Sula in Ravalli County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Ross' Hole
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 11, 2018
1. Ross' Hole Marker
Inscription.
Ross' Hole. . Alexander Ross, of the Hudson Bay Company, with 55 Indian and white trappers, 89 women and children and 392 horses, camped near here on March 12, 1824, enroute from Spokane House near present Spokane, Washington to the Snake River country in southern Idaho. Nearly a month was spent here in a desperate attempt to break through the deep snow across the pass to the Big Hole, and from their hardships and tribulations, Ross called this basin "The Valley of Troubles." , Originally built in 1921, the Sula Community Store is the center of a rural district established in 1889 by Wood "Longhair" Thompson. Ross' Hole was initially settled by cattle ranchers, including Thompson and his daughter Ursula, from home the community takes its name. By the third decade of the twentieth century, the Sula area included the store/post office, a school, and nearly 200 people. By then, farmers grew crops and tended orchards in the valley. One writer described Sula "a site set like a diamond stud in the the center of the beautiful vale of Ross' Hole, one of the prettiest spots in the Rocky Mountains."
Alexander Ross, of the Hudson Bay Company, with 55 Indian and white trappers, 89 women and children and 392 horses, camped near here on March 12, 1824, enroute from Spokane House near present Spokane, Washington to the Snake River country in southern Idaho. Nearly a month was spent here in a desperate attempt to break through the deep snow across the pass to the Big Hole, and from their hardships and tribulations, Ross called this basin "The Valley of Troubles."
Originally built in 1921, the Sula Community Store is the center of a rural district established in 1889 by Wood "Longhair" Thompson. Ross' Hole was initially settled by cattle ranchers, including Thompson and his daughter Ursula, from home the community takes its name. By the third decade of the twentieth century, the Sula area included the store/post office, a school, and nearly 200 people. By then, farmers grew crops and tended orchards in the valley. One writer described Sula "a site set like a diamond stud in the the center of the beautiful vale of Ross' Hole, one of the prettiest spots in the Rocky Mountains."
Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Exploration. A significant historical date for this entry is March 12, 1824.
Location. 45° 50.172′ N,
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113° 58.848′ W. Marker is in Sula, Montana, in Ravalli County. Marker is on U.S. 93 near East Fork Road (State Highway 472), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7039 US Highway 93, Sula MT 59871, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2018. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 591 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 21, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
