Bozeman Trail

Bozeman Trail. . The Bozeman Trail crossed the divide from Red Lodge Creek and descended a steep hillside to the Rosebud valley one-half mile southeast of here. Jim Bridger opened the route through this area in June 1864, and three weeks later John Bozeman followed his route as he led the first train over the Bozeman Trail. Diarists often noted the steep descent to Rosebud Valley. Abram Voorhees wrote on July 24, 1864: "in afternoon we went down a long crooked and sideling (sic) hill, it was steep and rocky and the worst one to go down be have found. George W. Fox called it "the big hill" on August 27, 1866. , From the base of the hill, the Bozeman Trail went down the east side of the valley to Rosebud Creek crossing just below the confluence of Butcher and East and West Rosebud Creeks. The trail crossed at present Smith Bridge, two miles north of here, and went northwest over hills to the Stillwater River crossing. In August 1866 Bridger led a large train down the east side of Rosebud Creek to a new crossing above its junction with the Stillwater River. This new route then went up the south side of the Stillwater to the earlier crossing, avoiding the hills.