Section E Pg 21 Missoulian Centennial Caption of 6 Photos
Caption of 6 photos on Page 21 Section E
The Quake That Reshaped Montana
Missoula and all of Montana felt the earthquake of Aug. 17, 1959, that shook loose a mountainside in the picturesque Madison River Canyon, pouring some 410,000,000 cubic yards of rock and dirt on the valley floor, a popular fishing and camping site.
The pictures above show how the slide area looked from above and below after the quake had created a natural dam and a new body of water now known as Earthquake Lake.
One of the photos at left shows a picnic table still set with food by campers who were killed by huge boulders crushing trees, cars and everything in their paths. Nine persons were killed and 19 are presumed buried under the huge slide. A cabin shaken loose from its foundation floated into a new cove in Hebgen Lake (at lower left) made3 by the damaging earth shocks, among the strongest ever felt in Montana.
The photos below show some of the damage to property caused as faults suddenly shot across the terrain, cracks appeared in roads and trails, and some sections of Highway 287 plunged into Hebgen Lake.
The Forest Service, Army Engineers, Air Force and private flying service personnel and heavy construction contractors did a remarkable job of rescuing those trapped in the area and getting the injured to medical aid.
Now the Forest Service has established the 37,800-acre Madison River Canyon Earthquake area to preserve earthquake features and to provide for public use and safety. Facilities and roads are being improved as rapidly as possible to enhance public access and use. (Photos courtesy of Forest Service)