Signs to teach Montana geology
DILLON, Mont. — Historians have largely focused on the flora and fauna Lewis and Clark documented in their push to the Pacific Ocean 200 years ago.
But to really understand the pair’s journey, two University of Montana-Western professors believe people need to know more about the landscape they traversed.
“The expedition was really about understanding the landscape of the Louisiana Purchase and that landscape was created through geological processes,” UM-Western professor Rob Thomas said.
Thomas and colleague Sheila Roberts are developing a series of signs for the Lewis and Clark trail in Montana to give visitors and residents alike a better sense of how geology affected the Corps of Discovery.
Nearly 30 signs are planned over the next year from Fort Union in eastern Montana to Lolo Pass on the other side of the state. The project is being funded through a $187,000 federal grant.
“We’ve always wanted to bring geology to the public,” Thomas said. “With the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial coming up and the expected increase in tourism, we thought the timing for this new series of signs was perfect.”
Other western states, such as Idaho and Wyoming, are dotted with signs explaining the unique geology of those areas.
“We thought that Montana was missing the boat,” Thomas said. “Geology is an important aspect of tourism in this state. We wanted to be able to help people understand the beauty that they were appreciating.”
The signs are also an easy way for the average person to understand how geology controlled some aspects of Lewis and Clark’s trip, he said.
One sign, for example, is called “Reading the Landscape,” and points to what is now known as the Hogback in central Montana, a geological landmark Lewis called “a high projecting spur of the mountain.” The hill was climbed by Lewis to get a view of the surrounding landscape.
The sign explains the expedition’s challenge in deciding which tributary to follow as they searched for the headwaters of the Missouri River. It also gives visitors an idea of the geologic process that transformed a sand dune into the now-famous hill.
“The moments in the journals when they were literally overcome and speechless at what they saw were all geological things,” Roberts said.
At first, the pair thought the signs should be located at highway rest stops, but the Montana Department of Transportation was not receptive. They instead turned to a number of other state and federal agencies, and also got support from some private landowners.
They hope to have the signs installed by next August.
“In some places, the agencies were willing to pick up the cost of building the sign,” Thomas said. “When we didn’t have to pay for putting up a sign, we were able to do more with our grant.
“It was just a great example of cooperation.”