Garrison Reservoir Geology, Paleontology, Archeology, History>

The region of the upper Missouri valley was first made known to the world by French colonials coming from present Canada, and somewhat later, by French-speaking Spanish subjects residing in the St. Louis area. The upper Missouri region, a part of the famed Louisiana Purchase of 1803, was first carefully explored and reported upon by Lewis and Clark, official agents of the United States. The fur- and hide-trade of the late eighteenth and of much of the nineteenth century, was long the major historical theme in the region. Only late in the last century, as the Indian lands were reduced in size to their present proportions, did Whites settle permanently as farmers and ranchers, supplanting the dying hide trade with a new and durable economy.

The present economy of the region is characterized by mixed wheat-raising and ranching, practiced by both Indians and Whites. New historical factors are now evident, however, such as the development of the recently discovered Williston Basin oil and gas fields, and recreational resources resulting from the creation of the Garrison Dam and Reservoir. Travel to and from the area by modern highways is now possible, and the tourist traffic itself will doubtless become an increasingly important economic factor in the years to come.