News from the Red Caboose WINTER 2014
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News from the Red Caboose WINTER 2014 The 1918 Flood By Norm Miller As spring arrives in Livingston, That spring high temperatures Townsend, and in Lolo and other we can’t help but wonder if the quickly melted snow, filling rivers areas to the west, adding smoke Yellowstone River is going to flood. to beyond capacity. The soaring to the area. There were limited One of our area’s worst floods was temperatures also caused early crews available to fight the fires. in June 1918. forest fires. The fast-melting snows When a small fire broke out were shaded temporarily at the base of Livingston Peak, on June 8, 1918 when ranchers organized a fire crew and a total solar eclipse extinguished it while town folks darkened the region, were busy securing bridges from dropping temperatures washouts. a few degrees. E. M. A message from an upstream Grigsby, the “shoe man” Carbella resident alerted County on Callender Street, Commissioner Frank Beley that had been recording the river was up six inches and daily temperatures in the “new bridge being built was The downriver view of the flood Livingston for several expected to go.” from Carters Bridge south of Livingston years. On the day of the eclipse his Melting snow continued to swell on June 20, 1918 thermometer read 80°F; on June the creeks and rivers. Yellowstone 10 and 11, temperatures reached National Park’s Lamar Bridge and The flood was given little 94°F. (On the same dates of the Pebble Creek Bridge washed out. attention in the Livingston previous year Grigsby recorded The Park Branch of the Northern Enterprise. In May and June, stories a high of only 36°F.) No wonder (continued on page 10) of the flood were sandwiched the high between stories about World War I mountain on the Western Front in Europe snows that with headlines such as: “Italians year melted so Open Counter Attack—Throwing fast! June 10 Foe Back with Loss,” “Great also marked Offensive of Austrians held, 4500 fire outbreaks prisoners taken,” and “Local W.C. in School Williamson—first Park Co. man Gulch in killed on the front.” Coverage of the Bridger the flood was often found on the Mountains, second and third pages, while war Canyon Ferry Visitors at the washed-out Lamar River Bridge coverage dominated the front page. Gulch near in northeastern Yellowstone National Park Letter from the Director The Museum’s Many Faces By Paul Shea What a winter it has been. We is expanding the continue to receive donations of program to include objects and archival materials. new field trips and Twenty-two years ago when I got speakers. We will be into the museum business I was partnering with the told by a museum director not to Western Sustainability worry about collections. Why not, Exchange, the Greater I wondered, that is what museums Yellowstone Coalition, are about—their collections. Instead, the Crow Tribe, the he advised me to spend my time Shoshone-Bannock accumulating storage space, noting Tribe, and the that collections would come. Was National Park Service. he correct! We are constantly The program will not shuffling things around to make only address historic space for new collection items Paul Shea and Bob Ebinger times but will also at the 2011 Museum Grand Opening —and we are happy to do so. speak to today’s Large objects, such as vehicles One of the grants we are working challenges of land and and farm equipment, take up a lot on funds archival cataloging and wildlife management. of room. Storage is one thing—you storage. With the help of volun- We are excited about can set things side by side. But teers we know the approximate collaborating with the Shoshone- displaying them is another story number of photos and archival Bannock Tribe, giving them altogether. One needs to be able to materials that we need to process. opportunities to share their story walk around a large item to see it We have had several small grants in Park County. The Shoshone properly and to gain perspective on in the last couple of years that have Indians were here on the Big Bend its use. A case in point is the “new” helped Ellen Zazzarino organize of the Yellowstone for hundreds roller feed mill that we received the Doris Whithorn papers and a of years before the Crow. We also and restored this winter. (See more photo collection from John Fryer. plan to help host a Shoshone on page 8.) We are applying for additional speaker in Livingston for East This spring we are going to do a grants to help us catalog our Side School students. Karen made major clean-up and reorganize the archival collections, making them lasting contacts with the tribe while back area bays and other onsite more available to researchers. she was working in Jackson Hole. storage. The county has some On the education side, we are As always, we thank all of our short-term storage we can use this seeking additional funding for the supporters who help make the summer. We need to accumulate successful Indian Education for All Yellowstone Gateway Museum a space, more space, and even more program that we designed with the great part of Park County. We’ve space. But don’t get the wrong East Side Elementary School and been going strong for 37 years now. idea—we still want those large items Park High School. We are planning Donations of historic artifacts for the museum. to make the program available that relate to Park County are Grants and exhibits are to other schools in the county, always welcome, as are monetary consuming our time right now. starting with Gardiner. donations for specific exhibits or New exhibits for the summer Karen has met with the projects. If you have any questions include a makeover of the Gardiner Public Schools principal about donating to the museum transportation room, an exhibit and teachers. They are excited please give me a call at 406-222- on fire, and a Yellowstone Fossil about the Indian Education 4184 or send me an email at Forests traveling exhibit. for All program. The museum [email protected]. PAGE 2 Volunteers and Staff We are Grateful to our Current Volunteers: Mary Jane Ammerman Bev George Carlene Newhall Nicholas Amsk Gary George Dona Poeschl Judy Bonnell Betty Greathouse Ellen Zazzarino Shannon Burke Georgia Hall Carol Carver Sherry Hatfield and our board Camden Easterling Betty Lahren members! Nikki Fox Alta LeDoux Boards and Staff Friends BJ Earle putting up holiday cheer Bruce Graham – President Rick VanAken – Secretary Paul Shea – Treasurer Dick Dysart – Publishing Ruth K. Dargis – Member Suzanne Goodman – Member Robin Lovec – Member Rosamond Stanton – Member County Bob Ebinger – President Bob Ebinger cleaning the roller feed mill Pat Davidson – Secretary Jem Blueher – Member George Bornemann – Member Greg Durham – Member BJ Earle – Member Dona Poeschl showing off an historic Norm Miller – Member photograph that she has cataloged Bob Moore – Member Jon Swenumson – Member Staff Volunteer for Paul Shea – Director Your Museum Karen Reinhart – Registrar, •Computers: inventorying and Newsletter Editor cataloging artifacts Paul Deyerle – Experience Works •Front Desk: greeting visitors and Museum other projects as time allows 118 W. Chinook Street •Historic Photographs: scanning Livingston, MT 59047 and cataloging 406-222-4184 •Web site: updating our site [email protected] •Videos: shoot short history clips yellowstonegatewaymuseum.org Rick VanAken untangling holiday lights •Muscle: spring clean-up and help during our decorating efforts with outdoor exhibits PAGE 3 National Trout Derby By Bruce Graham Livingston, Montana’s National The original idea of a trout derby Fresh Water Trout Derby, a three- came from Jack Stevens, a jeweler day event, was first held on August with a business on south Main 2, 3, and 4, 1941. Participants Street. The Derby was created paid a $1 entry fee for a chance to by the Livingston Chamber of win a hefty first prize, 1,000 silver Commerce and was eventually dollars. (In today’s dollars the managed by the National Trout prize is equivalent to $15,847.41.) Derby Association, a nonprofit The winner of that first contest organization run by members of was Lonnie Bryan, a postal worker the Chamber. from Big Timber. Finus Lewis, owner of the State and Strand movie theaters, was the first chairman of the Derby. The Derby was planned as an annual event to be held every second Sunday in August. No Derby was held during the war years of 1943, 1944, and 1945, nor was one held in 1950. Beginning in 1947 it became more until 8 AM on the morning of the simply the National Trout Derby. Derby on KPRK, the local radio The Derby was held on various station. It lasted four hours, from 9 sections of the Yellowstone River AM until 1 PM. in Park County; access to the river Participants could fish only was provided by local landowners in the area selected by the derby Jack Stevens and through public access areas. committee and the rules of the The location was not announced Montana Fish and Game Commis- The demise of the Derby was sion had to be followed. No fishing probably due to several factors— from boats was allowed. Anglers lack of access to the riverbanks had to hand over their catch to a because of changes in land designated derby official on the ownership was likely the main river bank. After Rudolph Egeland reason. Other factors included won the derby two years in a row, the catch and release fishing 1947 and 1948, officials changed philosophy, the increased numbers the rules so that a person could of fly fishing anglers on the river, only win once in a lifetime.