The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-09-11

In the process Of redistricting ii
National Forests which has just bee
completed, numerous changes Of mar
were made. These changes were b
no means haphazard or arbitrary. TIL
new names have been chosen on a
count of their Importance in local an
national history, and they will serv
Q all time as reminders of men an
events connected with the country
progress from the pioneer days. Mere
" to read them Understandings is t
trace the salient facts of wester
growth and development.
The National Forests In Montana
with the significance and derivation o
their names, are as follows:
The Absaroka National Forest take
it's name from the Absaroka tribe o
the Hidatsa division of the Nort]
American Indians which are now OF
the Grow reservation in Montana no
far from the Custer battlefield. Thu
word is the Indian name for a spe
cies Of hawk commonly styled thu
Grow" This forest which includes
SS6,64o acres. is in charge Of Acting
Supervisor V. Clifford Lantry, with
headquarters at Livingston.
Tho Roorfn0%h hYc%9~-.1 r~...l ~
named from the Beartooth mountain
which is SO named from the cap ridge
which is just north of the Wyoming
and Montana line. rough Jagged peaks
resembling the teeth Of a bear. This
forest is under the supervision Of q.
@. Russell, with headquarters at Red
Lodge. 1t covers an area Of 7O0,81
acres.
The large rock located in the Big
Hole Basin which resembles the head
OF a beaver gives the name to Beaver
head county, from which the Beaver
head National Forest is named. One
million, eight hundred and nine thou
sand, three hundred and f1fty-nine acres
are included in this forest which is
under the supervision of G. K. Wyman,
whose headquarters are at Dillon, in
the Beaverhead valley.
Bitter Root National Forest Is named
from the mountains and river of that
name, which were SO called on account
OF the abundant growth of the bitter
root plant in the western part Of the
state. The plant was named by the
Indians because OF the bitterness OF its
roots, which are slightly fleshy and
sometimes used for food by them. The
area of this forest Is 1,l52,864 acres.
Supervisor w. w. White is in charge,
with headquarters at Missoula.
The Blackfeet Indians give the name
to the Blackfeet National Forest. They
are composed of the subtribes Of
Bloods, Piegan, Small Robes, aad
Blackfeet proper. The tribe is now
found in Montana and British Amer
lea, and is friendly to the whites. This
forest has an area Of 1,993,6O0 acres
and Is In charge of Supervisor r. MI
Haines, with headquarters at Kalis-
pell.
The Cabinet National Forest is
named after the mountains Of that
name. The derivation Of the name is
unknown. The area embraced is III
,O43,840 acres, under the supervision Of
Roy Headley, with headquarters at
Thompson Falls.
General George A. Custer OF the Gus
ter massacre fame gives the name to
the Custer National Forest. He COM
manded the exploring expedition in
the Black Hills in 1874. and led the
expedition against the Sioux Indians
in 1876. Coming upon a large Indian
encampment of the Little Big Horn
river, he divided his regiment into sew
eral detachments, N of which under
Major Reno was ordered to attack the
enemy in the rear, while Custer adj
vanced with five companies in front.
Major Reno vas driven back, and the
Indians concentrated upon Custer, who
was killed, together with his whole
force. Custer is also the name Of the
county in which much Of the forest
is located. Custer has an area Of
acres and is under the super
of A. g. Mccain, with headquar-
tiers at Ashland.
The well known valley in Montana
the name to the Deer Lodge
This valley contains a very
large hot spring which in winter warm
ed q considerable area In its vicinity.
the winter months the deer
were in the habit Of gathering or "lodg-
Ing" in this valley in order to keep
Hence the name Of Deer lodge.
G. G. Hall is In charge. with
headquarters at Anaconda. One MIL
lion, e%ighty-two thousand, eight hun
dred and eighty acres are embraced in
The forest.
The Flathead forest is named afterl
the Flathead Indians. The popular idea
ls that their name is derived from al
said to have. been prevalent