Traveler's Rest (Lolo, Montana)

Traveler's Rest (Montana)
Countryside at Travelers Rest
Traveler's Rest (Lolo, Montana) is located in Montana
Traveler's Rest (Lolo, Montana)
Traveler's Rest (Lolo, Montana) is located in the United States
Traveler's Rest (Lolo, Montana)
Nearest cityLolo, Montana
Coordinates46°44′20″N 114°04′50″W / 46.73889°N 114.08056°W / 46.73889; -114.08056
Built1805
NRHP reference No.66000437[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966[2]
Designated NHLOctober 9, 1960[3][4]

Traveler's Rest was a stopping point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, located about one mile south of Lolo, Montana. The expedition stopped from September 9 to September 11, 1805, before crossing the Bitterroot Mountains, and again on the return trip from June 30 to July 3, 1806. Traveler's Rest is at the eastern end of the Lolo Trail.[5] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.[3][6] The boundaries were subsequently revised, and mostly lie within the 51-acre (21 ha) Traveler's Rest State Park, which is operated by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Significant archeological findings made in 2002, including latrine sites with traces of mercury and fire hearths, make this the only site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail that has yielded physical proof of the explorers' presence.[7] Records made by Lewis and Clark often spell "Traveler's" as "Traveller's".[6] This spot is largely unchanged from the days of Lewis and Clark.[5] From this location, Lewis and Clark split up to explore Montana during their return trip, not reuniting until they reached Sanish, North Dakota.[8] After departing here in 1806, Lewis' part of the expedition traveled to what is now the Alice Creek Historic District.[9]

At the time of landmark designation in 1960, the exact location of the expedition's campsite was unknown. Boundaries were formalized on December 12, 1983. Subsequent investigations revealed that errors had been made in setting the boundaries of the landmark. Detailed historical and scientific investigations resulted in a 55-page request for boundary corrections, submitted on May 10, 2004, and approved on March 21, 2006.[4][10] A new road and bridge were built in 2006.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Traveler's Rest". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Traveler's Rest (Montana)". National Historic Landmark Program. National Park Service. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Traveler's Rest" (PDF). National Historic Landmarks Program. National Park Service. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Travelers Rest Montana". Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings. National Park Service. February 22, 2004. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Blanche Higgins Schroer and Ray M. Mattison (June 14, 1976), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Travelers Rest (pdf), National Park Service and Accompanying 8 photos, from 1971, 1975 and undated. (1.94 MB)
  7. ^ "Travelers' Rest State Park". Visit Montana. Montana Office of Tourism. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  8. ^ "Traveler's Rest". National Park Service. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  9. ^ "Alice Creek/Lewis & Clark Pass Lewis & Clark History on the Helena National Forest" (PDF). Montana Discovery Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2010. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  10. ^ "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties". National Park Service. April 21, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
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