East Portal in Mineral County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
An Unlikely Safe Haven
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2011
1. An Unlikely Safe Haven Marker
“Fires of yesterday and last night have swept practically all the country from Avery to St. Regis. Nothing could have lived in the mountains last evening except for the tunnels.” - E. J. Pearson, Chief Engineer, Puget Sound Railroad
Fleeing from the fires, people jumped into rivers, sheltered in mine shafts or ran for their lives. Others chose escape on the railroad, but sometimes even the trains could not move faster than the fires. An engineer named C. H. Marshall tried to stop for everyone stranded along his line, but soon found it too dangerous to continue. He turned the train and sped toward a tunnel with the railcars literally smoking from the intense heat. Marshall remembered the deafening roar of the fire with heat so intense that no one on the train could even stand upright. Remarkably, all of his passengers made it out alive.
Another train found safety in the nearly two-mile-long Taft Tunnel. As you enter the tunnel, imagine the incredible noise, fear and heat that the men, women and children on board experienced as they waited in this dark refuge for the raging fire to pass.
Erected 2010 by Lolo National Forest.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Western Montana, in Glacier Country, and in Greater Missoula. 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 World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Building From the Ashes (here, next to this marker); When the Mountains Roared (a few steps from this marker); Douse the Flames and Climb Aboard (a few steps from this marker); A Battle That Could Not Be Won (a few steps from this marker); Pluck and Good Fortune (a few steps from this marker); The Route of the Hiawatha (within shouting distance of this marker); Life Along the Line (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wickedest City (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in East Portal.
More about this marker. On the bottom are two photos with the caption, "Photo on the left shows the inspection of the final construction of the Taft Tunnel in 1908. Today, the Taft Tunnel remains very much as it was during the 1910 fires. The rails and lights are gone, but the original timbers, incessant water and cold temperatures are a reminder of exactly what a haven the tunnels were over a century ago."
photo:
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2011
2. 1910 Fire Markers
photo: Wendy Smith
Also see . . . The 1910 Fires. Forest History Society website entry (Submitted on November 12, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2011
3. Route of the Hiawatha Trailhead (markers on left)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 809 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 3, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
