The "Sleeping
Giant" of the Big Belt Range, north of Helena.
Prickly
Pear or Wolf Creek Canyon
Prickly
Pear Canyon View by S. J. Morrow, 1870
Through
beautiful Prickly Pear Canyon passed the toll road from Fort
Benton to Helena. Built on the route of an ancient Indian trail,
the road was constructed in 1865 by the Little Prickly Pear
Wagon Road Company. In 1866, the road was purchased and improved
by James C. King and Warren C. Gillete. The road remained the
primary northern freight route into Helena until the coming
of the railroads in the 1880s. In 1887, the Montana Central
Railway laid tracks through the canyon.
The canyon
itself is comprised of ancient seabed shale, in pale hues of
rose and green, laid down more than one billion years ago during
the Precambrian Era.
Circa 1915 View
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD • CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A
BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Circa
1930 View
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD • CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A
BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Hand-Laid
1887 Montana Central Railway Stonework Still in Place
COURTESY OF JON AXLINE
Various Postcard Views
of the Canyon
The Synness Homestead
ALL
PHOTOS FROM THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
The
oldest child of Andreas and Gurina Synness, Ole Synness
was eleven years old when the family came to this country
from Norway. He attended Mitchell School, located 28 miles
north of Helena at the mouth of Wolf Creek canyon. He
moved to a relinquishment homestead in the meadows below
the Sleeping Giant Mountain (often called the Beartooth
in those days) in 1885. Eventually he purchased the 160
acres and built a two-story house.
THE
SYNNESS HOMESTEAD, ABOUT 1910
On
Sept. 8, 1897, Ole brought his bride, Magnhild Raaen,
to share his home. Maggie (as Magnhild was called) was
also from Norway. The couple were warm, hospitable,
people and their place soon became a stopping place
along the country road which led to the ferry across
the Missouri River. The crossing allowed travelers a
short cut to Willow Creek, Craig, and Wolf Creek.
Ole's many talents led him to gatherings around the
county. He and his three brothers were all musicians
in great demand to entertain at social functions and
dances in the Helena Valley and surrounding towns. In
the winter, when snow was too deep for horses, they
often walked. At times the temperatures were below zero
and on several occasions they returned home with frost
bitten cheeks. Their travels took them from Craig to
Unionville, Silver City, Marysville and Wolf Creek,
a pretty great distance for winter travel.
Along with his musical talent, Ole was an ardent outdoorsman
and hunter. He was also a road supervisor for Lewis
& Clark County. In February of 1909, while encamped
with a road crew near Wolf Creek, Ole - accompanied
by his ten-year-old son - took a wagon and team to Wolf
Creek for provisions. The wagon began slipping on the
treacherous road; Ole took his son in is arms and attempted
to jump clear of the overturning wagon, but they were
both caught and were dragged a considerable distance.
The boy was knocked unconscious, and Ole suffered severe
injuries. He died at St. John's Hospital in Helena on
February 24, 1909.
Maggie was left with a family of five children Her oldest
was ten and her youngest, Andrew Oscar, only nine months
old. She was also responsible for her two nephews, Martin
and Harold Wolstein. Her sister had passed away in August
of 1908, just six months before Ole's death. Can you
imagine living in that remote area and trying to feed
and care for seven lively children under the age of
10?
Her
only income was what she could earn milking cows and
selling butter and eggs. The boys all learned to hunt
at an early age and supplied the meat, which she canned
for the winter.
Summers
were happy and carefree for the kids, but during winter
blizzards the wind howled relentlessly and the snow
drifted and piled up deeper and deeper. Maggie kept
the fire going when temperatures hovered in the minus
forties. She did not sleep (she sat up reading her bible)
for fear the fire would get too hot or go out.
The
Synness homestead in winter
She
later proved up on another 640 acres and had to walk to
and from, with her baby and toddlers, to care for her
pigs. She built a small cabin on the new piece of land
several miles away and stuck with it until the land was
hers. She died in 1938. She had many children and grandchildren,
but chose to leave her Beartooth Homestead to her Grandson
Wesley Robert Ole Synness, who had a cleft in his chin
reminding her of her beloved Ole. Wes was only 7 years
old when he inherited the homestead.
Ole Synness
at the homestead, 1885.
Detail
showing young Ole's prowess as a hunter - nine deer!
Ole Synness
on horseback at the original homestead, early 1900s.
The
Ole Synness family, 1903. From left: Maggie holding baby
Marie, Ole holding Lloyd and Otis, Ole's sister Christine
Synness, Maggie's sister Anna Wolstein with Harold and
Martin.
Maggie
Synness with children: Left to right - Marie age 4, Maggie
Synness, Otis age 7, Lloyd age 5, abd baby Alice age 1.
Maggie raised angora goats, using the wool for socks and
sweaters.
On
the nose of the Sleeping Giant, 1899. Seated from back
to front, L to R: Joe & Margaret Hilger, Ellen O'Brian
(who later married Will Hilger), Ester Hilger, Ed Bowman,
small boy Gus Dougherty. Standing L to R: Ole Synness,
N. D. Hilger, Ralph DeCamp (the artist). Will Hilger was
the photographer.
A 1920s
view. From left to right: Harold Wolstein (Maggie's nephew),
Otis and Lloyd Synness.
Autos
at the Synness homestead, 1920s.
The Synness
homstead in the 1930s...
...and in the year 2000.
1997 gathering
of the descendants of Ole and Maggie Synness.
Gates
of the Mountains
"Gateway
of the Rockies" postcard, about 1900. More popularly
know as "The Gates of the Mountains", this
remarkable area is located about 20 miles north of Helena
on the Missouri River. On July 19, 1805, the Lewis and
Clark Expedition entered this awe-inspiring limestone
canyon. The 1,200 foot high walls inspired Lewis to
write: "[These] are the most
remarkable clifts that we have yet seen."
The
expedition was forced to row past nightfall until they
could find a place wide enough to make camp. That night
in his journal, Lewis wrote, "from
the singular appearance of this place I called it the
gates of the rocky mountains."
The
construction of Holter Dam in 1918 raised the level
of the Missouri through the Gates some 100 feet; so
what we see today is different than what the Lewis and
Clark party saw, although it is still magnificent.
Northern
entrance to the Gates of the Mountains, taken before
the construction of Holter Dam in 1918. This is how
Lewis and Clark saw it in 1806.
THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
Gates of
the Mountains, probably before 1886. The man with the oars is
Ole Synness.
A ca.
1910 postcard view of the same area.
THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
The
first trip of Judge Nicholas Hilger's steam launch "The
Rose of Helena", 1886. From left to right: Joe Hilger,
Ole Synness, Judge Nicholas Hilger, May (or Esther) Hilger,
Will Hilger.
THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
Gates
of the Mountains, ca. 1900. From Left to right: Andrew
Fergus, David Hilger, Ole Synness, Nicholas Hilger.
A dreamy
vista of "The Gates", date unknown.
A fanciful
colorized view of the Gates of the Montains, ca. 1940.
Gates
of the Mountains tour boat, 1960s. Today, three boats
- the "Pirogue", the "Sacajawea" and
the "Hilger Rose "- take visitors through the
remarkable passage from June through September. VISIT
THE GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS WEBSITE
COURTESY
OF KITTY ANN QUIGLEY TAALER
A
short clip from the 1973 promotional film "Helena-City
of Gold", produced by the Helena Chamber of Commerce.
The Samuel T. Hauser Cabin and Camp• Oxbow Bend • Missouri
River ALL
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
Joe Hilger at
the cabin.
L to R: Vic Hagman,
Mrs. Thomas Hauser, Kate Blacker and Joe Hilger.
Wolf
Creek, Montana
A View
of Wolf Creek, Circa 1910 Photo
by Gottfried G. Bergt (1881-1962)
THE
KENNON BAIRD COLLECTION • CLICK ON IMAGE
TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Main Street, Wolf Creek, 1930s
COURTESY
OF THE DAVID POOR COLLECTION • CLICK ON
IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
"The
Dugout", Main Street, 1930s
Frenchy's
Cafe and Cabins, Highway 91, Wolf Creek
CLICK
ON IMAGE FOR A BIG VIEW IN A NEW WINDOW
Frenchy's
Cafe and Cabins, Wolf Creek, probably late 1940s. Operated by
Fred and Maurita Meunier, Frenchy's was a familiar stop on U.
S. Highway 91 between Helena and Great Falls.
Three
Early Promotional Photos of Frenchy's
COURTESY
OF THE DAVID POOR COLLECTION • CLICK ON
IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Tournament-bound
Women Bowlers Stopped at Frenchy's, 1940s
COLLECTION
OF MAXINE GILMOUR, COURTESY OF RICHARD SMITH •
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Frenchy's,
Late 1940s
COURTESY
OF THE DAVID POOR COLLECTION • CLICK ON
IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
COURTESY
OF THE DAVID POOR COLLECTION • CLICK ON
IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
Frenchy's,
1950s
Celebrities
at Frenchy's...
Mr. Pat
Ryan of Arizona, whose grandparents Fred and Maurita Meunier
owned Frenchy's, shares a few stories about the celebrities
who sought out Frenchy's as a pleasant western retreat:
Here
are some memories as related to me by me Grandmother, Maurita.
My
Grandmother mentioned several celebrities that came to Wolf
Creek in the 40's and 50's. Dinah Shore, George Montgomery,
Bing Crosby, Errol Flynn were among some of the film stars of
that era that frequented Frenchy's in the heyday. All except
Flynn were avid outdoors people.
Montgomery
was from the area and what she related to me was that he never
forgot his roots.
Dinah
Shore was married to Montgomery, and when they stayed out at
Frenchy's she would always sing in the Bar for the patrons.
My grandmother had a picture of Dinah Shore and me (probably
at age 2) on rollerskates going thu the restaurant as surprised
patrons look on. I
believe that photo was destroyed in the fire of 1958 [the fire
destroyed the restaurant].
The
story my Grandmother tells of Bing Crosby is that on one of
his many summer trips, he stayed for an extended period after
the death of his first wife [Dixie]. For weeks all he did was
sit at the bar and order his favorite drink, seven and seven.
He pulled his trademark hat low over his eyes so no one would
recognize him and bother him. My grandmother said that she had
not seen anybody that stricken with grief. She felt bad, and
when anybody tried to approach him or recognized him they were
promptly told to hit the road.
One
other story she told me time and again was about their least
favorite celebrity, Errol Flynn. Flynn flew to the Helena area
to promote a movie and all the town was out to greet him. My
Mother, Rieta, at the time was a teenager and was on the greeting
committee.
Flynn come off the plane in a highly intoxicated state and proceeded
to say several off-color things directed at some of the local
young ladies....including my mother. Frenchy, who was an ex-boxer
and pretty gruff guy, pulled Flynn aside and basically told
him that if he didn't clean up his act and language would be
not getting back on the plane in one piece. No one knows exactly
what he said to Flynn but evidently made a strong impression
on him the rest of the stay.
Just
a few of the stories I remember. Frenchy died of cancer in 1963.
My Grandmother died in 1997 at the age of 85. They really typified
Montana in the 40's and 50's, fair, hard working and hard playing
people.
1958
Fire
Missouri
River Bridge Between Wolf Creek and Craig, 1940s
