Lewis and Clark National Forest Passport in Time oral history project, 1997

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• Description: OH 365-001: Interview with Roy Brewington

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 23 leaves

  Roy Brewington recalls his family history in various Montana towns including Swimming Woman and Judith Gap, dealings with Indians, shared telephone lines, going to dances, and logging in isolated areas during the 1930s. He gives descriptions of various trails before they were roads such as the Buffalo Trail that mostly became Highway 191.

  Dates: 11 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-002: Interview with Wayne Carpenter

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 25 leaves

  Carpenter recalls his step-father’s (Jess Sterling) involvement in making moonshine during Prohibition, horse rustling, and various cattle operations. He provides an account of the execution of Lee Simpson, the last public hanging in Montana.

  Dates: 11 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-003: Interview with Emmet Tieg and Elsie Tieg

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 14 leaves

  The Tiegs recall how they came to be working the home ranch, grazing on Forest Service land with a permit, care and use of the trails on that land, and logging. They describe encounters with hobos, fighting fires, sparse wildlife in the Crazy Mountains, and sheepherding in central Montana.

  Dates: 9 September 1997
• Description: OH 36-005: Interview with Joe Morse and Diane Morse

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 22 leaves

  The Morses discuss their family’s history of running sheep and cattle in the Lewis and Clark National Forest around Two Dot, Montana. They describe their relationship with the Forest Service, based on the need for grazing permits. They mention other families in the region, including the Magers, Martins, Cosgriffes, Brannins, Wards, Arthurs, Muirs, Cass, Sedgewicks, and Glenns. They explain the Elk Horn Ranch history, the Elk Lake area of Yellowstone National Park, specifically the Elk Lake area, the Crazy Mountains and Musselshell River areas, and Bozeman, Montana.

  Dates: 10 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-006: Interview with Lew Miller

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 11 leaves

  Lew Miller describes his early childhood, including his move from Kansas to Montana with his family. He discusses the Snowy Mountains including his first job herding sheep in the “Big Snowies.” He mentions Careless Creek and Swimming Woman Creek, hunting, forest fire fighting, and moonshining in the area. Miller describes an incident with summer tourists and speculates on the scattered history of mining in the area.

  Dates: 11 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-007: Interview with Byron Berg and Lauretta Berg

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 32 leaves

  Byron describes his father growing up in Castle, Montana, and attending school in Ringling, Montana. Lauretta recalls her history with Martinsdale, Montana, and her family’s logging background in Washington state. Byron discusses the jail in Martinsdale, coal camps and mining in the mountains, and prospectors during and after the Depression era, particularly Bill LaClair. The Bergs offer anecdotes on the changing wildlife population in the area, both prey and predators, particularly ungulates, mountain lion and wolves.

  Dates: 11 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-008: Interview with Dennis Tanberg

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 26 leaves

  Dennis Tanberg of Harlowtown, Montana, describes the geography of the Crazy Mountains, particularly the Loco Peak area. He describes some practical details of mountain sheepherding, such as food caching and trail traversing. He discusses Forest Service grazing allotments, the Billings remount station, and other ranchers.

  Dates: 12 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-009: Interview with Glenn Lillegard

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 36 leaves

  Glenn Lillegard recalls his childhood and early career in carpentry, horseherding and sheepherding. He discusses his family’s ranch, their daily routine and business of running a ranch. He describes the effects of forest fires on the ranching practices and run-ins with rangers over out-of-season hunting. He gives his opinion on modern Forest Service policies, and recalls the relationship of the Hutterite community with other area residents.

  Dates: 16 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-010: Interview with Ruth Hardenbrook

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 28 leaves

  Ruth Hardenbrook provides stories from her childhood, including those of her parent’s involvement with JB Long Company at Long Ranch, Montana. She discusses packstrings, moonshining, the Blue Dick mine and mining in general in the mountains. She mentions specific Forest Rangers, describes WPA and CCC projects in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, and offers memories of fire lookouts.

  Dates: 16 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-011: Interview with George Cameron

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 24 leaves

  George Cameron describes his childhood, sheepherding, mines and fire lookouts in the Crazy Mountains in Montana. Cameron details his school years, his career with the Forest Service, and the introduction of the telephone to the area. He explains his relationship with traveling laborers who came to his ranch, especially after WWII. He discusses the CCC, particularly the workers’ camps and their work and living routines. Cameron describes some specific ranger stations around Montana, as well as the individuals who manned them. He mentions Fort Howe.

  Dates: 17 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-013: Interview with Ernie Jellison

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 26 leaves

  Ernie Jellison describes the construction and layout of his family’s cabin, homesteads and other buildings in Two Dot and Harlowton, Montana. He recalls sheepherding and ranch work as well as his father and grandfather’s sawmill and ranching activities.

  Dates: 17 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-014: Interview with Jim McDonald and Jackie McDonald

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 21 leaves

  Jim McDonald begins with his grandparents’ move to Montana and his father’s ranch work. The McDonalds explain their relationship with the Forest Service as it pertains to Block Management for allowing the public to hunt elk on their ranchland and rotation grazing. The McDonalds offer childhood memories and detail some of the livestock problems with the wolves’ return, as well as conflicts with other predators.

  Dates: 18 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-015: Interview with Grant Canoy and Herb Sherburne

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 34 leaves

  Canoy discusses mining in the Little Belt Mountains of Montana, specifically the Yogo Peak district. He recalls old prospectors including Paul Vdovic. He describes homesteading, farming and sheepherding in the area, including Basque sheepherders. He returns to mining in discussing false mining rush at Alton about 1892, near Glacier National Park, and the consequences of that rush on the Blackfeet nation. Grant and Sherburne discuss assessment work, “gold witching,” claim jumping, and sniping.

  Dates: 19 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-016: Interview with Irwin Allen

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 31 leaves

  Allen describes working with the Forest Service for his grazing allotments. He discusses his sheepherding days, and briefly, mining. Allen moves on to his schoolboy days, and his intermittent summer employment and firefighting with the Forest Service. He relates his experiences with individual rangers, such as John Inman and David Lake.

  Dates: 11 September 1997
• Description: OH 365-017: Interview with Ruth Cameron and Ray Blaquiere

  Sound Recording, audio cassette

  Transcript, 29 leaves

  Ruth Cameron recounts her childhood in Harlowtown, Montana, and her experience with the Forest Service through her husband’s career. She discusses their residences at several Forest Service ranger stations. She details her married activities, such as cooking and hiring transient help for her family’s ranch. Cameron recounts some local history of the railroad, and finishes with commentary on the relationship between the Forest Service and the community.

  Dates: 12 September 1997