Horse Prairie Valley - Montana Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Text of Sign.
Grass is Gold
Horse Prairie rangelands have sustained grazing animals and the people connected with them since the days when Indians came to hunt bison.
In the 1850s Richard Grant and son Johnny acquired thin, worn-out stock from Oregon-bound pioneers at Fort Hall, Idaho. They drove the cattle and horses north to fatten on the free and abundant grass in this valley, later returning to Fort Hall and exchanging one healthy animal for two spent ones.
When local gold strikes in early 1860s brought hordes of foot loose prospectors to southwest Montana, Grant and others were ready to supply them wit fresh beef and horses.
From Road To Rail & Back Again
By the 1880s the old Indian road Lewis and Clark followed was heavily traveled. Herds of livestock were driven to the railhead at Red Rock, Montana along this route. Freight wagons and stagecoaches rumbled daily between Red Rock and the mining camps of Salmon City, Idaho via Lemhi Pass.
In 1910 the Gilmore & Pittsburgh Railroad replaced the stagecoaches. Known locally as the “Get Out and Push Railroad,” the “G&P” operated until 1939, connecting the Utah & Northern Railroad at Armstead, Montana with Leadore, Idaho. The trains crossed the Continental Divide in reverse, through a tunnel at Bannock Pass, 11 miles south of here.

Describe the area and history: The Shoshone Ridge Viewpoint overlooks Horse Prairie Valley.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/07/2010 Volcanoguy visited it