Near Lewistown in Fergus County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Lewistown
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 17, 2019
1. Lewistown Marker
Inscription.
Lewistown. . Located at the geographical center of the state, the Lewistown area was the center of many significant events during Montana's formative years. The Blackfeet, Crow and Lakota knew the area as one of their last great buffalo hunting grounds. In 1874, after the establishment of the Carroll Trail by the Diamond R. Transportation Company, Alonzo Reed and John Bowles opened a trading post in the area. At about the same time, the U.S. Army built Camp Lewis, named for Major William Lewis, a few miles away at the present site of Lewiston. The camp, which housed infantry and cavalry companies during the summer months, protected travelers on the Carroll Trail. Reed and Bowles were an annoyance to the soldiers as the unsavory partners sold liquor to the Indians, until a knife fight ended their partnership in 1880. Camp Lewis became the foundation for a new community in 1881. Lewistown became a thriving trade and transportation center in the Judith Basin graced by substantial sandstone buildings built by Croation (sic, Croatian) stonemasons.
Located at the geographical center of the state, the Lewistown area was the center of many significant events during Montana's formative years. The Blackfeet, Crow and Lakota knew the area as one of their last great buffalo hunting grounds. In 1874, after the establishment of the Carroll Trail by the Diamond R. Transportation Company, Alonzo Reed and John Bowles opened a trading post in the area. At about the same time, the U.S. Army built Camp Lewis, named for Major William Lewis, a few miles away at the present site of Lewiston. The camp, which housed infantry and cavalry companies during the summer months, protected travelers on the Carroll Trail. Reed and Bowles were an annoyance to the soldiers as the unsavory partners sold liquor to the Indians, until a knife fight ended their partnership in 1880. Camp Lewis became the foundation for a new community in 1881. Lewistown became a thriving trade and transportation center in the Judith Basin graced by substantial sandstone buildings built by Croation (sic, Croatian) stonemasons.
W. Marker is near Lewistown, Montana, in Fergus County. Marker is on U.S. 87 at milepost 85 near Meadowlark Lane, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lewistown MT 59457, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . The Carroll Trail 1875 -- Researchgate. The Carroll Trail story is one of adventure, danger, and the attempts at settlement of the western frontier after the civil war. This was at a time when the conflict between indigenous Indian tribes and the immigrating "white man " was reaching a peak.
Download the PDF file. (Submitted on December 9, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 17, 2019
2. Lewistown Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 9, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 301 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 9, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
