Near Jefferson City in Jefferson County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Freighters

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 14, 2021

1. Freighters Marker

Inscription. Time was when ox and mule teams used to freight along this route. A five-ton truck doesn't look as picturesque but there hasn't been much change in the language of the drivers. bar Jerk-line skinners were plumb fluent when addressing their teams. They got right earnest and personal. It was spontaneous, no effort about it. When they got strung out they were worth going a long ways to hear. As a mater of fact you didn't have to go a long ways, providing you hearing was normal. Adjectives came natural to them but they did bog down some on names. They had the same one for each of their string.
Those times have gone forever.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles.

Location. 46° 24.394′ N, 112° 0.805′ W. Marker is near Jefferson City, Montana, in Jefferson County. Marker is on Interstate 15 at milepost 176, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located at the Jefferson City Rest Area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Jefferson City MT 59638, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Elkhorn Mountain Volcanoes (here, next to this marker); The Prickly Pear Diggings

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(approx. 9 miles away); Unionville (approx. 10 miles away); Grizzly Gulch Lime Kilns (approx. 11.9 miles away); Henry Hay Homestead (approx. 12 miles away); Helena West Main Street Historic District (approx. 12.1 miles away); Lawrence and Amanda Beaver Residence (approx. 12.1 miles away); Ingram House (approx. 12.2 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Heavy Freight Wagons of the American West -- Western Mining History. One of the least appreciated but important jobs during the era of the western expansion was moving freight to provide everything from food to machinery, household goods, ore, and needed equipment for the rancher, miner, farmer, households, and storekeeper. Yet the “mule skinner” or “bull whacker” ranked near, if not at the bottom, on the scale of importance in stories about the old West, and even during their time they were looked down upon. (Submitted on November 20, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

2. Old West Teamsters and Freighters -- GENi. When you study the old west you hear about the people who set up the cattle ranches, saloons, barber shops, livery stables, hotels, and mines. You read stories about the lawmen, outlaws,
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 14, 2021

2. Freighters Marker
doctors, school teachers, preachers and cowhands. You don't hear as much about the mercantile contingent - the freighters. (Submitted on November 20, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

3. Though Bullwhackers Often Swore at Oxen, The Brawny Beasts Were Good for Business -- HistoryNet. From antebellum days through the 1870s, multiple teams of oxen drove most wagon trains and almost all heavy freight wagons out West. The three major freight companies bought 150,000 steers per year, bovine draft animals used largely to pull wagons. (Submitted on November 20, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Freighters on Ute Pass, Colorado image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Western Mining History

3. Freighters on Ute Pass, Colorado

Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 20, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.