Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-24
10000 motor CARS
USED CUSTER H|WAY
DURING z SEASON
Route Born in Sheridan in 1920
Has Spectacular
Growth.

." UlOV L1ls
A tourist traffic record of 10000
cars, carrying 10000 persons, 10
times the number using the Custer
Battlefield Hiway in 1920; and repre-
senting 1925 towns and cities in 46
states Of the union and eight foreign
countries, is the remarkable accom-
plishment of the Custer Battlefield
Hiway association, which was organ
lied in Sheridan. Wyo., three years
ago by w. D. Fisher, its secretary,
and then secretary of the Sheridan
commercial club.
Promoting a tourist business through
this section of the west was labeled
as an impossible thing by many per-
ons who were ready to throw cold
water on Fisher's suggestion, and
who intimated that Fisher had better
keep to his job of directing he COM
mercial activities of Sheridan.
But the balance sheet of the Custer
Battlefield Hiway association for 1872
is a tribute to the ability of Secretary
Fisher who conceived the idea of
memorializing a great national high
way to General George Armstrong
Custer and the men who fell with him
in the historic massacre on the field
of battle along the Little Big Horn in
1876, and to the many towns and COM
munities along the highway that have
made and paid the pledges that
brought q realization of the dream.
Out of a clear sky, as it were,
Fisher and his loyal supporters built
his tentative automobile route, from
Omaha, Neb., to Glacier National Park,
a distance Of more than Last miles
and linking the great parks sections
of the country with the many motor
routes that center in the Nebraska
metropolis. Fishers vision of directing
motor tourists through the fertile
valleys Of Iowa, the ranges and Black
Hills of the Dakotas, through the val
leys that border the foothills of the
Big Horns, and on through the range
lands of Montana, then to the Yellow
stone and the Rockies at Glacier park,
dream hat might be accomplished but
which many said was improbable.
Cars Average $50 Miles
But four register books kept at
various tourists centers during the
months Of the 1922 motor season show
that 10000 motor cars used the Custer
LOuLtlCl1Clu way oc q u ~ lAC
two big parks, that these cars travelled
an average Of $50 miles over the high
way and that they left with merchants
along the route approximately 100000
in cash for supTaies, lodgings and other
expenses incidental to motor travel.
In 1920 when the Custer Battlefield
Highway began making it's bid for
motor traffic through "e northwest
it succeeded in enticing about 1000
motor parties off of the long estab-
lished routes and brought them through
this section.
It was not a very large patronage to
and talked, and throughout the coun-
try reported to newspapers and mag
azines that they had found a new won
der land. In these reports the Devils
Tower in northeastern Wyoming; the
Black Hills, the Big Horns, the Custer
Battlefield, the Indian reservations, the
scenic beauties Of Glacier park, and
the agricultural and mineral develop
ments along the way figured promi-
nently and 1921 came with prospects
Of a greatly increased travel over the
highway.
In the meantime a majority of the
state and county highway commissions
Of the five commonwealth through
which the highway passes had grasped
the meaning of Fishers dream, and
the 5000 cars representing 10 states
and 1876 towns that used the highway
that year found a road equal to any
in the west. An average of 600 miles
travel for each of these cars was re-
ported, and the average time passed
on the highway by these cars was five
days, during which it was estimated
the cars represented the expenditure
IS eSa n ao~. or , H1NnJ sc QQnn nnn
for the season. This estimate Is rather
low, when it is recalled that many of
the motor parties carry as many as
eight persons.
Iowa and South Dakota
A survey of the four registration
books selected for the purpose of COM
piling this data shows that the states of
Iowa and South Dakota. with motor
parties representing 1913 towns and
cities head the list Of communities, rep
resented in the 1922 traffic. In many
Instances some of these 1873 towns
were represented by scores.,of parties.
but in the tabulations each town and
city counted but once. This tie for
first position, it is predicted, will bring
a keen rivalry during the next tourist
season between Iowa and South Da-
kota for the first position in the 1923
list.
Nebraska, with 1O2 cars, holds sec
ond place in the honor roll and Mon
tana is third with II, then comes
Wyoming, the birthplace of the high
way, in fourth place with so cars: with
Minnesota a close competitor with ~,
as the fifth highest. Kansas and Illi-
nois are tied for sixth place with 16
cities and towns represented in the
tourist record.
1t is pointed out that Wyoming's
position in the record may be mis-
leading; it's position being SO low. but
It is to be remembered that the home
folks, as it were. do not always regis
ter; in fact they seldom dos and the
4S registrations shown are persons who
happened to come from more. distant
sections Of the state. If all of Wyo-
ming's cars could be induced to reg
lister the tourist record of the Custer
Hiway would show tremendous In
creases.
In the eight foreign countries regis
tered nine communities In Canada are
represented; one in France; two in
China; one in Mexico; one in Hawaii;
two in South Africa and one in Aus
.ralia.
BRAKES WEAR TIRES
Always apply the brakes gently.
When brakes are jammed hard, it
.,,,<o = rnyoro rfro;r, an tho ffra0 and