Trails of the Past: Historical Overview of the Flathead National Forest, Montana, 1800-1960

Cultural resource surveys of the Flathead National Forest have been conducted since 1974. The inventory forms and site records that have been prepared over the years provide excellent material on the history of the Flathead National Forest. The surveys have been conducted by both Forest Service cultural resource specialists and by private consultants. Most of the Forest's cultural resource surveys have been project specific and performed in order to comply with federal laws. This has tended to bias the known information somewhat.

In 1991 Historical Research Associates completed a large study of Forest Service administrative sites in Region One. The document and the associated National Register nominations (Caywood et al. 1991) proved very helpful for this project. Historic overviews of other Forests also aided in developing the context for the Flathead National Forest. The recently completed history of the Northern Region of the Forest Service (Baker et al. 1993) is also helpful for providing a broader context for local developments. Particularly relevant will be the historical overview of the Kootenai National Forest (not yet completed when this overview was prepared).

Some of the local histories of the Flathead Valley contain a great deal of information not available elsewhere. These include books and articles by Henry Elwood (particularly Elwood 1976, 1980) and the articles and other material in the 10 volumes compiled by Samuel Johns (Johns 1943)

Other sources that provide invaluable information include Charlie Shaw's history of the Flathead National Forest (Shaw 1967), Flora Mae Bellefleur Isch's thesis on the upper Flathead Valley (Isch 1948), Patricia Bick's history of homesteading on the east side of the North Fork (Bick 1986), the collection of reminiscences by Region One Forest Service retirees (USDA FS 1944-76), Pat Taylor's written descriptions of work on the Flathead National Forest in the 1930s (Taylor 1986), and a number of the interviews (oral histories) conducted by the Flathead National Forest and the Montana Historical Society.

The Montana files at the Flathead County Library are arranged by subject and fill several file cabinets. These include a great variety of published and unpublished information on the area's history. The library also is the repository for many of the articles cited in the Flathead River Basin Bibliography that otherwise would be difficult to find.