Each year as the Thanksgiving holiday nears, it is appropriate to reflect on all of the blessings and bounties that are abundant here in the Gallatin Valley. This article by “yours truly” was originally written and published in 2004…clearly, my writing style has relaxed a bit through the years. What follows is a portion of one of my all-time favorite stories…it seemed like a timely opportunity to bring it to the B2B readers.
On May 14, 1804, Lewis and Clark and their “Corps of Discovery” began their expedition across the unknown territory of the western United States. Nearly one-quarter of their travels and half of their documented campsites are in Montana. The members of the expedition were some of the first non-natives to experience the beauty of Montana which still draws visitors and residents today. The ruggedness that lends to the unique and amazing Montana landscape also created hardships and challenges for the expedition and the settlers that followed. Throughout their 8,000-mile, two-and-a-half-year journey, the courageous men battled grizzly bears, disease, bitter cold, and other challenging weather conditions to discover what we today call home.
Their adventuresome courage fueled the expansion of the western United States. Can you imagine the hardships endured by these explorers and the first settlers in the Gallatin Valley? In spite of the many challenges, Bozeman and this productive valley quickly emerged as the garden of the state, providing food and supplies to southwestern Montana’s mining towns.
After Lewis and Clark’s exploration, many Americans moved west in the late 1800s and early 1900s because of the promise of free land. The “Homestead Act” which became law on January 1, 1863, allowed anyone to file for 160 acres of free land. The land was yours at the end of five years if you built a house, dug a well, cultivated ten acres, fenced a specified amount, and lived there. By 1900, about 600,000 settlers had received clear title under the Act to about 80 million acres. The total acreage claimed and settled through the Homestead Act was approximately 270 million acres or 10 percent of the total area of the United States.
My grandparents were among those to relocate to Montana in search of land through the Homestead Act. They settled in eastern Montana in 1910 on a 160-acre piece of prairie. Their first home was a railway boxcar with a lean-to. They gradually added rooms and additions through the years when they could afford it. They also acquired adjoining land as their neighbors either returned to the comforts of the East or moved into the small towns of Baker or Ekalaka. Through the years, with hard work and good stewardship, they amassed several thousand acres of ranchland. I keep a photo of their first home in my office to remind me of how far we have come in 100 years in Montana. Our heritage is full of pioneering spirits willing to forego the comforts of the city, such as electricity and running water, for the opportunity to claim a piece of ground to call their own where the basic shelter was a luxury.
Through the years, the landscape of Montana has changed and so have our housing needs. The aforementioned lack of electricity and running water are now the baselines of modern-day amenities. Simple indoor plumbing has expanded to include such high-tech features as programmable showers and faucets that turn on and off with just one touch in order to help conserve water. Electrical, sound, security, and television systems can be monitored and controlled via an iPad application right off of an Apple tablet computer using a smart power strip. This list could go on and on.
As we celebrate the end of summer and a bountiful harvest after the most picture-perfect autumn in recent memory, (one that we will “brag” about for years to come) it seems fitting to honor the pioneering spirit that established our nation and our livelihood here in the Gallatin Valley. I contemplate the sharp contrast between yesterday’s shelter and today’s comfort and am humbled by the pioneers of the past, realizing that the common amenities of our modern homes are but a luxury. Our homes create a relaxing and private environment for which we can be truly grateful and where we can celebrate the blessings of our modern lives. For this, we thank the courageous explorers and pioneers who paved the path to our home in this beautiful landscape.
Leave A Comment