and four days later the Missouri. They entered the Mississippi on July 15 th and on August 1 st they reached New Orleans.

Claude’s uncle sold the boat the next day, but it had proven its sturdiness. Years later, three boats, presumably the Flirt, the Reliance, and the Mistral, slipped beneath the rising waters of Bighorn Lake. The Hillmont, saved from this watery grave, is now partially restored and displayed at Barry’s Landing.

The Post Office A post office was established at Hillsboro in 1915. Barry was appointed postmaster. Claude St. John replaced Barry as postmaster on June 15, 1920. With the exodus of homesteaders during World War II, the post office closed on March 31, 1945.

A Visionary The successful dude ranch was operated by Edith Barry, for many years after Barry’s death in the early 1930’s. The main house burned down in the winter of 1947-48. The St. Johns added to their three room cabin the next spring. Later that home also burned. During his later years, Claude turned to cattle and horse ranching. The days of entertaining dudes were only something he reminisced about. Grosvener W. Barry enjoys the distinction of being the firstperson to recognize and exploit the recreation potential of Bighorn Canyon. MP3 Audio files for Hillsboro waysides

The people that defined the history of Bighorn Canyon are as varied as the country that surrounded them. They overcame hardships to forge a homeland, explore new frontiers or eke out a living in an extreme environment. Click on the names to read their biographies.

Native Americans The Crow roamed thousands of miles over vast prairies, across jagged mountain ranges, and through forbidding deserts before they settled on the land of the Bighorn. Nearly three hundred years later they continue to build a legacy.

Fur Traders Francois Antoine Larocque’s life is veiled in obscurity, except for a singular, historic claim. He left the first recorded description of Bighorn Canyon. William Ashley crossed the Bad Pass Trail in 1825 as head of an expedition for his Rocky Mountain Fur Company. This trip would lead him to perfect the rendezvous system and change the fur trade business forever.

Andrew Henry made history twice! First, as a member of a party which opened up western lands to the fur trade, then a decade later, he would help recruit the mountain men and lead many of them over the Bad Pass on an historic trek.

Jim Bridger made history time and again over a 45 year period. From fur trader to scout and guide, Bridger led commerical, surveying, and military expeditions through the Bighorn Canyon area that blazed new trails.

Jedediah Smith was known to always have three things by his side: a bible, rifle, and a teddy bear. These constant companions were witness to his pathbreaking explorations in pursuit of adventure and the fur trade.

Jim Beckwourth was born into slavery, but once he gained freedom headed to the West as a fur trader and never looked back. In the process he became the foremost African-American frontiersman.

Ranchers Henry Lovell came to the Bighorn basin in 1880 with just a handful of cattle. He used the backing of powerful Kansas City financier Anthony Mason to grow the herd to 25,000 in just five years.

Erastus Ewing came to the Bighorn Canyon area looking for gold. He staked numerous claims, but they held little gold. Yet these claims proved valuable for their water rights. He used them to establish a family ranch on Layout Creek. Link Hannon was a hard worker, who refused to be bullied. Some of his neighbors liked him, others tried to have him arrested or even killed. Despite threats, fights and arrests, Hannon fought back and left the Dryhead with his life and freedom intact.

Grosvener W. Barry left a life of luxury back east, to try his hand at homesteading, mining and ranching. He failed many times, yet finally persevered and became the first person to recognize and exploit the recreation potential of Bighorn Canyon. Caroline Lockhart was famous long before she came to the Dryhead looking to rest, relax and write more novels. She found that ranching was hard work, but took to it with such vigor that she earned the title “Cattle Queen of Montana.”

Characters Frank Sykes always had his trusty single-action Colt 44 at his side. It was the ultimate proof that he trusted no one and never ever forgot a slight.

John Blue built a periscope in his stone dugout to watch for people sneaking up on him. In one of his most notable fits of paranoia he set out by horse for Washington, D.C. to tell the president about the people who were out to get him.

Eddy Hulbert came to Doc Barry’s ranch at the age of 13 as an orphan. He was just looking for a place in the world. He found that place as a blacksmith, and he literally forged much of Hillsboro in his workshop. He was still working hard in his blacksmith shop on the day he died.

Farmers Tom Campbell grew up on a small farm. Day after grueling day he worked alongside his family farming the land with a team of oxen and cradle. These memories pushed Campbell into becoming one of the most innovative corporate farmers in American history. He did it right beside the Bighorn River!

History and Building of the Yellowtail Dam By the mid-20 th century the Missouri River was notorious for floods that caused millions of dollars worth of damage to cities, towns and farms. It had long been a dream of those who lived near the Missouri River or had interests connected with the waterway, to tame its flood prone waters. This dream became reality in the decades which followed the passage of the Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act of 1944.

Flood control along the Missouri Basin (of which the Bighorn River is a part, since it flows into the Yellowstone which eventually flows into the Missouri) was brought about by the building of a series of over 50 dams and lakes. Prominent among these is the Fort Peck Dam - in northeastern Montana - the largest public works project in American history and the Yellowtail Dam, at the mouth of Bighorn Canyon.

Sixty Years In The Making Construction of the Yellowtail Dam took place in the 1960s, but the idea of damming the Bighorn had been around since the early 1900s. Irrigation of land for agricultural purposes was seen as a way of helping the Crow Indians to become self-sufficient. Around 1900 the Indian Service (precursor to the Bureau of Indian Affairs agency) began to issue allotments of farmland to the Crow people.

Since the land was in a semi-arid environment, irrigation would be needed in order to create arable land. In addition, the first decade of the 20 th century saw hundreds of settlers move into the area, taking up 160 acre farm allotments under the Homestead Act.

The Reclamation Service (precursor to the Bureau of Reclamation) carried out three major studies between 1903 and 1942.

The ground breaking took place in the fall of 1961. A diversion tunnel to reroute the river water during construction was built in the following years. It was approximately 2000 feet long (equivalent to over 6 football fields in length) and 32 feet wide.

On March 16, 1963 the first bucket of cement was poured. Several long years of work ensued, in which there were four fatalities, before the dam was completed in 1967. On October 31, 1968 the dam was dedicated.

Opposition The results of the project were hailed as a success, but there were many who adamantly opposed the dam. Ironically, the dam is named after Robert Yellowtail, chairman of the Crow tribe. Yellowtail was firmly against the damming of the river and flooding of the Bighorn Canyon. The Crow people held these lands to be sacred. The dam and river project acquired 12,000 acres of land from the Crow tribe. The agreement specified water rights and assured protection of surrounding areas as their reservation and private property.

The dam was built for the following purposes (priorities listed in order of importance), which have all been successfully met:

As a result of the Dam, it has been estimated that flood damage was reduced by $113 million between the years of 1965 and 2007. In regards to electrical generation, the Yellowtail Dam is capable of producing up to 250,000 kilowatts of electricity.

The Greatest Impact Perhaps the greatest impact on the average citizen has been the increased recreational opportunities brought about by the dam. Because the dam regulates the flow of water into the Bighorn, the river has become legendary as a world class trout fishery.

Amazingly, it is now the most fished stream in the state of Montana. The dam also led to the designation of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in 1968. Each year over 200,000 visitors come to enjoy boating, fishing, along with a wide range of outdoor activities.

Around the turn of the 20 th century, Grosvener W. Barry chanced upon Trail Creek Valley and liked what he saw. After deciding to stay, he built a cabin and several other buildings from the dead timber on one side of the canyon. (As the story goes, years before, a prospector had set fire to a bush in order to exterminate a rattlesnake, and the fire got out of hand.) Barry's wife Edith and Claude St. John, her son by a previous marriage, joined him at the ranch.

Living on the Dryhead Barry was a true promoter from New York. Over the years, his schemes to extract a fortune in gold from the Bighorn Canyon placer deposits led to the formation of three gold mining companies: Hidden Canyon Gold Mining, Big Horn Gold Dredging, and Gold Creek Consolidated Dredging Companies.

Stock was sold in the first two of these companies. He was able to raise $50,000 ($2.1 million in 2008 terms) from officials of U.S. Steel enough to purchase, ship, and assemble a huge dredge on the Bighorn River at the mouth of Trail Creek. The dredge never recovered enough gold to even pay for its operation.

Cedarvale Dude Ranch Barry then turned to dude ranching, using the natural opportunities of hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, sightseeing, and horseback riding to make his fortune. One of his promotional efforts was a river trip from the Bighorn canyon area to New Orleans. Using a two cylinder, eight horsepower motorboat the Edith - named after Barry's wife - the adventurers made the trip in just over two months. The trip made national headlines.

Eventually "dudes" would come from as far away as Maine and Texas to experience the great outdoors in the Trail Creek Valley. During World War I dude ranching business was slow, but was revived in the 1920's. Barry also formed the Big Horn Motor Boat Company. He had a fleet of six motorboats. These transported vacationers arriving by railroad at the nearby town of Kane, Wyoming down the river, across the Montana stateline, and to the Cedarvale Dude Ranch.

A Lasting Legacy Grosvener W. Barry died of a brain tumor in Billings, MT on January 25, 1920. Mrs. Edith Barry and Claude St. John continued to operate the dude ranch for several years after his death, eventually turning solely to cattle and horse ranching. The ranch operated until the late 1950's.

Today Barry's Landing, one of the main boat ramps in the park, is named for Doc Barry. Barry is credited as the first person to exploit the recreational potential of the Bighorn Canyon area. Over 200,000 people now come to Bighorn Canyon for recreational purposes, experiencing Doc Barry's vision first hand.

Caroline Lockhart, reporter, author, and editor, was born in Illinois in 1871, and moved with her family to Kansas early in her life. She was sent by her father, a cattleman, to Bethany College in Topeka and to the Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Reporter In Boston, at age 18, Caroline started her career as a writer, working as a reporter for the Boston Post. While employed by the Post and searching to find material for articles, she donned diver’s gear and spent 30 minutes at the bottom of Boston Harbor. Her adventuresome spirit became legendary. She soon became one of the first people to jump into a fire safety net. In fact, there was no task her editor, Andrew McKenzie, asked her to do that she declined. Before coming to Wyoming, she also worked as a reporter for the Philadelphia Bulletin.

Coming to the West Assigned to do a story on the Blackfeet Indians, she stopped in Cody, Wyoming, and she fell in love with the area and decided to stay. She soon bought the local Cody Enterprise newspaper. In the early 1900s, Cody was known for its colorful characters. She renewed her acquaintance with William F. Cody, whom she had interviewed while working for the Post. She eventually became president of the Cody Stampede, and used her knack for pubilicty to raise funds for the annual rodeo.

Here she found inspiration for the books she had always wanted to write. Her first novel was Me, Smith , to be followed in 1912 by The Lady Doc . The latter, she recalled, “made me infamous,” because some of her friends recognized themselves in the characters. Other novels authored by Miss Lockhart were: Full of the Moon , Man from the Bitter Roots , The Dude Wrangler , The Old West and the New , and Fighting Shepherdess . The latter was made into a movie starring Anita Stewart.

Dreams In 1926, Caroline purchased a ranch in the Dryhead area - of what is today Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area - to pursue her dream to become “the Cattle Queen of Montana.” She was no stranger to ranch life, but operating the L/♥ ranch that grew from 160 acres to 6,034 acres, demanded most of her time and energy. However, when three loads of Lockhart steers topped the market in Omaha in 1935, Caroline must have indeed felt she was the “Cattle Queen”.

Caroline fully intended to continue writing, but she never produced anything of consequence after The Old West and New in 1933. Instead she went from writing the novel to living the myth.

Liberated Lady Throughout her life she was involved with many men but never married. This contributed to her reputation as a liberated lady. In 1952, in her eighties, she moved back to her home in Cody and later sold the ranch. She died in 1962. Her ashes were scattered over the L/♥. In her later years she wrote, “There are no old timers left anymore. I feel like the last leaf on the tree.”

For over 10,000 years, Bighorn Canyon has been home to untold generations of people. These “people of the canyon” followed an ancient trail, which led from the mouth of Bighorn Canyon, south through the Bighorn Basin and eventually to the Wind River Mountains.

The winter months were spent deep in the canyon recesses, in caves and rock shelters. The summer months were spent in the cool mountain air of the Wind River and Pryor Mountains. Over time, these people disappeared and more recently, tribesmen and wanderers made their way to, and through Bighorn Canyon.

“Children of the Large Beaked Bird” One group of wanderers arrived in the Bighorn Country and remained. They called this place home and cherished the canyons, mountains, and waters of this country. As one of their great men said, “This is the best of all places in all of this world.” The land is ingrained in their heritage, in their very being. These are the people who call themselves Absarokaa, meaning of ‘Children of the Large Beaked Bird.’ Others would call them Crow.

The Crow people arrived in the Bighorn country in the early 1700’s. from the time of their arrival, they were constantly being challenged, to call this land home. Strong tribes from every direction contested the Crow’s claim to this land. From the North and the West, they fought the Assiniboine, Blackfeet, and Flatheads. The Sioux and Cheyenne harassed them from the East. Often outnumbered and constantly at war, they were gradually forced west of their beloved Bighorns. Throughout the area, battlefields, and fortifications mark the landscape as reminders of their defense.

The Struggle For Home Their enemies, who continued to push the Crow further and further west, finally conceded the territory the Crow people had struggled for so long to call home. At a formal council held at Fort Phil Kearney in July 1866, between Colonel Carrington and certain Cheyenne chiefs, who were then in close relations with Red Cloud and other Oglala Sioux, Carrington addressed the following question to Black Horse: “Why do the Sioux and Cheyenne claim the land which belongs to the Crows?” Black Horse promptly answered: “We stole the hunting grounds of the Crows because they were the best.”

By 1876, the Crow people only dared to cross the Bighorn River in strong war parties. That year, under the leadership of their great warrior Chief Plenty Coups, they allied with the United States government in the Indian Wars of 1876.

Allies and Saving Lives Historically, the Crow people have been friendly to non-Indian settlers and United States' soldiers of the area. They served as mail carriers for soldiers of Fort C.F. Smith and guided the early explorers safely through the area. The Crow couriers also brought warnings of attacks by the Sioux and Cheyenne, thereby saving the lives of many soldiers and settlers. Serving as scouts for Generals Terry, Crook, Gibbon, and Custer, and they were involved repeatedly in battles throughout the area. The Crow Warriors, White Swan, Hairy Moccasins, Whiteman Runs Him, Curly and Goes Ahead, scouted for Custer, warning him of the over whelming Sioux forces. Failing to heed their warnings, he went to rendezvous with history on the Little Bighorn.

For their help in the Indian Wars, the U.S. Government promised to reserve land in the valley of the Bighorn River and Bighorn Mountains for the Crow people. Now they could finally be allowed to live in peace and to roam their sacred lands. Arapooash’s Words - Exactly the Right Place One of their chiefs, Sore Belly (Arapooash), attempted to put into words the great magnitude of emotion the Crow people have for this sacred land: “The Crow country…is a good country. The Great Spirit has put it exactly in the right place; while you are in it you fare well; whenever you go out of it, whichever way you travel, you fare worse.

If you go to the South you have to wander over great barren plains; the water is warm and bad, and you meet the fever and ague.

To the north it is cold; the winters are long and bitter, with no grass; you cannot keep horses there, but must travel with dogs. What is a country without horses?

On the Columbia they are poor and dirty, paddle about in canoes, and eat fish. Their teeth are worn out; they are always taking fish bones out of their mouths. Fish is poor food.

To the east they dwell in villages; they live well; but they drink muddy water of the Missouri - that is bad. A Crow’s dog would not drink such water.

About the forks of the Missouri is a fine country; good water; good grass; plenty of buffalo. In summer, it is almost as good as the (Crow) country; but in winter it is cold; the grass is gone and there is no salt weed for the horses.

Francois Antoine Larocque was a French-Canadian fur trader who became the first person to give a recorded description of the Bighorn Canyon area. As an employee of the British Northwest Company, his exploration of the region was a direct result of the Northwest Company and British interests being caught unawares by news of the United States purchase of the Louisiana Territory. The ensuing Lewis and Clark expedition, exploring the region, directly threatened vital British interests that had thus far monopolized the Upper Missouri trade.

Larocque left Fort Montagne La Bosse on January 30, 1805, in what is today southwestern Manitoba. He traveled with trade goods to the Mandan villages on the upper Missouri. There he found Lewis and Clark at their winter quarters. He asked to accompany them on their expedition and was promptly denied permission. He then returned to Fort Montagne La Bosse, where he reported this information to his superiors. Larocque was then sent by the company to investigate the possibilities for opening trade with Indians of the Northern Rockies.

Traveling back to the Mandan villages, Larocque arrived there in mid-June, 1805. He encountered some resistance from the Mandans who did not want him to travel into the Crow country. Heretofore, the Mandans had benefited as middleman for trade between the fur traders and the Crow. Nonetheless, following the arrival of 645 Crow at the villages in late June, Larocque spoke with their chiefs, stating that “the chief of the White people…was desirous of making them his children and brethren.” He was then allowed to accompany them west, to their homelands.

On June 29 th Larocque left the Crow, heading slowly to the southwest. Passing through the watersheds of the Knife, Little Missouri and Powder Rivers the party made their way to the Tongue River by mid-August. Heading north through the Wolf Mountains, the party came upon the Little Bighorn and then headed west again, finally sighting the Bighorn River on August 30 th . The party camped on Lime Kiln Creek that evening. On August 31 st , Larocque gave the first recorded description of the Bighorn and its canyon.

Approximately one-half mile above the camp on Lime Kiln Creek, the Bighorn passed between two huge rocks and lost “2/3rds of its breadth but gains proportionally in depth.” Larocque climbed the east wall of the canyon, where he observed, “it is aweful to behold and makes one giddy to look down upon the river.” Flowing “with great rapidity immediately under our feet, so that I did not dare to look down (until) I could find a stone behind which I could keep and looking over it…see the foaming water without danger of falling in.”

Larocque also learned from the Crow that the Bighorn River’s headwaters were not in the Bighorn Mountains, but in another Rocky Mountain range, the Wind Rivers. On September 4 th , Larocque headed northwest. Over the next week he crossed the divide to Pryor Creek and on September 10 th , sighted the Yellowstone. Larocque had found that great waterway, ten months before William Clark.

His mission complete, Larocque took leave of the Crow, but not before promising that he would return the next year with trade goods to exchange for beaver and bear hides. He also had the Crow draw a map locating the sections of their country where they could be found depending upon the season. He reached the Missouri on September 30 th and was back at Fort Montagne La Bosse by October 17 th .

Larocque had accomplished a considerable amount during his expedition. He had become the first white man to record descriptions of the Bighorn River and Canyon. He had also been the first to make contact with the Crows in their homelands and return with information on the rich fur resources there. Though he was in territory recently purchased by the United States, Larocque, a foreign merchant, had been the first to penetrate the region. In effect the Northwest Company, a British venture, investigated the area’s resources, several years before an American firm would place a trading post in the region. Finally, his journal would be the first to give recorded descriptions of what is today southeastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming.

Yet Larocque’s explorations have been largely lost to history. Reasons for this are quite understandable. Larocque wasn’t an American and publicity in the young nation went to the Lewis and Clark expedition. British authorities were wise to refrain from publicizing Larocque’s exploration. After all, this was a blatant British encroachment on American territorial aspirations. Also, the Northwest Company, never did send traders to the region and follow up on Larocque’s contact with the Crow. Thus, though Larocque acquired valuable information, his efforts would come to naught.

By 1822 William Ashley had made quite a successful life for himself. He had earned a sizeable sum of money mining saltpeter from a cave in Missouri for the manufacture of gunpowder. During the war of 1812 he had earned the rank of Brigadier General in the Missouri state militia. In 1820 he was even named Lieutenant Governor of his adopted state. Yet Ashley had greater ambitions, which soon became evident in a famous advertisement he and partner Andrew Henry ran in St. Louis newspapers.

“Ashley’s Hundred” They sought “enterprising young men to ascend the Missouri River to its source” for fur trapping of up to three years, thus the Rocky Mountain Fur Company was born in 1822. The young men who responded to the advertisement are a veritable who’s who of frontier history. Jim Bridger, Jedediah Smith, Jim Beckwourth, William Sublette, the list goes on, to the point where they are known as “Ashley’s Hundred.”

All of these men had at least two things in common: a thirst for adventure and they would be led by Ashley. In effect, Ashley and Henry’s advertisement would lead to the first explorations of Bighorn Canyon country.

The Rocky Mountain Fur Company would be competing head to head with the Missouri Fur Company. It would need to make incursions into new territory, in search of rich beaver trapping areas. The first expedition in Bighorn Canyon country took place in 1823 when the company sent couriers across the Bad Pass Trail taking messages to the Wind River region of Wyoming. These messages made trappers aware that there would be a rendezvous on the Yellowstone with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company supplying trade goods. While this did meet with some success, Ashley had a visionary idea for the coming years that would dramatically change the way fur trading was conducted. Instead of having the trappers come to their posts, the Ashley-Henry partnership would take trade goods to a predetermined meeting place where trappers could bring their furs to trade in return for variety of goods. Thus was born the Rendezvous.

Perfecting The Rendezvous In 1824 following a nightmarish expedition -characterized by hardship, hostile activity and low profits - Ashley's founding partner, Andrew Henry, quit the fur trade. Ashley took to the field on a historic trip that forever changed the fur trade. Ashley and his men set out on the expedition in the fall of 1824. They would cover parts of present day Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. Nine months later, in early July of 1825, a highly successful rendezvous was held on the Henry’s Fork of Green River in what is today western Wyoming. From this rendezvous, Ashley and his men returned via the Bad Pass Trail. The Bad Pass was a detour across the rugged land west of Bighorn Canyon. Ashley would dare not chance having his rich packs of beaver furs lost in the unpredictable waters of the Bighorn.

One member of this inaugural expedition did chance the rapids though. Jim Bridger, mountain man par excellence, built a boat out of driftwood and managed to navigate the Bighorn, making the first recorded passage through the canyon. By August 7 th , Ashley’s party arrived just below the mouth of the canyon - the end of the Bad Pass Trail - at Grapevine Creek. Here they constructed bullboats over the next 5 days, floating the Bighorn. Part of the company, led by William Sublette was sent back over the Bad Pass Trail to continue trapping around the Green River area.

Value And Efficiency The river run back was uneventful for Ashley and the other members of his company. On October 4, 1825 they arrived in St. Louis with 100 packs of beaver pelts valued at $50,000. The significance and success of Ashley’s trip was long lasting. The rendezvous system brought trade goods and supplies to the mountain men at a central, predetermined point. This would occur at the height of the summer, when beavers had left the streams. The trade goods would now be brought out on an overland route, thus the fur trade was no longer tied to water routes. Ashley’s company would worry about navigating the waterways back to St. Louis, all the trappers had to do was show up at a fixed place. Furs would now be trapped by small groups who had a vested interest in the rendezvous system.

They could stay out in the field longer, while the rendezvous became their once a year lifeline. The rendezvous became more then just a trading place, it turned into a weeks long festival whereby the trappers would eat, drink, play games, and tell stories. These meetings became a way of life.

Changes In Style Ashley's involvement with the fur trade was short lived, though his system’s legacy lived on for over a decade. Though he had innovated the rendezvous system, Ashley sold out in 1826. From then on, he turned his attention to politics. Three times he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1830’s. In 1836, he turned away from national politics and attempted to run for Governor of Missouri. He would lose badly, ironically because his pro-business stance happened to be out of vogue at the moment.

In Ashley’s absence, the rendezvous continued to grow. It peaked in the early 1830’s. By the time Ashley passed away in 1838 beaver resources were depleted and a change in style away from beaver fur hats led to the end of the rendezvous. Nonetheless, William Ashley’s innovative business sense had changed the West forever. Now previously remote regions such as Bighorn Canyon were becoming known.

From 1866-1868 Fort C.F. Smith was one of the most remote and dangerous forts in frontier history. The fort was in a near constant state of siege during its short, tenuous life. The fort has become quite famous because of its role on the Bozeman Trail and notable incidents such as the Hayfield Fight. Much less research has been done concerning the psychological effects of frontier duty. Boredom, fear, isolation and loneliness were near constant companions.

The ultimate outcome of these emotions could lead to desertion or in several alarming cases: insanity. According to post records, in late March of 1868, Hospital Steward Albert Simmons was taken from the post with a party heading south to Fort Phil Kearney. He had to be under the constant watch and care of Assistant Surgeon Frantz all the way to Omaha, Nebraska. From there, Simmons would be sent to the East Coast, where he was committed to St. Elizabeth’s Asylum in Washington, D.C. It seems that caring for the sick and wounded at the fort, may have caused Simmons to lose his mind.

Sadly, Simmons was not the first person who worked at the Post Hospital to go insane. It will probably never be known for sure, exactly what sent Assistant Surgeon McCleary over the edge, but a harrowing incident in which he was involved while stationed at the fort may provide some explanation. McCleary was among the lead of an advance guard headed back to the post after a trip to Fort Benton in 1867. The party was ambushed by the Sioux about 30 miles north of the fort. A guide by the name of Brennan, riding alongside McCleary, was immediately killed. McCleary had his horse shot out from under him and had to run for his life. While he was able to survive this incident, McCleary soon after succumbed to the loss of his mind.

Finally, Private John Murphy had succumbed to madness just before the fort’s closure in the late summer of 1868. During the latter part of his time at the fort he had to be kept under constant watch, for fear that he would stray from the fort and strike out into the surrounding wilderness, never to be seen again.

These three cases may well have been caused by the constant state of tension that surrounded life at the fort. We can never really know how many of the men and handful of women who lived at Fort C.F. Smith came close to the loss of their mental faculties. We can be sure though, that in such an insular and isolated world, where they witnessed such cases as the ones described above, they would have been left to ponder their own fates.

Andrew Henry made history…twice! Henry’s first brush with history came in 1809, when he went into partnership with none other than William Clark, Manuel Lisa, and Jean Pierre Choteau. These four men founded the Missouri Fur Company.

Henry led an expedition into present day Montana that helped open the area to the fur trade. His party made it to the Three Forks of the Missouri where they established one of the first posts. The fort did not last long though as constant attacks from the Blackfeet eventually caused the it to be abandoned. Henry went back to Missouri where he ran a lead mining operation .

Enterprising Young Men Just over a decade later, in 1822, Henry reentry into the fur trade was announced in a historic ad run by his partner William Ashley .

To Enterprising Young Men The subscriber wishes to engage one hundred men to ascend the river Missouri to its source, there to be employed for one, two, or three years – For particulars, enquire of Major Andrew Henry near the Lead Mines, in the Country of Washington (who will ascend with and command the party) or to the subscriber at St. Louis. Wm. H. Ashley

From this advertisement, which was placed in St. Louis newspapers, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company was born and the fur trade would be transformed. Later that year, Henry led a large expedition of 150 men up the Missouri, to the mouth of the Yellowstone where they established Fort Henry. Though the names of such men as Jim Bridger, David Jackson, William Sublette, and Jedediah Smith are now legendary throughout the West, few remember Henry, who led them on this initial expedition. Many of these trappers would become the Mountain Men of frontier lore.

For his part, Henry had held the rank of major in the Missouri Militia. He was used to being in command whether in military or business endeavors. The expedition west would demand skills in both. Henry’s leadership was tested by the most demanding circumstances over the following two years. In the spring of 1823 he led a party up the Missouri. Near the Great Falls they were attacked by his old nemesis the Blackfeet. They lost several men and were forced to flee back to the Yellowstone.

Later that same year, as the company tried to open up the amazingly rich beaver country of the Green River basin in western Wyoming, Henry oversaw the founding of a fur post two miles up the Yellowstone, from the mouth of the Bighorn River.

In late 1823, couriers sent by Jedediah Smith who was in the Green River area came to Henry’s newly established post to pick up trade goods and take back to trappers in exchange for furs. Henry now saw his opportunity. He sent the couriers back south though the Bad Pass area with suggestions for a rendezvous in the spring.

Through Bad Pass Thus in the spring of 1824, Henry ascended the Bighorn, up to near the canyon’s mouth, then crossed through Bad Pass where he soon joined Smith and others in trapping the Green River area. After a highly successful trapping season a rendezvous was made on the Sweetwater River. Here the company split into two parties for the homeward trek. On the Sweetwater, half of the company’s men attempted to take a southern route back via the Platte River. This party lost most of its furs in the water.

Henry led the other party in the summer as it successfully recrossed the Bad Pass, then floated from the Bighorn eventually all the way to St. Louis where he arrived in late August. The haul of furs was good, but not as good as he had expected. Henry had been gone for over two years. He did not make near enough in monetary gain to justify the effort expended in such a dangerous enterprise. Disenchanted with the low profits and high risk of the fur trade, Henry soon sold his share of the partnership to Ashley.

Though Henry’s fur trading days were over, he had left an indelible mark upon the business. The rendezvous system he helped popularize would grow over the next decade to become a thriving commercial entity. The Green River area which Henry had championed became the richest beaver hunting grounds in the west. Finally, Henry had led a pioneering expedition across the Bad Pass. This route would be used by his partner Ashley, over the next two years, to bring back over $100,000 of beaver pelts.

The final years of Henry’s life were quiet. He went back to lead mining for the last eight years of his life, passing away at the age of 57 in 1832. Henry had led the vanguard of men who would explore and further the knowledge of what would become the American West.

The Harsh Winter of 1886-87 By late 1886 there were nearly 900,000 cattle spread all across Wyoming. Cattle outfits had overstocked the range in search of greater profits. When the harsh winter of 1886-87 roared through, everything changed. Hurricane blizzards, were followed by an unceasing bitter and cruel cold, followed by even heavier snows. Thousands of cattle died because they were unable to get to water as the ground was froze solid for months.

The weather took a terrible toll on the open range. The M-L lost half of their cattle, with losses numbering over 10,000. Yet the M-L had come away relatively unscathed compared to other open range outfits. It is estimated that the average ranch operation in Wyoming lost 75% of their cattle during the winter of 1886-87.

In the years that followed the winter of 1886-87, Lovell began to restock the range with the financial backing of Mason. The M-L herd once again grew into the tens of thousands. Even after Mason died in 1892 and his interest in the operation was sold off, Lovell brought in cattle from as far away as eastern Washington and continued to range the M-L herd all across the eastern Bighorn Basin. The End Of An Era Just after the turn of the 20 th century Henry Lovell’s health began to fail him. His years of adventure were long since passed. Building and sustaining the M-L Ranch had taken quite a toll on his body. The Bighorn Basin was a tough place to make a living and it took a man as tough as Lovell to build a cattle ranching empire in this rugged landscape. Lovell moved to Oregon, but his health did not improve and on March 2, 1903 he died of chronic heart disease. He was 64 years old.

At the time of his death the M-L Ranch land and all associated property was valued at $73,000. That would be $1.7 million in today’s terms. The majority of Lovell’s estate was bequeathed to his 18 year old son Willard. By 1909 the property had been sold to other ranchers. Henry Lovell’s death and the beginning of the 20 th century mark a watershed in the history of the open range.

Homesteaders and sheepmen began to diversify use of the land. The vast Bighorn Basin was sectioned off as a considerable amount of the public domain was settled and became privately owned. The era of massive open range cattle operations soon faded away, but the legendary legacy still lives on today at the M-L Ranch

For forty five years, from 1823 through 1868, Jim Bridger was the seminal figure in the history of Bighorn Canyon. His travels, fur trapping activities, explorations and scouting expeditions brought him to the area on at least three historic occasions. Each of these visits would leave a mark on the history of the American West.

Bridger was born in Richmond, Virginia, but would move west at a young age. His career began in earnest at St. Louis in 1822 when he answered William Ashley’s famous call for “enterprising young men” to work for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. This announcement led to the formation of what would become known as the Mountain Men. Bridger probably first saw Bighorn Canyon in the fall of 1823, while traveling from the Wind River area along the Bad Pass Trail. This trip was to the company’s fort near the Yellowstone-Bighorn confluence to pick up trade goods.

Braving The Bighorn His real fame came two years later in 1825, when he was part of an expedition bringing $50,000 worth of beaver furs back from rendezvous. He left the expedition while on the Bad Pass and entered Bighorn Canyon. Fashioning a homemade raft out of driftwood, he then made one of the most miraculous trips in frontier history. Braving the turbulent waters of the Bighorn, he made the first recorded float of the river through the canyon. Much to the amazement of his fellow mountain men he emerged from the canyon unscathed.

Over the next three decades, Bridger was one of the great pathfinders in both exploration and enterprise in the west. In 1830 he became the first white man to see the Great Salt Lake. It was also during that decade that along with several of his trapping partners he bought control of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. In 1843, he would build a trading post along Black’s Fork of the Green River, aptly naming it Fort Bridger.

Guiding The Raynolds Expedition Over a decade and a half later in 1859, Bridger would again help make history at the canyon. He was hired to guide a surveying party sent by the U.S. War Department under the command of Captain William Raynolds to examine the Yellowstone and Missouri River country, as well as their tributaries. Bridger was paid a salary of $125 per month for his efforts.

By early September, with Bridger leading the way, the party made its way down the valley of the Bighorn River. By September 9 th they were at the mouth of the canyon. It was at this time that Bridger told Raynolds of his river trip some 34 years before. The expedition camped just below the mouth of the canyon for just one night. They then headed on to a winter camp further to the south, along the Oregon Trail. The next year would see Bridger guide the Raynolds expedition through the greater Yellowstone area. Click here to read Jim Bridger Part 2 - The Gold Rush and Fort C.F. Smith

Jedediah Smith was one of the premier frontiersmen of his day. In his short life he became the first white man to traverse Utah, Nevada, and parts of California. He also helped find a new route over the continental divide to the western side of the Rocky Mountains through South Pass in Wyoming. These accomplishments have made his name synonymous with path breaking exploration throughout the American West. Often overlooked, though key to Smith’s eventual success, was that he got his start in western exploration around the Bighorn area.

A Bible, A Gun, And A Teddy Bear Like many of his colleagues who became Mountain Men, Smith hailed from the eastern United States. He was born in 1799 into a large family - he had 11 siblings – in New York State. Smith headed to the frontier after he answered William Ashley’s famous call advertised in St. Louis newspapers for “enterprising young men” to work as trappers for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He was much different from many of his other mountain men colleagues, as he was known right from the start for his religious fervor. He had grown up immersed in the Methodist faith. His favorite possessions were said to be a bible along with his gun and a teddy bear.

In 1823, Smith was placed in charge of a party that was to strike overland from Fort Kiowa along the Missouri River in present day South Dakota. Their overriding goal was to find a route into the beaver rich country of the Green River Basin in western Wyoming. On this journey, Smith was badly mauled by a grizzly bear on the Cheyenne River. He had his scalp ripped open and almost lost an ear. For the rest of his life, Smith was said to be easily recognizable by these scars. By the fall, Smith’s party had crossed the Bighorn Mountains, most likely by way of Tongue River Canyon. They soon found themselves following the “Old Crow Trail” down Shell Creek Canyon, crossing the Bighorn at the mouth of the Greybull River, than dropping into the Bighorn Basin. They would spend the winter camping at a Crow village in the Wind River area.

Historic Travels And Partnerships In 1824 Smith made his first claim to fame as his party traveled over South Pass to the western side of the Rocky Mountains. This feat could only be accomplished with the vital assistance of a group of Crow Indians that guided the trappers. This historic route would be used for the next several decades by first trappers then those crossing the Oregon Trail. The relatively even grade of South pass made for a relatively easy crossing of the Rockies.

The next year William Ashley offered Smith a partnership in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, which was readily accepted. Smith then went with the other trappers in bringing the fur over the Bad Pass Trail to a navigable point on the Bighorn at Grapevine Creek. They then transported the furs on back to St. Louis where they were valued at $50,000. The trade was proving to be quite profitable.

The Bozeman Trail, from the beginning to the end of its relatively short history, was a scene of almost constant turmoil. In the eyes of the Sioux, especially the followers of Chief Red Cloud and their Cheyenne allies, the trail violated the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The Treaty had promised undisturbed hunting grounds to the Sioux and the trail traversed some of their most prized country. These warriors immediately saw to it that any white man on the Bozeman Trail was fair game.

Settlers moving over the trail blazed by John Bozeman in 1864 traveled at their own risk. After the Civil War ended, the government started to take measures to protect emigrant trains. Efforts to secure another treaty with the Sioux and Cheyenne at Fort Laramie in June, 1866 ended with the untimely arrival of Colonel Henry B. Carrington with orders to construct forts along the Bozeman Trail. The angered tribesmen viewed this act as a virtual declaration of war and therefore left the council.

The Army Is Called In Only large, well-armed wagon trains could realistically hope to reach the gold fields unscathed. A lone traveler or a party few in number had a good chance of meeting disaster at the hands of Red Cloud’s warriors. Therefore, pressure was exerted on the federal government to protect the people moving over the Bozeman Trail. As a result, even though the U.S. Army had shrunk to only a shadow of the military machine of Civil War days, a regiment of infantry was ordered to garrison five forts along the Bozeman Trail. One of these posts, Fort C.F. Smith, overlooked the Bighorn River at the Bozeman Trail.

Fort Reno, on the Powder River in north central Wyoming, was built first. This was followed by the construction of Fort Phil Kearney about eighty miles farther to the northwest. Two other forts were to be established at crossings of the Bighorn River and the Clarks Fork. By the end of July 1866, work on Fort Kearney had progressed enough to allow redeployment to establish a fort on the Bighorn River. A manpower shortage caused plans for a fort on the Clarks Fork to be abandoned. The War Department directed the post be named Fort C.F. Smith to honor Mexican War and Civil War hero Brigadier General Charles Ferguson Smith.

Strategic Setting Guided by famed scout Jim Bridger, Captain Nathaniel C. Kinney set out from Fort Kearney with two companies of the 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry on August 4, 1866. On August 12th, Captain Kinney chose a commanding bench overlooking the river as the ground for his fort. The site was two miles below the mouth of Bighorn Canyon and 400 yards away from the ferry. Strategic vistas were not the only reason for this selection.

A spring was nearby and a good stand of pine for construction of the fort was located within three miles on Lime Kiln Creek. Work began immediately in obtaining pine logs, digging a trench, and making hay. Food for the livestock could be harvested 2.5 miles away, in a large natural meadow in the valley below.

The Bozeman Trail passed along the southwest wall of the garrison, crossing the Bighorn River at the ferry, only 400 yards from the fort. Work was started on Fort C.F. Smith by fatigue parties and extra duty men on Captain Kinney’s battalion. The construction and fortification of the fort continued throughout the year and finally ceased in the late winter of 1867.

A 260-wagon train came through on August 16th, but fear of Indian attacks brought traffic up the Bozeman Trail to a stop. Only one more wagon train passed in 1866. The high tide of emigration over the Bozeman Trail had passed before the fort was even firmly established.

Jim Beckwourth was a man who learned to straddle cultures, bridging the traditional divides of race and ethnicity to become one of the most famous frontiersmen in American history. Beckwourth was born around 1800 into slavery. His father was a Virginia aristocrat and his mother a mixed blood slave. At the age of ten they moved to St. Louis. Given only four years of education, Beckwourth showed an aptitude for languages, becoming fluent in English and French, he could also understand Spanish.

Beckwourth’s father set his son up with a blacksmith apprenticeship. Yet Beckwourth’s destiny lay further west when he answered William Ashley’s call in 1822 for young, adventurous men to work in the fur trade for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Beckwourth’s father would then make sure his son was a free man, filing several deeds for his emancipation.

On the Bad Pass Trail Beckwourth was a key part of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company’s expeditions of 1824 and 1825 that packed furs back across the Bad Pass Trail. In 1825, Beckwourth was involved in a couple of harrowing incidents along the trail. In July 1825, while returning with 45 packs of beaver furs from the mountain man rendezvous, the expedition was attacked by Crow Indians. Beckwourth claimed that he and his son Baptiste shot and killed two warriors, which is quite ironic considering that he would attain near legendary status among the tribe in years to come. In another incident, Beckwourth guarded a man who had been mauled by a grizzly bear along the trail. When the bear returned to attack once again, Beckwourth along with William Ashley brought the grizzly down with a couple of well placed shots. As a direct result of men such as Beckwourth, the company enjoyed a tremendously successful trip. They would bring back $50,000 in furs, literally worth millions of dollars in today’s terms.

Years Among The Crow Over the next decade Beckwourth would spend his years among the Crow tribe. He became fluent in their language, participated in war parties usually against the rival Blackfeet, and was even deemed an honorary chief. In the winter of 1832-33 free trapper Zenas Leonard reported on a Crow village located at the confluence of the Shoshone and Bighorn Rivers where he met a man who was almost certainly Beckwourth. Leonard stated that “ he has acquired a correct knowledge of their (the Crow) manner of living, and speaks their language fluently. He has rose to be quite a considerable character, or chief, in their village; at least he assumes all the dignities of a chief, for he has four wives with whom he lives alternately. ”

In the mid-1830’s Beckwourth worked as a contract fur trapper. He was sought by rivals of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company who highly valued his knowledge of the fur trade and amazing skills as a multi-linguist. He soon signed on with the rival American Fur Company, which enjoyed the financial backing of none other than John Jacob Astor. When his contract was not renewed in the late 1830’s, Beckwourth left the west, heading far to the southeast where he worked as a civilian wagonmaster for the U.S. Army in Florida during the Seminole War.

Life Of Adventure Beckwourth soon headed back west where he now pursued a life of unprecedented adventure. He again worked for the U.S. Army in Colorado, and present day Wyoming. He pursued a variety of occupations over the next 25 years, everything from scout, trader and explorer to rancher, innkeeper, and professional card player. He had several notable accomplishments during this time, including the discovery of a low elevation pass through the Sierra Nevada, which was named for him. He also blazed the Beckwourth Trail an alternate, easier route to the California goldfields. One of his more notorious moments during these years was his work as a scout for the Colorado Volunteers in an expedition which resulted in the Sand Creek massacre, the killing of innocent Cheyenne men, women, and children.

Passing Into History By the mid-1860’s Beckwourth was back in Crow Country, working for the U.S. Army as a scout at Fort Phil Kearney, along the Bozeman Trail. Not long after visiting the newly established Fort C.F. Smith in October, 1866, Beckwourth began to experience nosebleeds and severe headaches. As his condition worsened he made his way to the lodge of Crow Chief Iron Bull. There he spent the last days of his life close to the Bighorn, with the Crow people he had grown to revere many years before. On October 29, 1866 he passed into history. Jim Beckwourth is today acknowledged as the greatest African-American frontiersmen in the history of the American West.

By the time Henry Clay Lovell came to the Bighorn Basin in 1880, he sported 3 bullet wounds and a knife wound. Lovell had grown up in Michigan, leaving there at the tender age of 14. He became a conductor on a government mail train, gaining a wealth of experience running mail between Fort Dodge, Kansas and Mexico City. Attacked by both Indians and outlaws, the mail train was a dangerous way to make a living. Soon thereafter, Lovell turned to the cattle business.

North to the Bighorn He started out in the southern plains, where he met his future financier, wealthy Kansas City businessman, Anthony Mason. With the backing of Mason’s capital, Lovell took a couple of large herds of cattle, numbering into the thousands, north into the Bighorn Basin. Locating on the west bank of the Bighorn River, Lovell started what would become known as the Mason-Lovell ranch, a cattle empire.

In 1882, Lovell brought in 12,000 head of cattle from Oregon, doubling the M-L herd to 25,000. This herd ranged from Thermopolis, Wyoming to the Crow Indian Reservation, literally across hundreds of miles of basin and canyon country. A second ranch was established to accommodate this influx.

Exposure and Starvation A year later, the M-L would move its home ranch to the Five Springs area, in and around what is today Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. This position was advantageous, as it brought their operations closer to the nearest large supply point, Billings. In 1883 the Northern Pacific line was completed through the Billings area. Lovell was the first rancher from the Bighorn Basin to run his cattle north to the rail head. In September of that year 3,200 head of steer were rounded up, driven across the Crow Reservation, eventually to Custer junction. Over the ensuing months, Lovell sold off every one of them, in three shipments, that is said to have netted him an average of $45 apiece ($1,025 in 2008).

Yet the ferocious winter of 1886-87 sent Lovell and Mason reeling. Blizzards in both fall and spring, with sub-zero temperatures throughout much of the winter caused cattle to die by the thousands. Lovell estimated that half his herd was lost to exposure and starvation.

While many ranchers forced into bankruptcy gave up the open range, Lovell set about rebuilding his herd. Purchasing high-grade Hereford bulls and heifers, Lovell increased the quality of his herds, which in turn led to an increase in numbers. The M-L ranch rose to success once again.

Selling off “The Big Outfit” Another blow was to strike Lovell’s prospects in 1892 with the death of close friend and financier Mason. The Mason family decided to sell off the “Big Outfit” leaving Lovell with only a small number of horses and the deeded land from the ranch headquarters. But Lovell was not through with ranching. In 1894-95 he trailed in several thousand head of cattle once again from the west, this time eastern Washington.

Yet another successful stock raising campaign was now underway. Lovell finally gave up the cattle business a few years later. He lived out his last days in Portland, Oregon, where he died in 1903.

Today Lovell’s legacy is best remembered by the town which took his name. Lovell, Wyoming is named in honor of this pioneer cattleman.

In 1896 prospectors combed the Dryhead area of Bighorn Canyon country. Many of them believed that this remote stretch of rugged land - just west of the canyon and east of the Pryor Mountains - held a mother lode of gold. As these groups of prospectors began to file claims, the name of Erastus Ewing showed up on numerous, prominent claims.

Among the unique names given to these claims were: Sun Dog Quartz, Dead Man’s Bar, and Lady Temple. Over the following year, the claims proved to be little more than wishful thinking. Almost all of the prospectors soon moved on to more promising areas in search of the next big strike. Yet Erastus Ewing stayed behind. He had claimed something more valuable then gold in this forbidding high desert - water. Staking A Claim In 1897 Ewing was already 51 years old. He had born in Tennessee, a full fifteen years before the civil war began. Eventually he had migrated west in search of a better life. The Dryhead area was one of the most remote places in an exceedingly remote land. In the 1880’s, prospectors had discovered gold in the Bighorns with the Bald Mountain strike. This claim would soon play out. For the next decade, the area remained relatively quiet until the coming of Ewing and other fortune seekers. Ewing’s numerous claims paid off, just not in the manner he had initially thought. Some of the claims gave him not only the right to any minerals, but also the water rights to Layout Creek. In effect, Ewing held control of the one resource necessary for settlement.

On April 8, 1897, Ewing claimed the rights for 200 inches of water from Layout Creek for irrigation, mining, and milling. Soon afterward, a ditch was dug to divert water from the stream eastward, to where Ewing had settled on Layout Creek. At this point, Ewing had found the place he would call home for the rest of his life.

A Rough And Tumble Life Over the next seven years, Ewing ran a modest ranching operation. He also became the postmaster for Ewing, Montana, so named in his honor. The post office was in a cabin, which also served as Ewing‘s home. One of those who got to know Erastus Ewing was Bessie Strong Tillett. She delivered mail to the area for several years.

She distinctly remembered Ewing’s pronounced limp when he walked. This was said to have been caused by a broken leg he suffered while hunting mountain sheep. Ewing was also not immune from the vicissitudes of frontier justice that often settled disputes between ranchers. In one notorious episode, several locals, including Link Hannon., ran cattle that Ewing was ranging to their death in the Bighorn. A shootout ensued, with one man wounded.

The Name Lives On Erastus Ewing would survive, but not for long. In 1904 he died of natural causes, less than a decade after he had claimed the land and in around Layout Creek. His son Lee took over the ranch and post office for the next couple of years. The Ewing family continued ownership of the ranch until it was sold in the winter of 1910-11. The Ewing’s were now gone from the area, but Erastus Ewing’s name and legacy would live on. The Ewing-Snell ranch is now a protected historic site in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

A Hard Worker Who Refused To Be Bullied Lincoln C. Hannon was born in Waco, Texas in 1866. His life as a cowboy began during his teens. He traveled the Chisholm and other cattle trails. For many years he took part in the annual cattle drives from the Rio Grande country to the grazing lands in the Northwest. He became a tall, wiry, soft spoken man that was skilled with a rope. Friends remembered him as a kindly man with a southern Texas drawl, gray eyes and a sense of humor.

Around 1900, Link Hannon, filed on what is now referred to as the Lockhart Ranch. Life for Link, his wife Emma, and two children in the Dryhead was hard. Link was a hard worker and refused to be bullied. This is why some of his neighbors liked him and some did not. Doc Barry was one who distrusted him and accused Link of robbing the sluice boxes of his Hidden Canyon Gold Mining operation. In June of 1904, the Free Press reported that Link Hannon had been arrested several times for various charges ranging from forging a bill of sale, to grand larceny, to assault. All of which he was acquitted of.

Fierce, Desperate Battles Bessie Tillett remembered a story about Link Hannon. The Ewings ran cattle for Frank Strong, Bessie’s father in the Dryhead. She remembered hearing that Hannon and Mogan had stampeded their cattle into the Bighorn River, drowning several of them. Mr. Strong and the Ewing boys rode out after them armed and determined on revenge. Shots were exchanged and Ed Morris received a flesh wound to his shoulder. When the incident was first reported in 1902, it was described as a fierce, five hour, desperate battle resulting in two men killed and several wounded. It was later reported in the Free Press that Morris was the only one wounded and that Link Hannon and Mogan submitted themselves for peaceful arrest by Sheriff Potter and his posse and latter released on a $500 cash bond. Caroline Lockhart in her article From the Bighorn Mountains had a different spin on the incident: "More settlers started moving into the Dryhead and after a while everyone started choosing sides over Link. Some liked him and some didn’t. Those who didn’t decided one day they’d had enough of him and started out to liquidate him as an undesirable citizen and disturber of the peace.

Link knew nothing of these plans and went to the nearby homestead of an old bachelor, Joe Davis, to mow hay. He took his little boy and girl with him, the boy was sitting on his lap on the mower and the girl following on Link’s horse. Link was mowin’ away, thinking about how nice life was and how much he loved his kids when Davis spotted the liquidators riding for ‘em at full tilt.

“There’s a war party comin’ Link!” he yelled. “Git under cover!” Link stopped his team, looked at the hills around him, then stepped down from the mower and walked over to his horse and pulled his rifle from the scabbard. He looked up at his daughter and told her to go to Davis’ cabin. Next he picked up his son and ran to a little creek and hid the boy in the heavy brush there. Then he went back and started shootin’.

He fired first at what looked to him to be the head of a man hiding behind a rock. It was, too – a man named Strong; from Crooked Creek. Link missed Strong’s head, but did knock his cap off. One of the liquidators was a rancher’s wife who rode her horse sidesaddle and carried her shootin’ irons in her lap, ready for action.

A couple more shots were fired and Link Killed a horse and everybody decided they’d make smaller targets if they dismounted and hid behind the rocks. Link just kept firin’ away, but didn’t hit anything more except a liquidator named Morris. Link’s slug ploughed a furrow across Morris’ back and snipped off his suspenders and Morris had an awful time tryin’ to run away ‘cause his pants kept fallin’ down."

Out of the Dryhead During his time on the Dryhead, Link put in 20 acres of irrigated grass hay pastures and brought water to it. This was something no one else in the area had been able to do up to that time. But in 1904 it was time to leave the Dryhead. Link moved to British Columbia were he began working for the B.C. Cattle Company.

This was a large company that had several ranches in several parts of British Columbia. After two years, Links hard work paid off and he became the manager of one of the several ranches at Canoe Creek. He proved himself to be a capable ranch manager; very little ever got by his attention. He ran a neat and tidy ranch. All buildings and fences were always in good shape. As Link aged, the day to day work and riding of the ranch became difficult. In 1928, Link retired from ranching. He settled in Roberts Creek, B.C., where Link became devoted to his gardening. Lincoln C. Hannon died in August of 1933. He is buried in Scheldt, B.C. In his obituary, he was remembered as a helpful and kind person, an old class of cowboy.

With sparkling blue eyes and a long beard, John Blue made quite an impression on those who met him. Blue came to the Bighorn country following World War I. He claimed to have deserted the German Army and made his way to the United States via Cuba and Mexico. Blue worked for a while as a blacksmith before turning to coyote trapping in order to make a living. He also raised a garden and hunted deer to put food on his table.

A Suspicious Mind Spending much of his time as a hermit, Blue became increasingly suspicious of people after his cabin burned. He believed that his neighbors may have been involved in setting the fire because they were plotting to kill him.

He built a stone dugout for quarters, complete with a makeshift periscope to watch for trespassers. Unfortunately it did not work. One day he discovered strychnine in his oatmeal, this led to a paranoia. Blue did not take into account that he kept the poison to kill coyotes, or the fact that it probably was scattered into his food by mice and rats that were his only company in the dugout.

Going To Meet The President Blue then moved to the small town of Lovell. As his paranoia worsened, he got a friend to write letters to members of Congress and the President stating that people were out to get him. Blue finally decided to take matters into his own hands.

Hitching up a horse, along with a couple of pack animals, he set off for Washington to speak with the chief executive personally. He made it to Worland, 70 miles to the south. A friend was called to come get him. Blue was taken to the county courthouse where he promptly pitched a tent on the lawn. Finally the friend, Chris Lynn, escorted him back to Lovell.

Following this incident, John Blue was committed to the Wyoming State Insane Asylum, where he committed suicide. The John Blue dugout today still stands, albeit in dilapidated fashion. It is just outside the park boundary.

In the 1890s, Frank Sykes built a cabin on Crooked Creek. The cabin occupied a piece of high ground, giving views in all directions. Sykes selected this place not for the stunning beauty of the area; instead it was because he didn’t want anyone sneaking up on him. Where Sykes came from was as legendary as his life. Some said Michigan, others Canada, acquaintances all agreed that he had been raised by Shoshone Indians and become a mountain man before settling down.

How he got to the Crooked Creek area was disputed almost as much as his wife's death. Some say she died during childbirth, others that she was killed while defending Sykes from an attacker. She was buried near the cabin, but not on Sykes property. It was said that she was a little too friendly with some men in Billings. Perhaps just rumors or legends, when it came to Sykes the truth was always larger than life.

Tanning Day Sykes was extraordinarily eccentric. Short and powerfully built, he dressed in buckskins, sported a black slouch hat, and wore a handlebar mustache. He always had his trusty single-action Colt 44 at his side.

He tanned his own clothing. When this was in progress he posted a sign on his mail box stating, “No Visitors Today. This is Tanning Day.” One intrepid visitor found out why, Sykes tanned in the nude.

Until The Day He Died Sykes, suspicious at best, was said to have worn a pistol on his side all the time, literally until the day he died. He supposedly kept a “Death List” of those who had crossed him. These included men or women who had committed relatively minor offences. One woman, a Mrs. LaRoche, ended up on the list for siding with Sykes wife, when the couple was having a dispute.

A man by the name of George “Starky” Teeples made the list after he asked Sykes for a few of his plum trees. Sykes agreed, as long as Teeples did not take any of Mrs. Sykes trees, but Teeples took Mrs. Sykes trees anyway. It wasn’t long until Frank Sykes found Teeples, pulled his gun and made Teeples cut the trees into tiny little pieces.

A Third Helping Sykes would only eat one course at a meal. Another Crooked Creek settler, George Kelsey joined Sykes for one of these meals, potatoes cooked in rancid bear grease. Sykes literally shoved a skillet in front of Kelsey for not one, but two helpings. He refused a third, only to have Sykes pull out his Colt 44 and demand that Kelsey “go ahead and finish up these spuds because you are going to eat potatoes just like that horse of yours is eating my hay!” Kelsey ate potatoes until he was sick.

Colorful stories such as this abound when it comes to Sykes. In the late summer of 1921, Sykes was found by a young friend who had stopped by the cabin for a visit, slumped on his bunk, dead. His Colt 44 was hanging in a gun belt on the bed post, within reach of its legendary owner.

Edmund “Eddy” Hulbert was born in Chicago in 1898. He lost his mother at the age of two and his father passed away just over a decade later. Now orphaned at the age of 13, it is believed that Eddy’s great aunt saw one of Doc Barry’s ads for the Cedarvale Dude Ranch as a place that unaccompanied boys could come and stay. Eddy was soon on his way to Kane, Wyoming where the Barry’s picked him up. Mrs. Barry, after hearing of the boy’s troubles from friends’ back east, immediately took the boy under her wing.

Amazing Talent It is thought that his aunt paid for Eddy’s stay at the ranch, but he was soon making his own way. He first gained experience working with metals by helping Doc Barry work on the engines that propelled the motorboats plying the waters of the Bighorn. He seemed to have a knack for fixing things. It was soon noticed that he could just look at a horses hoof and make a horseshoe that fit it perfectly without any measurements. Eddy did blacksmithing for the ranch, as well as neighbors on the Dryhead.

No one knows for sure, when or how Eddy learned the art of silversmithing. He occasionally went to visit an uncle in Denver who some believed had learned the craft in a Colorado prison. A how to book was also found among Eddy’s possessions at the time of his death. It does not matter how he learned the craft, because he was a natural at it. His work was sold at several different guest ranches, displayed in local stores, auctioned at the Medicine Wheel Bar in Lovell, and sold in catalogs. He also made many belt buckles as prizes for local Rodeos.

A Dedicated Life People remember hearing the pinging and panging from Eddy’s shop as he worked on wagon wheels and silver. Yet his duties were not isolated to that shop. Like any job, he had other responsibilities at Hillsboro. He helped with the livestock and haying on the ranch. The stud barns and corral is where Doc Barry kept his stallions. Eddy kept the horses fed, the fences mended, and horses shod.

Eddy lived at Hillsboro for most of his life. One July day in 1960 he was found slouched over his workbench, probably from a heart attack. His wife, with help from a neighbor, put him in their jeep and started the two hour trip to Lovell. He died on the way.

Tom Campbell grew up on an 80 acre farm with a sod homestead in eastern North Dakota. Day after grueling day he worked alongside his family farming the land with a team of oxen and cradle. It was the thought of this drudgery which pushed Campbell into becoming one of the most innovative corporate farmers in American history. The land where he made some of his greatest achievements can still be seen today, looking out from the Ok-A-Beh Road.

Food Would Win the War Campbell first got his start in large scale farming as a result of the First World War. He was part of a group of men who believed the slogan that “Food Would Win the War.” Realizing that wheat would be an integral part of this strategy, Campbell presented a plan to the federal government that would use power equipment to cultivate mass acreages of semi-arid land. He was then told to find land suitable for such an undertaking.

He selected four large tracts of land on the Shoshone, Blackfoot, Fort Peck, and Crow Indian reservations in Montana and Wyoming. One of the main stipulations of such an agreement was that the tribes would receive ten percent of the crop’s cash value. The Crow lands Campbell selected were bench land on the western side of the Bighorn River and south of Beauvais Creek. Campbell secured investment capital of two million dollars from the House of Morgan for his enterprise. The Campbell Farming Corporation was thus formed.

Bumper Crops to the Verge of Bankruptcy In 1918, using inexperienced teenagers who had never operated powerful farming machinery, 7,000 acres of ground was broken for winter wheat. Unfortunately, an early snow followed by a cold autumn meant that the crop was a disappointment. Though the war had ended, Campbell continued with his initial plan. In 1919 and 1920, droughts led to successive failures. Yet Campbell’s crew was gaining valuable experience and perfecting their methods. Finally in 1921, a profitable crop was yielded, allowing Campbell to buy the corporation’s assets from the House of Morgan. He now has full control.

Over the next seven years each crop proved profitable. In 1922, a bumper crop yielded half a million bushels of wheat, nearly ten times the yield during the drought years. Unfortunately, the Great Depression hit Campbell hard. By 1932, due to falling prices, he was on the verge of bankruptcy. The passage of New Deal farming legislation by the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt arrived just in time for Campbell to recoup his losses.

Unprecedented Success Over the next fifteen years the corporation attained unprecedented success. During World War II, Campbell expanded his leased lands on the Crow Reservation. In the post-war aftermath, wheat was in high demand to feed war ravaged nations. Campbell used the latest technology to reap ever greater yields from the land. In 1947, the corporation was farming 28 square miles of bench land just beyond the Bighorn. Cash value of the crop that year was one and a half million dollars.

Campbell continued to innovate, using aerial spraying for grasshopper and weed control. This allowed even marginal fields to become highly profitable. By the late 1940s, the corporation was using 78 foot plows and had 65,000 acres under lease. One-third of the land would be cultivated, while the other two-thirds lay fallow or uncultivated.

Campbell’s success did not come without criticism. Some saw him as a symbol of corporate greed, while others thought him nothing more than a land baron. Yet Campbell’s innovations and success made him world famous. Perhaps the Crow people best described Campbell when they gave him the name, Ahwagoda-Agoush, translated to English this means, “Known all over the World.”

Rich With Possibilities In 1913 Grosvener W. Barry began a new enterprise in the Trail Creek valley, the Cedarvale Dude Ranch in the community of Hillsboro, Montana. Doc Barry (as he was known by friends), was a native New Yorker. He had moved to the Bighorn Canyon area in the 1890s to homestead. While he had been able to build a ranch and “prove up” on his homestead claim, greater successes proved elusive. Over the past decade, Barry had formed three gold mining companies, only to see each and every one of them go bust. One of the companies even had the backing of powerful investors who had sunk $50,000 into the enterprise, only to see it go belly up.

Undeterred, Barry believed the land in and around his homestead was still rich with possibilities. He turned his efforts towards exploiting the recreation potential of the area. Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating and overnight excursions would hopefully be the calling card for Barry’s newly founded Cedarvale Dude Ranch. Cedarvale would have amenities that were quite rare for the area at that time. A brochure that was part of Barry’s promotional efforts described Cedarvale as “A Sportsman’s Paradise” where “the ranch lies in a beautiful valley between the Bighorn and Pryor Mountains, this valley being divided by the canyon of the Bighorn River. The ranch house is far removed from the environments of civilization, but it is thoroughly modernized, being electrically lighted throughout.”

The Trip of a Lifetime One big problem loomed though, where was Barry going to get his visitors? Friends and acquaintances, including President Theodore Roosevelt had visited Barry’s ranch, but getting tourists from across the nation to the region was a tough prospect. Even today, the Trail Creek valley is remote and not easily accessible. One advantage Barry did have was the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad depot at the nearby town of Kane, on the banks of the Bighorn River. From the depot, Barry hoped to ferry visitors down the waterway to a vacation at Cedarvale.

Yet brochures and promotional literature from the railroad only went so far. Barry needed to make even bigger news. He wanted to market his ranch to a national audience. That’s when Barry, along with his stepson Claude St. John, hit upon the idea of a headline making river voyage. Using, the Edith , an 18 foot, two cylinder, eight horsepower motor boat, Barry, St. John and close friend Delbert Smith would make the trip of a lifetime.

Putting in on the Bighorn, at what is today known as Barry’s Landing, the adventurers would make their way first through the treacherous waters of the canyon, ascend the Bighorn, and move upstream on the Yellowstone. From the Yellowstone they would float into the Missouri, navigating the longest waterway in North America. Then they would make their way to St. Louis, and converge with the mighty Mississippi. The final leg of their trip, would take them downriver to New Orleans. It seemed like a great idea. The only problem, the toughest part of the trip would take place at the start, floating Bighorn Canyon.

Narrow Escapes On May 31, 1913 at 9:15 a.m. the three men set off aboard the Edith . It wasn’t long until trouble ensued.

According to Barry’s reminiscences, “we had may (sic) narrow escapes, as the boat seemed almost to touch rock after rock as she dipped her bows into the eddies, while the turbulent waters threw the spray so thick at times that the other occupants of the boat could not be seen by the writer who had the ‘wheel’ near the stern.”

Claude St. John kept a diary during the trip. His entry for the first day, reinforces Barry’s sentiments: “Engine went dead Jumped in a hole and out again. Drowned the engine and ignition. Swamped the boat half a dozen times and had to hand bail her out some water. Camped a mile below Black canyon Our cat quit us but the dog stayed wit(sic).”

Yet after the initial tough start the trip began to go smoothly. By June 2 nd , they had arrived in Hardin, Montana, only 45 miles from the confluence with the Yellowstone. Claude paints a picture of Hardin as a colorful frontier community: “Met all kind of fellows. The blacksmith did some work for us and was decent in his prices. The rest of them skin you of all they can. Saw a fellow named King that had lots of money and all he had to do was loaf and lie…Stayed both night with an old fellow at the pump house. He was pretty good to us.”

Mighty and Muddy By mid-June the men were making their way down the heart of the Missouri. On the 4 th of July the Edith was swamped twice by high water. Nonetheless, they passed by the city of Omaha in the evening. While landing that night Barry got more than he bargained for. This time it was not with water, but mud. As Claude tells it: “Had a very muddy landing. Doc made a big jump when we came ashore and went in up to his waist.”

By July 15 th , the Edith was on the verge of St. Louis. That evening they met the roiling waters where the Missouri and Mississippi converge. Claude related , “You could see some difference in the water before they mixed. The Misiouri (sic) you could cut with a knife and the Mississippi was as clear as crystal. It didn‘t stay that way long after the Missouri (sic) hit it.”

The trip down the Mississippi was relatively smooth save for the food Claude commented on in several entries. On July 19 th in New Madrid, Missouri: “ About the worst town we have struck on the run. We went into a restaurant and came away hungry. The feed they gave you was something fierce.” At Arkansas City on July 25 th : “Doc came back with six pies for a quarter that were nothing but crust and that was mighty poor.”

Safe and Sick On Friday, August 1 st , the Edith docked in New Orleans. After just over 3 months the voyage was complete. The men were safe, but Claude had come down with malaria and typhoid fever. As his final entry states: “Have been so sick for the last four days that I didn’t know my head from my feet.”

Claude would spend a couple of months with relatives in New Orleans before he finally recovered. Barry and Smith would soon return to Cedarvale. Their efforts paid off. The trip made headlines, generated interest and the ranch hosted guests from around the nation into the late 1920s. Barry also started the “Big Horn Motor Boat and Outing Co.” with a fleet of six boats to lead visitors on river runs.

A Fitting Monument In 1930, Doc Barry succumbed to a brain tumor. His life and legacy can be seen and felt at the historic ghost town of Hillsboro. There are several original structures from the Cedarvale Dude ranch still intact. At Barry’s Landing, a replica of one of his boats is now displayed. This is a fitting monument to the man who first realized Bighorn Canyon’s recreation potential. (Sources: Bighorn Canyon Historic Resource Study, Edwin Bearss; On the Fringe of the Bighorn, Jeanne M. Davis; Claude St. John’s River Trip Journal.)

About 750 species of plants have been identified at Bighorn Canyon. There may still be other varieties hidden away, waiting to be found. As with all living things, plants occur in an infinite variety.

Bighorn Canyon is home to plants of various shapes and forms, reflecting the environment in which each particular species is found. Climatic differences result in 3 major groups of plants at Bighorn Canyon . From the south to the north in the recreation area: 1) Great Basin: these plants occupy the greatest portion of the park. Receiving the least amount of moisture, the plants of this section are typical of those found in desert regions such as Utah juniper and different species of sagebrush.

2) Rocky Mountain: the plants in this group exhibit a tremendous amount of variety, from shrubland on lower mountain slopes to heavily forested areas at higher elevations.

3) Great Plains: found in the northern areas of the park around Fort Smith, Montana. Plant species include both prairie grasses and wildflowers, such as big bluestem grass, purple prairie clover and blazing star.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Bighorn Canyon is that these diverse species are located in such a relatively small area. Some plants are short-lived, while others last for many years: some are showy and beautiful, others drab and plain. Some seek a warm, dry climate, others relish a cool, moist environment, and at Bighorn Canyon, the climatic differences brought about by the rain shadow of the Beartooth Mountains are reflected in the location and distribution of the area’s plants.

Invasive Species Certain plants now growing in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area would not have been seen here two hundred years ago. Many, including Russian thistle, Russian and spotted knapweed, and field birdweed, have made their appearance within the last seventy-five years, Introduced by man's activities, these plants are hardy, have pushed the native species aside, and taken the best growing areas.

With the stress caused by the introduction of exotic species, overgrazing, and soil erosion many native plants are at a critical time in their existence. Through better-managed grazing practices, control of off-road vehicles, and eradication of certain nonnative species, hopefully all the native plants of Bighorn Canyon will thrive in the coming years.

The National Recreation Area Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) manages approximately 68,000 acres between the Pryor and Bighorn mountain ranges on the Montana-Wyoming boundary. The park was established in 1966 to preserve the area’s natural and cultural resources and provide for public enjoyment after Yellowtail Dam was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) on the Bighorn River. The resulting Bighorn Lake extends for approximately 71 miles (114 km) at full pool. Massive and Ancient The depth of Bighorn Canyon is approximately 1,000 feet deep at Devil Canyon and 2,500 feet deep on Bull Elk Ridge. Researchers have found Upper Jurassic Period fossils and fossil tracks and bones in the park, and discovered the remains of Pleistocene animals in debris piles at cave entrances. Animals Wildlife in Bighorn Canyon NRA includes bighorn sheep, wild horses, coyotes, mule deer, snakes, small mammals, mountain lions, bears, and more than 200 bird species. The 39,000-acre Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, about one-fifth of which lies within Bighorn Canyon NRA, provides habitat for both the sheep and for approximately 160 wild horses managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Vegetation Vegetation communities in the park include desert shrubland, juniper woodland, mountain mahogany woodland, sagebrush steppe, basin grassland, riparian, and coniferous woodland. Habitat The 19,000-acre Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area, more than half of which lies within Bighorn Canyon NRA, is managed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department through agreements with the NPS, BLM, and BOR. Archaeology Bighorn Canyon’s archeological history includes Bad Pass Trail, which has been used for more than 10,000 years and is marked by 500 rock cairns spread over 13 miles. Research Today The primary areas for ongoing research in Bighorn Canyon NRA are paleontology, bighorn sheep, archeology, restoration, revegetation, and seeps and springs water quality. Researchers stay at the Bighorn Canyon Research Center at Ewing-Snell Historic Ranch, a science center with a classroom and camp facilities that has been established at one of four 1890s ranches being restored in the park

Crooked Creek NPS Dispersed/ Backcountry Camping Dispersed/ backcountry camping is allowed on Bighorn Lake below the high water mark of 3640 feet elevation in undeveloped areas. Remember to pack out everything you bring in. Some dispersed camping sites might not be avalable during high lake eleveation levels . Fires are allowed below the high water mark (3640 feet). Please check fire restrictions before going out. Dispersed/ backcountry camping is free and does not require a permit. Camping is on a first come first serve basis. No reservations will be taken. Waterway Safety Information Logistical Information Trip Suggestions Waterway Campsites Boating at Bighorn Canyon Waterway Trail Guide PDF Download Pets

A lot of camping in Bighorn Canyon is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please double check with each campground whether reservations are needed or not. There are a very small number of reservable spots available on the south district online only through the Horsehoe Bend Marina . Lake levels and weather conditions can affect the proximity of the boat moorings to campsites at Black Canyon Camprground and Medicine Creek Campground. Docks to these campsites are removed in the winter.

Below you will find basic information about the four campgrounds in Bighorn Canyon as well as the waterway campgrounds. Click "View Details" under each to go to a page with more information about that campground.

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area South District Visitor Center 20 US Hwy 14A Lovell, WY 82431

Barry's Island Trail. Photo by AIRs Diane Durant & Devyn Gaudet. Bighorn Canyon has approximately 17 miles of described trails (15 trails park wide) within the park. For more information about trails, current conditions, or to get maps, please stop by one of our visitor centers . Fort Smith - North District The North District of Bighorn Canyon has 3 trails. Beaver Pond Nature Trail , 2.6 Miles Round Trip, Moderate Bighorn Head Gate , 0.1 miles Round Trip, Easy Three Mile Access , 2 Miles Round Trip, Easy Lovell - South District The South District of Bighorn Canyon has 12 trails. Visitor Center Pond , 0.26 Miles Round Trip, Easy, Handicapped Accessible Sykes Mountain Trail , 4.6 Miles Round Trip, Hard Mouth of the Canyon Trail , 1.8 Miles Round Trip, Moderate State Line Trail , 1.52 Miles Round Trip, Easy to Moderate Ranger Delight , 0.66 Miles Round, Easy to Moderate Sullivan's Knob Trail , 0.75 Miles Round Trip, Easy to Moderate Two Eagles Interpretive Trail , 0.25 Miles Round Trip, Easy, Handicapped Accessible. Lower Layout Creek Trail , 3.4 Miles Round Trip, Easy to Moderate Upper Layout Creek Trail , 1.8 Miles Round Trip, Hard Hillsboro , 1 to 3 Miles Round Trip, Easy to Moderate Barry's Island Trail , 4 Miles Round Trip, Moderate Lockhart Ranch , 0.5 or 2.1 Miles Round Trip, Easy Hiking Guide PDF Download

Watch out for poison ivy in the park. Trail Safety and Tips Bighorn Canyon is a dry, desert area with many terrific views. For your safety, please take the following precautions whenever hiking: Carry plenty of water especially on longer hikes and on hot summer days. Wear good, sturdy shoes with closed toes. The canyon trails are rocky and have a lot of spiny vegetation. There may be rattlesnakes anywhere in Bighorn Canyon. Although they generally shy away from people, you need to watch where you put your hands and feet. Do not get too close to the canyon rim. In some places there may be weak, unstable overhangs and winds can become hazardous. Don’t forget sunscreen, a broad brimmed hat, and sunglasses to keep you protected from the sun. After any spring or summer hike, check your skin and clothing for ticks. Stay on the trails; there is poison ivy in the park. Remember, “Leaves of three, let them be.” If hiking alone, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Pets are allowed on the trails. However, they must be kept on a leash at all times and you must pick up after them. Enjoy your hike and remember to stop and look around occasionally. Sometimes the best views are behind you.

Enjoy your hike and remember to stop and look around occasionally. Sometimes the best views are behind you. For more hiking information email us or stop by a visitor center .