www.DistinctlyMontana.com
57
PUSHING WEST
After completion of this monumental task of building the section
in record time, Hill set his sights on reaching the West Coast. De-
siring a less steep path over the Rocky Mountains, Hill employed
locating engineer John F. Stevens to follow up on rumors of a low-
er elevation pass. "Hill thought the builder of the Northern Pacific
picked the wrong spot," says Weston.
Setting off in December 1889, Stevens and a Flathead guide
headed toward the elusive pass from the east trying to locate the
headwaters of the Marias River. With the guide staying behind at
one point, Stevens continued alone in the brutal conditions, ulti-
mately pinpointing the location. With temperatures plummeting,
he could not build a fire because of the deep snow; instead Stevens
walked back and forth throughout the night to keep from freezing.
Thr James J. Hill House
in St. Paul, Minnesota
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