Swan Valley Place Names

Description

This comprehensive guide to place names in the Swan River Valley of Western Montana covers more than 500 geologic and historic features including lakes, streams, and mountain peaks in the Mission Mountains Wilderness, the Swan Valley, and the spectacular Swan Front.

Inside Swan Valley Place Names you will discover the mapmakers, mountain men, foresters, and early settlers who christened idyllic landmarks such as “Angels bathing Pool” and “Daughters of the Sun Mountains” during the past 150 years. The text and images weave a colorful mosaic of early survey maps, field notes, letters, oral histories, and photographs. The reader will gain a broader understanding of this valley’s landscape and culture.

So whether you are a hiker or historian, this book belongs in your collection and will be referred to time and again as a source of carefully researched information prepared with heartfelt respect for this land and its people.

About the Author:

Steve Lamar is retired after working a career in the outdoor field. He retired as the program manager for Northwest Connections, a Swan Valley conservation and education organization, where he worked as an instructor, as well as field assistant on grizzly bear DNA and whitebark pine research projects. He was also the owner of Rumble Peak GeoData, specializing in natural resource and historical data collection. Steve worked 17 seasons with the Forest Service as a forestry technician and backcountry ranger. He also worked as an outdoor instructor and guide for 12 seasons. Steve graduated from Murray State University with a degree in Outdoor Recreation. He and his wife, Sharon, have lived in Swan Valley since 1976. Their two children, Annie and Lucas, were both born in Swan Valley. A local history buff, Steve currently serves as the president of the Upper Swan Valley Historical Society.