Vaughn in Cascade County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

The Sun River Leaving

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2019

1. The Sun River Leaving Marker

Inscription. The Mullan Road left the Sun River Valley here at a place called "The Leaving." After 1864, the road was better known a the Benton Road, connecting Fort Benton to Helena. Traffic on the road peaked during the late spring and early summers when high water allowed steamboats to off-load freight at Fort Benton. During those months, passengers and freight bound for the "States" flowed into Fort Benton. C.C. Huntley established a stage route between Helena and Fort Benton in 1866. One of the route's most important stations was located here at The Leaving. In 1879, it took a stagecoach about two days to travel from Helena to Fort Benton. Montana pioneer Martha Edgerton Rolfe Plassman wrote that "No stage driver in those days drove slowly in consideration of his passengers; his duty was simply to get them to their destination on time."
Proprietors of stage stations contracted with the stage companies to provide services to the line and its passengers. The Leaving station was an important stop on the road where stagecoach drivers changed horses for the long pull to the next station. The station had a reputation for hospitality

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and good food. From 1877 to 1888, husband and wife Ed and Ida Reinecke ran the station. During the Reinecke's time, the station was the center of a small settlement that included a general store run by famed Montana capitalist T.C. Power. The arrival of the Montana Central Railroad in 1887 ended the dominance of the Benton Road and Reinecke's stage station closed.

Erected by Montana Centennial Project.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1864.

Location. 47° 33.149′ N, 111° 34.169′ W. Marker is in Vaughn, Montana, in Cascade County. It is at the intersection of U.S. 89 at milepost 2 and Medicine River Road, on the left when traveling west on U.S. 89. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 217 US Highway 89, Vaughn MT 59487, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Russell Country. It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2019

2. The Sun River Leaving Marker

World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Robert Vaughn Homestead/The Captain Couch Ranch (approx. ¾ mile away); Sun River Crossing (approx. 6.8 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on December 29, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 29, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,322 times since then and 127 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 29, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.