Images of the West

Gilman Sawtell

Thank you Mr. Miller for placing in print some of the many stories that were told to me by my father. Roy Sawtell was the first grandson of Gilman Sawtell.

The story that might have been lost

Work like this is so important, just as the small county museums preserve a history of place that would otherwise be lost. Who knew that so much was in place before the Hayden Expedition? That a crude capitalism was already in place in the 1860s? I always wonder what the Indians thought of these dirty stragglers with the powerful guns who killed a staggering amount of animals and fish. Mark gives us one-half of the story. The first footfalls of settlement before trains forever changed the West. I am grateful for the careful presentation and the images that tell a story we would not otherwise know. Well-done.

Excellent Article

This article by Mark Miller really captures the flavor of the period. He is a consummate story teller!

Neat history of this area.

It's pretty cool to see how resourceful early Montanan's really were!