Old Missoula

I’ve recently read 2 novels by A. B. Guthrie, The Big Sky and The Way West. He’s an impressive western author not only for the stories and characters he builds, but also for his attention to historic detail. I read these books for a couple of reasons, one being that he lived for a while in Missoula and went to school at the University of Montana. I had recently watched the movie, The Way West, which is a little lame in some respects but features some fabulous scenery and authentic detail. Roger Ebert gave it a kind review, saying it was “handsomely photographed,” and, “Many scenes of everyday life on the wagon train are shot in a low key and acted with subtle humor.” One of the film’s authentic details is its use of muck and mud which accompanies the wagons and settlers almost everywhere they go. The wagons couldn’t avoid it and neither do the actors in the film. The second reason I read these books was the film’s use of authentic history as the wagon train reaches Fort Hall, Idaho where the settlers are introduced to the residing Hudson’s Bay Factor, Richard Grant. This was the gentleman for whom Missoula’s Grant Creek is named. He lived in Missoula for a short time after leaving Idaho. His daughter, Julia, married Missoula’s co-founder C. P. Higgins and was a beloved Missoula citizen in her own right. His son, Johnnie, was a remarkable pioneer in early Montana and has been written about extensively.

The books are interesting and the film is fascinating.