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Governor Norris and artist Russell, the mural was completed and still hangs today
in the capitol building. At 12 feet high by 25 feet wide, "Lewis and Clark Meeting
Indians at Ross' Hole" is the largest painting Russell ever created. While Russell took
liberties with the look of the Bitterroot Mountains in the background, in his inimita-
ble style he placed the Salish front and center with Lewis and Clark and the Corps of
Discovery relegated to the middle ground on the right side of the painting.
Two communities roughly 250 miles apart (400 by highway) claim to be "where Mon-
tana began." Fort Benton dates from 1845 (as Fort Lewis), Stevensville from 1841 (the
original St. Mary's Mission, 1850 as Fort Owen). I feel obliged to point out that in
the 1840s, there was no Montana. Indeed, as the Louisiana Purchase extended only
to the Continental Divide, Fort Benton was established in Nebraska Territory and
Stevensville in Oregon Country. Only the creation of Idaho Territory in 1863 brought
the two fledgling communities into a single territorial jurisdiction.
As noted above, Hamilton is the only city in Ravalli County. Marcus Daly, one of
Butte's Copper Kings, needed timber and horses for his mines. Crossing the Sap-
phire Mountains, he found plenty of timber and space to raise horses both for work
and for sport. In 1890, he charged one of his lieutenants, James Hamilton, to plot a
town, then named the town for him. In addition to his stock farm, Daly built himself a
50-room "summer home" on the east side of the new town. Today, the Daly Mansion
is one of the cultural treasures to visit in the Bitterroot Valley and hosts many com-
munity events throughout the year.
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